Reply on behalf of the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) in response to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order September 12, 2024. The matter related to the news item titled "People are breathing in cancer-causing chemicals in their cars study find" appearing in NDTV.com dated May 8, 2024. ARAI …
toxic substances have been found in the air downwind from Toronto, Canada's capital. These were most likely released by the dumping of polyvinyl chloride ( pvc ), say environmental organisations Greenpeace, Toronto Environmental Alliance and Jack Jayton, chairperson of Toronto's Environmental Task Force. They are urging municipalities across Canada to …
The NIN study found that our aluminium intake depends not only on the kind of aluminium vessels used but also on the food we eat. For instance, green vegetables, pulses and spices contain aluminium that can accumulate in the body. Aluminium intake by the average Indian varies between I milligram …
OF LATE there has been a growing awareness in South Asia to the new dangers posed by persistent organic pollutants (POPS), often referred to as the "dirty dozen". Pops are toxic organic compounds which, once released, continue to linger in the atmosphere and can pose serious health risks in the …
UP TO half of Inuit women in the Canadian Arctic are consuming toxic pollutants at levels that grossly exceed all international safety limitations. The seals, whales and fish they eat are contaminated with pesticides, heavy metals and PCBS - pollutants released almost half-a-world away by the developed, industrialised nations. A …
FISH in the Sea of Japan have been found to have high levels of toxic chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBS) and dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane (DDT). A team of researchers led by Shinsuke Tanabe, professor at the Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan, found blackfish, striped dolphins and killer whales with high contents …
WHAT do you do with chemicals that poison the Earth, travel fast, and do not disintegrate easily? Known as Persistent Organic Pollutants or POPS, these are toxic organic compounds that have many agricultural and industrial applications. But also pose a serious threat to all life as well as the environment …
MERCURY, which is known to damage the nervous system and disrupt mental development, can also cause infertility in men at levels well below those the World Health Organisation (WHO) says are safe. Mike Dickman, biologist at the University of Hong Kong, and Clement Leung of the In Vitro Fertilisation Centre …
Botulinum toxin, a poison used in many chemical weapons, might prove to be a boon for people who perspire excessively. Scientists claim that the chemical can cure excessive perspiration. A disorder called hyperhidrosis makes people sweat excessively. Recently, a team from Julius Maximilian University in Wurzburg, Germany, injected small doses …
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 …
Mother's milk contains carcinogenic toxins. But health authorities still advocate breast feeding as the benefits far outweigh the risks. According to a report of the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food and Consumer Products and the Environment, UK, British infants are consuming large quantities of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and …
Twenty-four brands of plastic baby feeding bottles were purchased and all were found to be made of polycarbonate. Taking a batch of one representative sample, the polymer was tested for stability and possible release of bisphenol A following domestic practice of sterilization. Sterilization was by alkaline hypochlorite, steam, or washing …
the rivalry between mongooses and snakes is legion. What has always puzzled researchers has been the mongoose's ability to counter deadly snake-venom. Now a team of scientists in Israel has discovered that it is not the quick reflexes of these mammals that saves them from the lethal bite of snakes …
FIVE years after the first human being received gene therapy to correct an inherited disease, the results are in. The Washington Post (October 21, 1995) reports that two seriously ill children who were given immune-system genes that they lacked from birth, are "healthy and thriving" now. Gene therapy is a …
The brutal face of modern day terrorism bared its fangs recently on a busy subway system in Tokyo. On March 20, a vicious nerve gas spewed through subway cars and stations during the morning rush hour in the city leaving 6 dead and thousands of passengers reeling under its noxious …
A DEBATE is raging in the us about the "Gulf War Syndrome" -- a mysterious illness that has scientists completely at sea. An extensive range of unexplained health problems has surfaced among soldiers who fought in the 1991 Gulf War, as well as in their families. Reports are coming in …
ELECTROPLATING units use highly toxic compounds to produce the shiny "chrome-plated" parts that comprise various gadgets. Nearly all electroplating is done in the unorganised sector by units operating out of small sheds in residential or industrial areas. They do job work for large units, assembling radios and TVs, and in …
MORE THAN 36 tonnes of highly toxic chemicals are stored even after their date of expiry in the godowns of the Agriculture Inputs Corp at Amlekhgunj, in central Nepal. The Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalists (NEFEJ) says these pesticides were supposed to be burnt in the kiln of the Hetauda …
When the Union agriculture ministry announced in July, with great fanfare its decision to ban 12 pesticides and restrict 13 others, it received much kudos from nongovernmental organisations and voluntary agencies. Praise was showered on agriculture secretary M S Gill. However, enquiries by Down To Earth revealed the decision on …
SEVERAL foods people all over the country consume daily -- milk, butter and cereals, for example -- have been found to contain substances hazardous to health by a nationwide survey conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The ICMR surveyors found that as much as 87 per cent …
POISONING of nature is a constant obsession with BBC's Nature series. The latest episode in the series was on the ubiquitous yet controversial chlorine, a chemical the programme dubs as "The Devil's Element". The title has been derived from the words of a professor of environmental chemistry: "There are 91 …
