Chlorpyrifos Pesticide
Kartavya Desk Staff
Source: DH
Context: Ahead of the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions (BRS COP) in Geneva, Indian civil society groups have urged the government to impose a complete ban on chlorpyrifos, a pesticide banned in over 40 countries but still used in India.
About Chlorpyrifos Pesticide:
• What is Chlorpyrifos? Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate insecticide, acaricide, and miticide.
• Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate insecticide, acaricide, and miticide.
• Chemical Formula: C₉H₁₁Cl₃NO₃PS. Used to control soil-borne and foliage-feeding insects in crops like cotton, paddy, soy, wheat, and maize.
• Used to control soil-borne and foliage-feeding insects in crops like cotton, paddy, soy, wheat, and maize.
• Neurotoxic Agent: Disrupts the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, critical for nerve function.
• Health Impacts: Linked to reduced IQ, developmental delays, memory loss, and birth defects, especially in unborn children.
• Acute Effects: Can cause convulsions, respiratory failure, or death in extreme exposures.
• Environmental Concerns:
• Bio accumulative and persistent in nature.
• Can travel thousands of miles, contaminating remote ecosystems, including polar regions.
• Harms pollinators and aquatic life, threatening food chains and biodiversity.
• Chlorpyrifos is not yet officially listed under either the Stockholm or Rotterdam Convention, but global efforts are actively pushing for its inclusion.
About Rotterdam Convention (2004) – On Prior Informed Consent (PIC) for Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides
• Objective: Promotes shared responsibility in the international trade of hazardous chemicals to protect human health and the environment.
• Key Mechanism: Prior Informed Consent (PIC) — exporting countries must notify and obtain consent before shipping restricted chemicals.
• Scope: Covers pesticides, industrial chemicals, and Severely Hazardous Pesticide Formulations (SHPFs).
• Annexures: Annex I: Information requirements for notification. Annex II: Scientific criteria for listing. Annex III: List of chemicals (52 total – 35 pesticides, 16 industrial chemicals, 1 both). Annex IV: Criteria for listing SHPFs.
• Annex I: Information requirements for notification.
• Annex II: Scientific criteria for listing.
• Annex III: List of chemicals (52 total – 35 pesticides, 16 industrial chemicals, 1 both).
• Annex IV: Criteria for listing SHPFs.
• Recent Focus: Push to include chlorpyrifos and paraquat under Annex III.
About Stockholm Convention (2004) – On Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
• Objective: Protects health and ecosystems from POPs – chemicals that persist, bioaccumulate, and are toxic.
• Initial Focus: “Dirty Dozen” – 12 highly toxic chemicals
• Key Features: Annex A: Chemicals to be eliminated. Annex B: Chemicals to be restricted. Annex C: Chemicals for release reduction.
• Annex A: Chemicals to be eliminated.
• Annex B: Chemicals to be restricted.
• Annex C: Chemicals for release reduction.
• Financial Mechanism: Global Environment Facility (GEF).