Human health: Five new chemicals under surveillance

NaijaAgroNet:

Some five new chemicals are currently under consideration by the Chemical Review Committee (CRC) of the Rotterdam Convention, reports NaijaAgroNet.

CRC arising from its 13^th meeting revealed that three more chemicals were recommended for inclusion in the Rotterdam Convention, whilst two more are recommended for inclusion in the Stockholm Convention, thereby bringing to five some new chemicals under consideration.

The 13^th meeting of the Chemical Review Committee (CRC) of the Rotterdam Convention, which was held back-to-back with POPRC and which concluded, successfully and recommended to the Conference of Parties (COP) the listing of phorate, acetochlor and hexabromocyclododecane in Annex III of the Convention. 

Acetochlor, a selective herbicide, has been used on maize in Sahelian West African countries. It poses a high risk to aquatic organisms as well as long-term risks to herbivorous birds and to humans.

Phorate, a pesticide, has been used for example in Brazil as an insecticide in cotton, potato, coffee, beans and corn and is considered one of the most toxic organophosphate AChE inhibitors.

Ogochukwu Nebenanya/GEE
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