The Standing Committee on Chemicals and Fertilizers presented its report on ‘Insecticides and Pesticides – Promotion and Development including Safe Usage – Licensing Regime for Insecticides’ on December 19, 2023. Pesticides are broadly of four types: insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, and bio-pesticides. Herbicides kill/control the growth of weeds, and have the …
bt cotton varieties grown in India are the least effective against bollworm, the most widespread cotton pest, as compared to those used elsewhere in the world, claims a study by the Central Institute for Cotton Research (cicr) in Nagpur. The finding appears to vindicate the stand of farmers, particularly from …
The us Environmental Protection Agency (epa) has once again encouraged an unethical practice, urging pesticide companies to go for human trials of their products. This, despite the us House of Representatives prohibiting the agency from accepting human pesticide dosing studies as evidence of safety (when other methods of determining a …
a herbicide, Roundup, based on the chemical glyphosate, is being promoted by multinationals as a solution to the problem of toxicity from pesticides. But a study by French scientists published in Environmental Health Perspectives (Vol 113, No 6, June 2005), shows both Roundup and glyphosate can be toxic to human …
at a time when grants dictate the direction of research, one of the greatest challenges for public health advocates is to find scientific research carried out in the public interest, as against research that is funded by private interests. Which is why, when a scientific paper throws light on the …
Thousands of campesinos of Nicaragua, who work in farms and have been affected by the use of the pesticide Nemagon, will benefit from a new pact they recently signed with the government. Nemagon is derived from dibromochloropropane (dbcp), a possible carcinogen. The agreement includes provisions for medical care of victims …
cancer risk among rural workers exposed to pesticides is almost twice as high as that for non-exposed workers, according to a Brazilian study published in the journal Environment International (July, Vol 31, No 5). Brazil is the world's seventh largest pesticide consumer. Researchers Illona Maria de Brito S
cattle feed manufactured in Punjab under various brand names contain harmful quantities of limestone powder (lsp) and urea, the Punjab Dairy Development Department (pddd) warned recently. This adversely affects the quality of milk produced, as well as the health of the cattle. In its report based on tests of cattle …
in response to Coca-Cola and PepsiCo's clarification applications, on June 1, 2005, the Rajasthan High Court (hc) issued final directions on the exact declaration regarding pesticide content to be made on the packaging of soft drinks by manufacturers. "...we require the applicants to declare on soft drink bottles, package or …
a european study reveals a link between pesticides and Parkinson's disease (pd), claiming the greater the pesticide exposure, the higher the risk of developing the ailment. pd is an incurable, degenerative neurological condition where people have difficulty in moving their limbs and develop tremors and facial tics. A survey of …
pesticide levels thought safe for pollinators may prove harmful for the wild bee, says a Canadian study. It shows adult bumblebees exposed to significant levels of the pesticide spinosad during larval development have impaired foraging (food collecting) ability. In developed countries, about one third of human food depends on pollinating …
Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Private Limited at Plachimada has rejected the three-month conditional licence issued by the Perumatty Grama Panchayat describing it as a violation of the High Court order.The company, in its letter to the panchayat on June 8, 2005, said that "the grant of licence for a period of …
The uk government has taken a tough stance against companies failing to legally disclose the side effects of pesticides in their products. Its Pesticides Safety Directorate (psd) recently withdrew from the uk market over 30 products manufactured by 13 companies on this ground. psd took the step following an alert …
the us Environmental Protection Agency (epa) recently halted a controversial study, initiated in October 2004, on the adverse health affects of pesticide exposure on children (babies to three-year-olds). Health experts opposed the study on the ground that it purposely exposed children, especially those belonging to low-income families, to toxic chemicals. …
The pesticide 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (dbcp) has created more legal trouble for three us fresh food producers and two global chemicals giants. These companies were earlier sued by Costa Rica's banana pickers for exposing them to various health problems by using and distributing dbcp, which is banned in the us ( see …
one in five us farm workers regularly handling organophosphate (op) and carbamate (cb) pesticides suffers serious health effects such as nausea, headaches, fatigue and seizures, according to a report released in mid-February. These pesticides are neurotoxins that significantly inhibit production of cholinesterase
• The Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (sacon) in Coimbatore collected about 1,700 fish samples representing 66 species from 173 wetlands in 14 states. Of them, 1,600 samples were analysed for residues of pesticides including ddt and its metabolites, various isomers of hexachlorocyclohexane (hch), heptachlor and heptachlor …
Pesticides have become integral part of villagers in Punjab. Bhatinda district in Punjab, an important cotton belt of the country irrigated by canal water grows largely cotton and rice crop
dichloro chloro phenyl ethylene (dde), a toxic residue of ddt, has been found responsible for foetal loss, according to a study conducted by Mathew Longnecker and his co-workers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in the us (Environmental Research, Vol 97, No 2 pp 127-133). From 1997-1999, blood …
Serious violations of environmental norms by pesticide manufacturers came to our notice through this shocking account by researchers from the department of zoology, Delhi University. They visited Chinhat Industrial Area near Lucknow and found stark evidence of toxic waste containing residues of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) being disposed of by the units …
