Element of mystery: Lead poisoning is a huge public health concern for India; here’s why

Lack of screening systems; inability to determine source of exposure and lax implementation of safety norms compound the problem

Pesticides Management Bill, 2020 will hurt farmers’ livelihood, say experts

Experts call for wider consultations on the bill and for it to be placed before a select committee

Arsenic-affected habitations in India up 145% in last 5 yrs

The country had 1,800 arsenic-affected habitations in 2015. This increased to 4,421 as on September 17

Oder river ecological disaster that killed hundreds of tonnes of fish in 2022 was human-made: Report

It is almost certain that a substantial toxic algal bloom, supported by human activity, caused the ecological destruction

Steep rise in food poisoning cases after eating mid-day meals this year: Data

Food poisoning cases in Bihar, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have been highest in the last 6 years

Arsenic now in wheat, potato — and more than that in drinking water — in rural Bihar

Groundwater contaminated with arsenic is extensively used for irrigation and finds its way into the food chain 

Arsenic: Lurking in the shadows across Ganga, Brahmaputra basins

As the geography of arsenic contamination spreads, there is an urgent need for governments to reorient mitigation measures. That’s because …

Record number of chemicals reviewed by UN committee

The review is to list chemicals into the Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions' annexes to push for a pollution-free planet

Maharashtra consumed the most chemical pesticides in 5 years: Report

Pesticide consumption in India grew by 13.07 per cent in India between 2014-15 and 2017-18

World Health Day to focus on food safety this year

About 306 outbreaks of food poisoning and 344 outbreaks of diarrhoea were reported between 2011 and 2014

Not so fair: Gabon, Jamaica & Sri Lanka launch $14-mn project to eliminate mercury use in skin-lighteners

Mercury can endanger the nervous, digestive and immune systems, lungs and kidneys and may be fatal

Can fast-moving glaciers contribute to sea-level rise?

Sea-level rise depends on how meltwater drainage operates and modulates the speeds of glaciers

Ban lifted on fishing in Sutlej

Discharge of effluents into the river had caused large-scale fish deaths, leading to the curbs

Delhi has joined several Indian states in banning glue pads for rodent control. But what about poison?

Despite well-known dangers, anticoagulant rodenticides remain a popular, unregulated method to control rats in India

Fishy deaths

The mystery of large-scale fish fatalities in the Yamuna near Agra and the conflicting official theoriesA report by Prabhanjan Verma

CSE’s previous studies on public health issues

From endosulfan poisoning in Kerala to the presence of a carcinogen in bread, CSE has conducted many studies of imminent concern to human beings

Low on mussel power

Ecological imbalance in the coastal areas of Kerala has caused food poisoning in people who consumed marine mussel

Forced destruction

Unless affordable technology is provided to the fisherfolk, the survival of Lake Victoria in Kenya will remain under threat

Lead exposure led to 30% global cardiovascular deaths in 2019

5.5 million died due to cardiovascular diseases caused by lead exposure in 2019; 95% impact in LMICs

Food standards save lives, say FAO and WHO on World Food Safety Day

An estimated 600 million or almost 1 in 10 people worldwide fall ill after eating contaminated food; 420,000 die every year

Thai government fails to tackle lead pollution in Klity Creek

Government ignores apex court order to clean up creek, one of the worst sites of industrial pollution in Thailand

Minamata Convention: deal signed to phase out mercury by 2020

From 2020, production, import and export of products that contain mercury will be banned under Minamata Convention

Presence of mercury in birds near thermal power plants in Maharashtra paves way for modern analysis

Fly ash generated by TPPs is one of the ways mercury is released into the environment. Fly ash is usually disposed in ash ponds in the form of …

Bihar midday meals: 75 students take ill, five critical

Two separate incidents of food poisoning from consuming midday meal reported from Arwal and Jhajha districts

Civil society praises Centre’s draft order banning 27 pesticides

The pesticides in question continue to be used in India, but are already banned, restricted or withdrawn in other countries