DDT is currently used in indoor residual spraying (IRS) for malaria vector control in several countries, in accordance with the recommendations and guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO). Nonetheless, this chemical is among the 12 persistent organic pollutants (POPs) the production or use of which is restricted by the …
Modern agriculture practices have been great promise for economic development of nation. Farm productivity is directly proportional to use of agrochemicals as observed from the first green revolution. Improper and unsafe use of these agrochemicals, especially pesticides is not only harmful to environment but also human health. Pesticides cause 14 …
Weight loss is no more a simple calculation of calories consumed and burnt. Studies show exposure to certain toxins in the environment can make it difficult for one to shed extra pounds. What are these toxins? How do they affect body? A growing number of people are unable to shed …
New Delhi: The groundwater that most of Delhi relies on when water shortage leaves taps dry is probably far more contaminated than we can imagine. Arecent study by a team from the civil engineering department of IIT-Delhi on the groundwater quality in the Palla-Burari region has made some alarming revelations. …
Malaria is an ancient disease in India. Known as the ‘king of diseases’, malaria was estimated to cause 75 million cases and 0.8 million deaths annually. In epidemic years, morbidity and mortality used to increase 2–3 times. Ravages of malaria were so rampant and devastating, that the economic growth of …
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 …
Limited human data suggest an association of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) with adverse effects on children’s growth. The authors evaluated the associations of OCPs with longitudinally assessed growth among peripubertal boys from a Russian cohort with high environmental OCP levels.
Over 2800 cases reported till October, officials asked to stay alert The state’s plans of introducing two varieties of fish, gambusia and guppy, to control the spread of mosquito larvae in ponds has failed to make an impact, at least in Bokaro, with the district administration now gearing up to …
A Punjab Agriculture University (PAU) research spanning over 14 years has shown considerable decline in the level of contamination in different food commodities. Conducted by the university’s Department of Entomology between 1997 and 2010, the researchers, after analysing 3,300 food samples, found that the contamination level had come down to …
EXPOSURE to organic pollutants can disrupt the formation of nervous system in a foetus. This in turn may lead to neural tube defects. The disease affects over 320,000 infants worldwide every year. Earlier studies have linked organic pollutants like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), from indoor coal stoves, smoking and vehicle …
Thousands of baby pelicans grunt and hiss at their parents in tightly packed nests on Gaillard Island, a feathered paradise situated off the coast of Alabama. The 1,300-acre, man-made island is hosting more than 50,000 birds this summer as nesting pairs gather to raise babies. That number would be considered …
The debate regarding dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) in malaria prevention and human health is polarized and can be classified into three positions: anti-DDT, centrist-DDT, pro-DDT. The authors attempted to arrive at a synthesis by matching a series of questions on the use of DDT for indoor residual spraying (IRS) with literature and …
Bosco Acope and his family tend their farm in Atek, Uganda, where the government's use of DDT has threatened their livelihood. Growing up as a child here along the muggy, isolated plains of northern Uganda, life was not easy. His parents were poor. He did not attend secondary school. Many …
India has submitted the National Implementation Plan of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). MoEF will coordinate its implementation & the activities will spread over a period of 12 years from 2011-2022. The objective of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (SC) is to protect human health …
The objective of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (SC) is to protect human health and the environment from POPs. Article 7 of the SC calls for the development of the National Implementation Plan (NIP) that discusses how Parties aim to meet their obligations under the SC. This document …
THE country’s regulators have failed to check the flow of pesticides into the food chain, suggests a monitoring report of the Department of Agriculture and the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, the country’s premier institute. Fruits, vegetables, poultry and milk are all laced with high pesticide residues —much above the maximum …
Encouraged by the early success of using dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) against malaria, the World Health Organization (WHO) embarked on the Global Malaria Eradication Program (GMEP) in 1955. Fourteen years later, the campaign was discontinued when it was recognised that eradication was not achievable with the available means in many areas, although …
Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS), insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) and long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) are key components in malaria prevention and control strategy. However, the development of resistance by mosquitoes to insecticides recommended for IRS and/or ITNs/LLINs would affect insecticide-based malaria vector control. We assessed the susceptibility levels of Anopheles arabiensis to …
