In News:

At the ongoing 2025 Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions in Geneva, there has been a renewed global call to list chlorpyrifos under Annex A of the Stockholm Convention, which would mandate a complete global ban without exemptions.

About Chlorpyrifos

• Type: Organophosphate insecticide.
• Usage: Widely used in agriculture and public health to control pests like mosquitoes, termites, and roundworms.
• Mechanism: Inhibits the acetylcholinesterase enzyme, disrupting nerve functions in pests and non-target species including humans.
• Introduced in India: Registered under the Insecticides Act, 1968 since 1977.
• Consumption in India: Accounted for 9.4% of total insecticide use in 2016–17 (IPEN Report).

Health and Environmental Concerns

• Human Impact: Exposure via skin, inhalation, or ingestion can cause headache, nausea, dizziness, muscle cramps, and in severe cases, paralysis and respiratory distress. Forms a toxic byproduct (chlorpyrifos oxon) in the body.
• Environmental Impact:
  • Persistence: Remains in soil for weeks to years; degrades slowly in acidic conditions.
  • Water Contamination: Reaches water bodies through erosion.
  • Toxicity: Highly toxic to birds, fish, bees, and earthworms.
  • Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification: Accumulates in organisms and magnifies through the food chain.
• Detection in India: Residues found in agricultural produce, water, human blood, and breast milk.
  • A 2003 Indian study recorded levels 41 times higher than WHO safety limits.

Stockholm Convention on POPs (2001; in force since 2004)

• Objective: Eliminate or restrict Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).
• Annex A: Complete elimination of listed chemicals (e.g., aldrin, chlordane).
• Annex B: Restricted use.
• Annex C: Minimize unintentional emissions.
• Financial Mechanism: Supported by Global Environment Facility (GEF).
• India’s Status: Ratified in 2006.
  • Enacted "Regulation of POPs Rules, 2018" under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs): Overview

• Definition: Toxic, long-lasting, bioaccumulative chemicals resistant to degradation.
• Health Effects: Cause cancer, endocrine disruption, immune suppression, neurotoxicity, and reproductive harm.
• Examples: DDT, Endosulfan, Aldrin, Dieldrin, PCBs.

Debate at Geneva Meeting (2025)

• Proposal: Listing chlorpyrifos in Annex A without exemptions.
• Supporting Arguments:
  • Recommended by the POPs Review Committee (POPRC).
  • Detected even in remote areas like the Arctic.
  • Long-term harm to child brain development (as per PAN International).
  • Disproportionate impact on vulnerable and developing nations.
  • Safe alternatives (e.g., agroecological and organic practices) are available.
• India’s Opposition: Cited lack of viable alternatives and threat to food security.