Pesticide pollution in India: Environmental and health risks, and policy challenges
Urvashi Kashyap, Shivani Garg, Pooja Arora
Abstract
Intensive agriculture practices in India to meet the food demand of the increasing population have led to the use of agrochemicals such as pesticides in higher quantities to increase productivity resulting in contamination of the environment. Pesticides control pests, weeds, and diseases in plants, animals, and humans. Despite bans on pesticides such as organochlorides (OC), organophosphate (OP), or synthetic pyrethroids ranging from minimal to excessive, are detected in soil, surface water, and groundwater often exceeding WHO and BIS safety limits. The predominantly found pesticides were DDT, HCH, Endosulfan, malathion, chlorpyrifos, atrazine, endrin, cypermethrin, dichlorvos, etc. Different ranges of pesticides were detected in different states (Kashmir, UP, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Rajasthan, Haryana, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, etc.) of India, which demonstrate that pesticides can persist in the environment and later can show bioaccumulation in the food chain. The article explores the consequences of this pollution such as biomagnification, bioaccumulation, and risks to human health and ecological integrity. This article also covers the adverse effects of pesticides such as carcinogenic, teratogenic, mutagenic, and endocrine-disrupting properties along with the importance of developing new policies or strengthening the current policies and regulations to monitor the use of pesticides. • Intensive agriculture in India has resulted in indiscriminate use of pesticides to meet growing food demand. • Various pesticide residues have been detected in surface water, groundwater, and soil above WHO and BIS limits. • Need for new or strengthened policies to monitor and regulate pesticide use. • Innovative techniques required to remove pesticides from the environment. • Emphasis should be on raising awareness to address pesticide contamination in India