Endosulfan

by Maria Karlya

Endosulfan is a hazardous chemical pesticide that is used to kill off insects and mites on crops such as coffee, tea, cotton, fruit, vegetables, rice and grains. It is usually applied by sprayers, and can take years to break down in soil. This pesticide is not killing insects alone but has also been linked to hundreds of deaths and disorders in Kerala, India (see health problems for further information). It has taken fifteen years before the devastating effects became evident in Kerala. The United States Environmental Protection Agency rates Endosulfan as highly hazardous; it is a pesticide that 21 countries have severely restricted, and 14 more banned (included the United States). According to the Environmental Justice Foundation, although Endosulfan is out of patent, it is marketed by numerous companies under several names despite health risks.




References/ for more information:
http://www.ejfoundation.org/pdfs/end_of_the_road.pdf
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/phs41.html
http://extoxnet.orst.edu/pips/endosulf.htm
http://www.health.qld.gov.au/phs/Documents/ehu/2903.pdf