Description

Disclaimer: Copyright infringement not intended.

Context

Chlorpyrifos a widely used organophosphate pesticide has officially been listed under Annex A of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants for global elimination.

However the decision has sparked debate due to the unprecedented number of 22 exemptions allowed for its continued use.

What is Chlorpyrifos?

A moderately hazardous pesticide (WHO classification).

Used in agriculture (rice, cotton, sugarcane, citrus, etc.), livestock (tick control) and wood preservation.

Toxicological effects

Neurodevelopmental damage in children

Reduced birth size

Lung and prostate cancer

Bioaccumulative and persistent in environment

Stockholm Convention and Its Mechanism

Feature	Details
Convention Signed	2001, came into force in 2004
Objective	Eliminate or restrict POPs to protect health & environment
Administered by	UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
Key Annexes	Annex A (Elimination), Annex B (Restriction), Annex C (Unintentional production reduction)
Review Body	Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee

Chlorpyrifos under Stockholm Convention

Listed in Annex A: Aimed for total elimination.

POPRC Recommendation: Scientific evidence supported elimination due to long-range transport, bioaccumulation, and toxicity.

Negotiation Outcome

Adopted by consensus in Geneva BRS Convention meeting.

Exemptions increased from 7 to 22 raising environmental and ethical concerns.

Key Exemptions Granted

Major Uses Permitted

Agricultural pest control (on 18 crop-pest complexes)

Livestock: Tick control in cattle

Locust control

Wood preservation in building foundations

Examples of Crop-Pest Complexes Allowed

Crop	Pest Controlled
Rice	Planthoppers, stemborers, leaf rollers
Cotton	Aphids, cutworms, whiteflies
Maize	Armyworms, borers, grubs
Soybean	Pod borer, aphids, stink bugs
Sugarcane	Beetles, borers
Citrus	Scale insects
Rapeseed (new exemption)	Flea beetles, gall weevils
Pineapple (new exemption)	Mealybugs, weevils

Concerns Raised by Experts

Many exemptions not backed by POPRC assessments.

Industry influence.

Continuing use jeopardizes farmers, children and ecosystems.

Will delay global phase-out.

India's Position

Approved Uses in India

Rice, beans, gram, sugarcane, cotton, mustard, groundnut, onion, apple, cabbage, citrus, tobacco, termite control in wheat/barley/sugarcane.

India has not yet declared a domestic phase-out date despite global concerns.

Sources:

DOWNTOEARTH

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. Which of the following properties of Chlorpyrifos made it eligible for listing under the Stockholm Convention as a Persistent Organic Pollutant (POP)?

Persistence in the environment
Bioaccumulation in living organisms
Ability to travel long distances in the atmosphere
Readily biodegradable in water

Select the correct answer using the code below:

A. 1, 2 and 3 only
B. 1, 3 and 4 only
C. 2 and 4 only
D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Answer: A

Explanation:
Chlorpyrifos is persistent, bioaccumulative and capable of long-range environmental transport. It is not readily biodegradable so statement 4 is incorrect.