Endosulfan

Context

  • Recently, the protesters have called for the endosulfan stocks to be returned to the company for safe disposal in the Kasaragod district.

About Endosulfan 

  • Endosulfan is a pesticide and It does not occur naturally in the environment
  • It is a cream-to-brown-coloured solid that may appear crystalline or in flakes.
  • It has a distinct odour similar to turpentine.
  • It is used to control insects on food and non-food crops and also as a wood preservative.
  • It is sold as a mixture of two different forms of the same chemical (referred to as α- and β-endosulfan). 
  • Endosulfan can be released into the air, water, and soil in areas where it is applied as a pesticide.
  • The health effects of endosulfan depend on how much endosulfan you are exposed to and the length of that exposure. 
    • Toxic by inhalation, skin absorption, or ingestion. 
  • In 2012, when there was the threat of endosulfan leaks from old godowns, they were transferred to new godowns through a scheme called Operation Blossom Spring. 
    • It aims to restore organic farming practices back in the district and preserve the ecological balance

Source: TH