|
Lindane in Europe
Europe To Ban Powerful
Insecticide on Crops But Not in Homes
BRUSSELS,
Belgium,
July 18, 2000 (ENS) - The controversial insecticide lindane could be subject to
a partial ban by the Europe Union's 15 member countries within 18 months.
We have now banned the use of lindane to treat
seeds in England, Scotland and Wales. We have considered carefully the
representations received as a result of our announcement of 18 June that we
planned to implement in full the recommendation of the Advisory Committee on
Pesticides. We understand that the decision will cause real difficulties to some
companies and farmers, but we have not received any further evidence to suggest
that the risk to operators from treating seed with lindane was significantly
less than that assessed by the committee. We have therefore acted, with my right
honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the
Regions, Scottish Ministers and the Welsh Assembly to revoke the approvals for
the use of lindane to treat seed as of 7 July. Similar steps are being taken in
Northern Ireland.
http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk
10.
Current State of Chlorine Containing Pesticides in Uruguay
by Mr. Mario Boroukhovitch
17. National Action for the Reduction of Risks from POPs Pesticides in Burkina
Faso
by Mr. Desire Ouedraogo
20.
Persistent Organic Pesticides in Costa Rica
by Ms. Luisa Eugenia Castillo
28.
Persistent Organic Pesticides in Bulgaria
by Dr. Maria Tasheva
Products
in which at least 99% of the HCH isomer is in the gamma form (i.e. lindane, CAS:
58-89-9) are restricted to the following uses:
Technical HCH (i.e. HCH mixed isomers) is restricted to use as an
intermediate in chemical manufacturing.
HCH
CAS: 608-73-1
Products in which at least 99% of the HCH isomer is in the gamma form (i.e.
lindane, CAS: 58-89-9) are restricted to the following uses:
1. Seed treatment.
2. Soil applications directly followed by incorporation into the topsoil surface
layer
3. Professional remedial and industrial treatment of lumber, timer and logs
4. Public health and veterinary topical insecticide.
5. Non-aerial application to tree seedlings, small-scale lawn use, and indoor
and outdoor use for nursery stock and ornamentals.
6. Indoor industrial and residential applications
All restricted uses of lindane shall be reassessed under the Protocol no
later than two years after the date of entry into force
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe © UN/ECE
2000
Persistent,
Bioaccumulative and Toxic Chemicals in Central and Eastern European Countries -
State-of-the-art Report
ENVIRONMENT WATCH:
WESTERN EUROPE
2 April 1999, Volume VIII, No. 7
ENVIRONMENT WATCH:
WESTERN EUROPE
2 July 1999, Volume VIII, No. 13
-
EU Chemicals Policy "Should Reflect OSPAR Targets,"
Ministers Agree
-
Denmark Proposes Tax on PVC, Phthalates
-
In Brief...
-
Experts Agree on Criteria for Adding POPs to Global Treaty
-
UK Imposes Partial Ban on Lindane
-
Norway to Ban Use of Light Bulbs Containing PCBs
http://cutter.com/ewwe/1999toc.htm
Europe
Abstract of final report on the research project
"Emission inventory of the German Baltic Sea catchment area"
Among the pesticides, only 5 compounds from the large group of
"biocides" and additionally tested organochlorine pesticides of the
measurement programme were significantly present in the point emissions from the
German Baltic catchment area. These were dichlorvos, simazine, atrazine, the
"ubiquitously" occurring lindane and trifluralin.
Stoffbericht Hexachlorcyclohexan (HCH)
http://www.uvm.baden-wuerttemberg.de/alfaweb/berichte/tba09-93/hch-15.html
5) The influence of the organochlorine
insecticide lindane (-C6H6Cl6) upon the disruption of the precopulatory guarding
behaviour of the freshwater amphipod Hyalella azteca.
Stephen J. Blockwell¹, Stephen J. Maund² and David Pascoe¹
¹Department of Pure and Applied Biology, University of Wales, PO Box 915,
Cardiff, CF1 3TL, UK
²Zeneca Agrochemicals, Jealott's Hill Research Station, Bracknell,
Berkshire, RG42 6ET, UK.
The amphipod crustacean Hyalella azteca which is found widely
distributed in North and South America is increasingly used in bioassays to
evaluate the hazard of polluting substances. The toxicity bioassays performed
have frequently used growth and mortality of H. azteca as response
criteria. This species of talitrid amphipod however, exhibits a distinct
reproductive behaviour that is easily observed and quantified i.e. precopulatory
mate guarding. This reproductive strategy, which is thought to have evolved to
ensure paternity of offspring, requires male Hyalella to attach
themselves dorsally to females and swim with them for up to 7 days in
anticipation of the female's moult after which mating occurs. Disruption of the
precopulatory behaviour of gammaridean amphipods i.e. the separation of
precopula animals has previously been utilised as a response criterion in
laboratory and field bioassays that examined the effect of pollutant stress1.
Two forms of precopula disruption have been employed in this study using H.
azteca. The first method investigated the direct separation of precopulatory
pairs following a 24 h exposure period to a range of sublethal concentrations of
lindane, treatment effects were determined using ANOVA. The second involved a
similar lindane exposure however the animals that remained in precopula after 24
h were subsequently immersed in an aqueous separation medium containing an
invertebrate anaesthetic. The precopula pair separation times obtained were
calculated as cumulative frequencies and these data analysed using time response
methods to produce median induced separation times (IST50s) i.e., the time taken
for 50% of the precopula pairs to separate. The experiments performed are shown
to be simple, sensitive and cost effective.
1. Pascoe, D., Kedwards, T.J., Maund, S.J., Muthi, E. and Taylor,
E.J. (1994). Water Research, 2, 369-72.
Insectivorous Bats Victims of Israeli Campaign
by David Makin and Dr. H. Mendelssohn
Use of lindane in Israel is illegal, but it is still sold, and unauthorized
people use it freely. Poisoned caves are not posted with warning signs and often
are visited by unknowing hikers, who may inhale the dangerous fumes. Empty and
even unused containers of lindane are discarded in the caves, contrary to the
law which prescribes strict control for the application and storage of
pesticides.
http://www.batcon.org/batsmag/v2n4-1.html
Action
Lindane usage must be forbidden by the government
**STOP PRESS**
Since the publication of this report the Dutch Government has withdrawn new
permissions for the use of Lindane as of 1 Oct. 99. Old stocks may be used until
1 Oct. 2001.
Reference
Health Council of the Netherlands: Hormone disruptors in ecosystems. The Hague,
1999
http://www.greenpeace.org/~toxics/html/content/net2info.html
http://www.greenpeace.org/international_en/campaigns/intro?campaign_id=3941
|