why ENDOSULFAN is Banned?

what is a Endosulfan?

Three of the main classes of pesticides are organochlorines, organophosphorus and carbamates. Organochlorines are the most commonly found pesticides in the environment including water, sediments, atmospheric air and biotic environment.

Endosulfan is a broad-spectrum organochlorine pesticide which has been commercially in use for decades to control insect pest. It is primarily used to kill insects and mites on crops including fruits, vegetables and cereal grains as well as ornamental shrubs, vines and trees. Endosulfan passes via surface runoff into natural waters, where it is accumulated in different organisms living in water, especially in fish, thus making it vulnerable to several prominent effects .Endosulfan is known to inhibit acetylcholinesterase, cause behavioral, neurological, oxidative, endocrine and other effects.

History of ENDOSULFAN:

• Endosulfan was first registered as a pesticide in the United States in 1954.

• Endosulfan was first produced by Farb Werke Hoechst in 1950s and was manufactured in the USA by FMC.

• it is produced by the Diels-Alder reaction of hexachlorocyclopentadiene with cis-butene-1,4-diol and subsequent reaction of the adduct with thionyl chloride.

• It emerged as a leading chemical used against a broad spectrum of insects and mites in agriculture and allied sectors. In 1984, worldwide production was estimated at 10,000 metric tons annually.

HEALTH EFFECTS /TOXICITY OF ENDOSULFAN: Endosulfan comes under group 1 pesticides which causes physiochemical changes in human body.

TOXICITY OF ENDOSULFAN:

1. Exposure to xenobiotics (Chemical substance found within an organism that is not naturally produced or expected to be present within the organism) in animals can sometime result in heritable damage or inactivation of DNA such phenomenon is called genotoxicity.

2. It is highly neurotoxic to both insects and mammals. Acute endosulfan poisoning causes symptoms like hyperactivity, convulsions, tremors, staggering, lack of coordination, nausea, vomiting, breathing difficulty, diarrhea and also unconsciousness.

3. The commonest manifestations are neurological although another organ dysfunction also occurs.

4. It can affect the reproductive system of animals and cause reduced sperm production, improper development of penis, cryptorchidism, testicular tumor.

5. Endosulfan is believed to be an endocrine disruptor. Studies have shown that it causes hormone disruption, and reproductive and developmental toxicity.

6. High levels of endosulfan in their bodies, lower levels of testosterone and have delayed sexual maturity and pregnant women exposed to this pesticide are more likely to give birth to autistic children, it is found in fatty tissue, human milk, placenta and umbilical cord. Among all, higher concentration is present in adipose tissue followed by human milk.

HEALTH EFFECTS

• Human glial and neuronal cells were most sensitive to endosulfan toxicity.

• Along with the estrogenic effect it also affects the thyroid gland. The nerve cell receptor which actually helps in brain development, when bound to endosulfan results in autism spectrum disorder.

• it could lead to mental retardation and bone marrow cancer due to its neurotoxic and immunotoxin effects.

• it is believed that endosulfan can promote proliferation of human breast cancer cells.

why endosulfan is banned in INDIA?

Classified as a yellow label (highly toxic) pesticide by the Central Insecticides Board, India is one of the largest producers and the largest consumer of endosulfan in the world. Of the total volume manufactured in India, three companies — Excel Crop Care, Hindustan Insecticides Ltd, and Coromandel Fertilizers — produce 4,500 Tonnes annually for domestic use and another 4,000 Tonnes for export.

• Media attention when health issues precipitated in the Kasaragod District (of Kerala) were publicized.

• Later, the Supreme Court banned the manufacture, storage and sale of endosulfan temporarily in May 2011. And, by the end of the year, endosulfan was banned permanently.

• Endosulfan is banned in India under the Convention on persistent organic pollutants. check out Kerala story play in banning of endosulfan The Endosulfan Tragedy in Kerala - The Borgen Project.The Endosulfan Tragedy in Kerala - The Borgen Project .

BY KHAS.