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 …
Why are there pesticide residues in bottled water? This isn"t an isolated query. It condenses 3-4 lines of questioning: • What kind of water do companies use as raw material? • Companies are supposed to "treat" the raw water, clean it up. If so, then what kind of clean-up is …
'corporate Responsibility' has died a fancy death at the altar of public relations. A recent chemical analysis of branded packaged drinking water (commonly called bottled water) conducted by the Pollution Monitoring laboratory of Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment has brought out a horror story (see: gulp). All the major …
India is the second largest producer of vegetables after China, and accounts for 13.4% of world production. Surveys carried out by institutions spread throughout the country indicate that 50-70% of vegetables are contaminated with insecticide residues. Rapid, inexpensive and sensitive methods such as pesticide finger printing technique and enzyme-linked immunosorbent …
The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (pops), signed by India on May 14, 2002, has expectedly raised the chemical manufacturers' hackles. The pact seeks to regulate the use of the world's most toxic substances, covering 12 of the deadliest chemicals. Interestingly, the industry is not so shaken by the …
The Indian government has finally signed the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). The agreement aims at reducing and eliminating 12 deadly POPs from the environment. Though the decision was taken by Union minister for environment and forests T R Baalu in March 2002, the agreement has been signed …
"sauns sabhi ko pyari hai, Ganga maiya ki sawari hai .' This is the constant chanting that follows every splash of water as fisherfolk in Patna nudge their boats along the banks of the Ganges. And the hymn simply denotes a truth: Gangetic dolphin is dear to all and it …
I n the past few decades, society has played a proactive role in purging the market of toxic products. This has been largely possible due to sustained information campaigns, highlighting the damage these noxious substances cause to the environment and health. Cases in point are public disclosure drives that have …
stockpiles of obsolete pesticides, including dieldrin, chlorinated organomercury compounds and ddt, stored in a warehouse at the National Agricultural Research Council, Kathmandu, are posing a danger to the health of the residents, workers and livestock in the area. The pesticides were exported to the country by multinationals such as Bayer, …
a recent study has proved that exposure to pesticides such as ddt (dichloro diphenyl trichloroethane) can increase child mortality ( Lancet , Vol 358, July 2001, pp 110-114). Mathew P Longnecker of the Epidemiology branch of National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, usa and his colleagues used the serum samples …
children exposed to ddt (dichlorodiphenyl-trichloroethane) attain puberty at a much younger age, reveals a new study. The study shows that girls exposed to ddt develop breasts and start their menstruation cycle by the age of ten, both processes which generally start at the age of 12. The study carried out …
A dozen notoriously toxic chemicals have been outlawed, or restricted around the world under a landmark United Nations treaty signed in Stockholm in May. It is a rare piece of good news for the global environment. The accord will ban, phase out or severely cut back a range of industrial …
A German food laboratory found traces of potentially dangerous pesticide Dicofol and fungicides Procymidon and Chlorthalonil in six out of 20 random samples of imported strawberries reports Reuters . The samples were from Spain and Italy. All three substances are suspected of being carcinogenic. Dicofol belongs to the same chemical …
at least 120 countries have agreed to become signatories to a un treaty banning or restricting the use of 12 toxic chemicals known as persistent organic pollutants ( pop s). The treaty, known as the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, was signed on May 23, 2001, and will become …
With the emergence of vector-borne diseases, population pressure and unhealthy living conditions, a very focussed approach and long-term planning is needed in disease control. If all human-made changes and pressure of unscientific exploitation of natural resources are not halted, the planet Earth will not remain a habitable place. The case …
vinod Prakash Sharma, an expert on malaria, has bagged the Green Scientist Award 2001 for his work on bioenvironmental control of malaria. The Centre for Science and Environment (cse), a New Delhi-based non-governmental organisation, has instituted the award that carries a citation and a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh. …
ddt (dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane) content in fish stocks from Ganga is 16,000 times more than the permissible limit. This was revealed during a study conducted by R K Sinha, a senior investigator of the Ganga pollution-monitoring project. The Patna University, Bihar, is coordinating the project. "I found that the fish contained …
Down To Earth and the Centre for Science and Environment announce that the winner of the 2001 Green Scientist Award is V P Sharma , former head of the Malaria Research Centre. Instituted to recognise and honour commendable scientific efforts in the crucial but ignored area of environmental science, the …
Ecological Security is all pervasive, all encompassing. It is not merely the flora, fauna, air, water and land. It is whole economics. One cannot separate Financial Security and Ecological Security. But we need to paraphrase the term. It should not be used as the other abused word
few people realise that the 21st century is going to be the century of the environment. Technological change in this century is going to be heavily driven by the environmental imperative. Any nation that forgets to invest in environmental science and technology will only do so at its own peril
T he Centre for Science and Environment ( cse ) and Down To Earth have instituted the award to highlight the state of environmental research in India and to encourage and honour commendable efforts in this crucial but ignored area. This is one way to make more funds available for …
