The World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Climate in Asia 2024 report warns that the region is warming nearly twice as fast as the global average, driving more extreme weather and posing serious threats to lives, ecosystems, and economies. In 2024, Asia experienced its warmest or second warmest year on …
Cypermethrin is a synthetic pyrethoid mainly used against mango insect pests. Clams are good indicators of pesticide pollution and are known to be tolerant to pesticide accumulation. Acute toxicity experiment of Cypermethrin is carried out on estuarine clam, Marcia opima. The clam exhibited significant increase in protein content of gill …
A new investigation by Greenpeace International has found a broad range of hazardous chemicals in children's clothing and footwear produced by eight luxury fashion brands. Twenty-seven products were sent to independent accredited laboratories, and investigated for the presence of nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs), and certain products were also analysed for phthalates, …
Greenpeace has recently published a number of investigations showing that a wide range of textile products, manufactured and sold in many countries around the world, can contain residues of hazardous substances, including hormone-disrupting alkylphenols and their ethoxylates, reprotoxic phthalates, highly persistent per- and polyfluorinated chemicals, and – in some cases …
Dietary exposure of children to Bisphenol A through feeding bottles under real use conditions was investigated. Polycarbonate is widely used in the manufacture of food containers and Bisphenol A can leach out into liquid food material. Three sets of six feeding bottles each from different brands were used in the …
A growing body of evidence suggests pesticides may play a role in Parkinson’s disease (PD) in humans. Selfreported PD has been associated with lifetime use of pesticides, and animal studies have suggested that the pesticides paraquat and rotenone can cause oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction, respectively—posited mechanisms of action in …
Arsenic is the focus of public attention because of its wider prevalence and toxicity. Proper sampling is important in characterizing toxic water contaminants in the groundwater. The present paper studies aspects of sampling, preservation artifacts, analytical issues etc. in a natural arsenic contaminated groundwater. The samples were collected from arsenic …
Acute catastrophic events can cause significant damage to marine environments in a short time period and may have devastating long-term impacts. In April 2010 the BP-operated Deepwater Horizon (DWH) offshore oil rig exploded, releasing an estimated 760 million liters of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico. This study examines …
Chronic exposure of bumblebees to two pesticides (a neonicotinoid and a pyrethroid) independently and in combination, at concentrations approximating field-level exposure, impairs natural foraging behaviour and increases worker mortality, with knock-on effects for brood development and colony success.
Highlighting the possible disastrous consequences of field trials of Genetically Modified (GM) crops, an expert committee has recommended to the Centre to implement a 10-year moratorium on such trials on Bt. Transgenics in all food crops. In its interim report submitted to the Supreme Court, the Technical Expert Committee (TEC) …
Mercury, a highly toxic heavy metal, has contaminated the environment of Sonbhadra in Uttar Pradesh. This new lab study by Centre for Science and Environment found the metal in not just soil and water samples, but also in people's blood. Singrauli, the powerhouse of India with massive coal reserves and …
NEW DELHI: Worried about pesticide residues in vegetables? Your diet may consist of many more toxic contaminants that you overlook. A new study by School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), has found vegetables grown near thermal power plants to be highly contaminated with heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic …
The Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (IITR) has informed the Supreme Court that groundwater around the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal is contaminated. In an interim report submitted before the Bench of Justices Altamas Kabir and J. Chelameswar, the IITR said 30 samples were collected from the disaster site. Nitrate …
Global food experts have come out unanimously against GM crops declaring that there is no evidence to show that GM crops help enhance a nation’s security. Prof. Jack Heinemann from the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Christchurch, New Zealand, and a lead author of the prestigious International …
Organohalogen compounds are some of the most notorious persistent pollutants disturbing the Earth biosphere. Although human-made, these chemicals are not completely alien to living systems. A large number of natural organohalogens, part of the secondary metabolism, are involved in chemical trophic interactions. Surprisingly, the relationship between organisms’ trophic position and …
Exposure to high concentrations of persistent organochlorines may cause fetal toxicity, but the evidence at low exposure levels is limited. Large studies with substantial exposure contrasts and appropriate exposure assessment are warranted. Within the framework of the EU (European Union) ENRIECO (ENvironmental Health Risks in European Birth Cohorts) and EU …
Aren’t critics of genetically engineered food anti-science? Isn’t the debate over GMOs (genetically modified organisms) a spat between emotional but ignorant activists on one hand and rational GM-supporting scientists on the other? A new report released , “GMO Myths and Truths,” challenges these claims. The report presents a large body …
Migration of the potential endocrine disrupter, bisphenol A (BPA), from 31 polycarbonate (PC) baby bottles into aqueous food simulants was studied under real repetitive use, using a sensitive and fully validated liquid chromatographic method with fluorescence detection. Confirmation of the presence of BPA was performed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). …
Baby bottles are often made of polycarbonate plastic. Impurities remaining in the bottle from the monomer bisphenol A can migrate from the plastic bottles into baby food, thereby causing a health concern. Previous migration testing of new baby bottles showed only trace migration levels of the substance. In the present …
Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a principal reactant in the preparation of polycarbonate (PC) plastics and has been shown in in vitro cell proliferation studies to exhibit estrogen-like characteristics. Reusable baby bottles, water carboys, and other housewares are often made of PC. A high-pressure liquid chromatographic (HPLC) protocol was used to determine …
