ENDOSULFAN Sub By:

INTRODUCTION• Acts as a contact poison in a wide variety of insects and mites.• It can also be used as a wood preservative.• It is used primarily on food crops like tea, fruits,vegetables ,

grains,cocoa,cashewnut etc• Third largest selling generic insecticide worldwide with global market.• The United States Environmental Protection Agency classifies Endosulphan

as a highly hazardous pesticide

ENDOSULFAN - JOURNEY IN INDIA

• India’s share in global endosulfan market is over 70%.• Was imported into india until 1980.• Indian manufacturers– Hindustan insecticide ltd,Paramount

Pesticides ltd, Gujarat Agro Chemical mfg.co,etc.• India uses up ten million litres of endosulfan making it the

largest user in the world.

• For india it is about ensuring affordable agriculture for its farmers and food security for its people

• For millions of farmers its about the right to plant protection balanced with protecting their ecosystem

KASARGOD ISSUES• For 26 long years, the government-owned Plantation

Corporation of Kerala, aerially sprayed endosulfan in an area of nearly 4,700 acres in Kasaragod.

• As the plantations are in a mountainous area, the pesticide residues settled on the soil and got washed away when it rained into drinking water streams below.

• In places like Muliyar, Peraiye, Enmakaje, Cheemeni and Pedre ,the cashew plantations are aerialy sprayed pesticides to wipe of tea mosquitoes.

• Dr. Mohana Kumar, a general practioner in Padre was among the first to notice that something was seriously wrong with the health of the people in the area.

IMPACTS

1. Environmental impact

• If Endosulfan is released it pollutes the air.• Edosulfan does not easily dissolve in water.• It does not stick to soil particles readily.• Endosulfan sulfate realesed to the soil, it will be expected to

bind the soil and will not leach the ground water.

2. Drinking water• When endosulfan comes in contact with water, compound

known as endosulfan sulfate which is insoluble is produced • Sunlight is the catalyst for the reaction which makes water

unfit for drinking

3. Aquatic Impact• Endosulfan sulphate is the major product expected under

aerobic conditions in slightly acidic water.• Oxidation is slow under anaerobic conditions • In aquatic environment endosulfan diol was present along

with smaller amounts of sulfate.

4.Humans • Endosulfan is highly toxic and can be fatal if inhaled,

swallowed or absorbed through the skin.• Endosulfan directly affects the central nervous system and also

cause damage to human red blood cells.• Mental retardation, cerebral palsy, cancer etc.• Delay in sexual maturity among the adolescents. • Male children suffered from delayed sexual maturity while

female children matured early.

EXAMPLES• Sruthi – age 7, living in vaninagar area of padre village.the

school is 100 m from the house.she desperately wants to go there.but her physical handicap wont let her.she was born with three deformed limbs.

• Narayana naik-age 22, his mental and physical growth is retarded.

• Sujatha – she is both mentally and physically handicapped.

• Kasargod's tragedy has shown once more that India badly needs a pesticide policy that is drawn by health experts and not the pesticide industry

PLACES STILL USING ENDOSULFAN

• Endosulfan is still being used in various parts of India in • Punjab• Karnataka• Andhra Pradesh and• Assam• It is used for cotton and tea.

HOW MIGHT AN INDIVIDUAL BE EXPOSED TO ENDOSULFAN ?

• By breathing air near where it has been sprayed.• Drinking water contaminated directly or through run-offs.• Being in contact with contaminated soil.• Eating contaminated food.• Smoking cigarettes made from endosulfan contaminated

tobacco.• Working at Endosulfan production centers.

People’s movement• Together carried an online petition calling for the ban in 2000-2001) • Stoppage of spraying of pesticides aerialy.• Awareness about the harm and effects.

Remedies taken by government

1.Full implementation of the ban of endosulfan in the district.2.Phase out chemical pestiside in the district in five years.3. Develop and implement community based Organic

certification and local standard.

Health• Establish a continuing medical assistance system • A special Endosulfan Survivors Medical care credit card or

healh card to be established to cover the treatment.• Financial compensation shall be paid for all death and serious

illness

• Supplementing nutritional deficiencies through time bound relief measure locally made food with involvement of SHGs.

• To conduct a comprehensive family and individual data generation by door to door survey in each panchayat and establish database.

CONCLUSION• Development and environmental protection should go hand in

hand.• We believe in humanity, in a peaceful world of mutual

helpfulness, and in the high mission of science.