A REVIEW ON PROFILE OF DDT AND HCH IN VARIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL COMPONENTS IN INDIA

Environmental Science

Pesticides are the chemicals which are used to kill the various pests like insects, flies, weeds, unwanted herbs, fungi and bacteria. The major concerns about pesticides have been raised due to health risks ensuing from occupational exposure and from residues in soil, water, human blood, milk, grains and other food items. Among all types of pesticides two organochlorine pesticides viz DDT and HCH were widely used in India for the control of mosquitoes under National Malaria Eradication Program. Due to versatile action these pesticides were also extensively used in houses and in agriculture. DDT and HCH remains in the environment for longer time and get accumulated in the food chain. These chemicals also transported from one place to another by air drift and also undergoes the process of cold condensation in colder regions that results in increase in half life in temperate regions. As HCH id completely banned in India while DDT can be used under malaria eradication programme but these pesticides are still detected in various environmental components. The water, air and soil get contaminated with pesticides through runoff, spray drift and leaching process whereas harmful effects on wildlife, plants and non-targeted organisms depend on the toxicity and procedures taken during the application of pesticides. The concentrations of various pesticides in all the environmental and biological samples and effects on living system have been reported across the World. There are so many workers who have also reported the higher levels of pesticides in the components of environment and human more than the prescribed limits of WHO.

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