A summary report by the

EnvironmentalJustice Foundation

introduction

I , we present compelling evidence of theconsiderable threats the pesticide endosulfan poses to human healthand environmental integrity. In light of the evidence presented, wemake a number of key recommendations to the World HealthOrganisation, national governments, and the agrochemical industry.

Implementation of these recommendations will represent a significantstep towards protecting people and the natural environment from thishazardous chemical.

Endosulfan is an organochlorine pesticide used primarily to killinsects and mites on crops including tea, coffee, cotton, fruits,vegetables, rice and grains.The chemical is out of patent and is marketedby many different companies and under a variety of names including:Agrosulfan; Aginarosulfan; Banagesulfan; Cyclodan; Endocel; Endoson;Endonit; Endomil; Endosol; Endostar; Endodaf; Endosulfer; E-sulfan;Endorifan; Hildan; Redsun; Seosulfan; and Thiodan.

Pesticide safety is classified by the World Health Organisation (WHO)according to the results of LD tests, which document the amount of achemical required to kill % of a population of laboratory rats. Underthis system, endosulfan is currently classified as Class II – moderatelyhazardous to human health. However, the United States’ EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) rates endosulfan as Category Ib – highlyhazardous. LD data for endosulfan are equivocal, with some publishedresults indicating that the chemical should be in the WHO’s Class Ib,according to the organisation’s own criteria. Evidence of the threats tohuman health posed by endosulfan are abundant, and the chemical hasbeen banned outright or severely restricted in a number of countries as aresult (see box). Independent of LD results, these threats warrant theimmediate upgrading of endosulfan to WHO Class Ib.

END OF THE ROAD FOR

ENDOSULFANA call for action against a

dangerous pesticide

“This year the product is very effective. It kills everything – even snakes. Earthwormsappeared from the soil in large numbers immediately after spraying, and subsequently died.Even the leaves of the cashew nut trees I planted next to my cotton field turned brown due

to the product.” — Cotton Farmer, Aklampa (Benin)7.

WORLD-WIDERESTRICTIONS ONENDOSULFAN USE)1,2

Endosulfan is banned in:

Belize, Singapore, Tonga, Syria,Germany, the USA, the Brazilianstate Rondonia, the UK,Sweden, Netherlands,Colombia, and the Indian stateKerala.

Endosulfan is severelyrestricted in:

Australia, Bangladesh,Indonesia, Cambodia, Japan,Korea, Khazakhstan, Kuwait,Philippines, Lithuania, Sri Lanka,Taiwan, Thailand, Denmark,Yugoslavia, Norway, Finland,Russia, Venezuela, Dominica,Canada.

Endosulfan has been identifiedas a pesticide of concern due tohealth and environmentalproblems associated with its usein Ecuador, Mauritius andParaguay3.

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Above: Shruti, a young Indian girl whose village has long been exposed to aerial spraying of endosulfan, is one of many inher area to exhibit severe congenital deformities, which experts say are caused by endosulfan exposure.

the danger to humanhealth

E is acutely toxic and is readilyabsorbed by the stomach and lungs, andthrough the skin. Symptoms of acuteendosulfan exposure include centralnervous system disorders such as dizziness,

vomiting, diarrhoea, breathing difficulties,convulsions, and loss of consciousness. In extremecases, death can result. Indeed, the chemical hasbeen linked to dozens of accidental deaths in theUSA, Colombia, Benin, India, Malaysia, Sudan,and the Philippines.

� In the USA, endosulfan exposure was linked tothe death of one farmer and permanentneurological impairment of another.

� In Benin’s Borgou province, endosulfanpoisoning caused many deaths during the/ cotton season. Official records statethat at least people died and a further became seriously ill, although an independentreport estimated that nearly people actuallylost their lives. In , a boy in Benin died aftereating corn sprayed with endosulfan.

� In southern Sulawesi, Indonesia, endosulfan wasthe leading cause of pesticide poisoning between and . Of reported poisoning cases, were due to endosulfan.

� In Sudan, in , endosulfan barrels washed inirrigation canals caused fish mortalities and threepeople died after drinking water from the canal.In , also in Sudan, people died aftereating food containing seed sprayed withendosulfan.

� Colombia’s Departmental Committee of CoffeeGrowers recorded cases of poisoning due topesticide exposure in , most of which weredue to endosulfan. Pesticides Action NetworkNorth American reported that in , poisonings and one death occurred in Colombiadue to endosulfan use on coffee.

Chronic, sub-lethal effects of endosulfan exposuremanifested in experimental rats include liverenlargement, seizures and retarded growth. TheEPA states that “available scientific literaturesuggests that endosulfan may act as a potentialendocrine disruptor.” This means that the chemicalhas the potential to interfere with normalhormone production and activity. Implications ofendocrine disruption may include disruption ofdevelopment, and promotion of certain types ofcancer. A major concern, especially in developingcountries, is that low protein diets may increasepeople’s sensitivity to the effects of this pesticide.A further concern is evidence that endosulfanmay cause mutagenic effects in humans ifexposure is great enough; endosulfan has beenshown to be genotoxic to human cells underexperimental conditions.

In Kerala, India, endosulfan has been linked to hundreds ofdeaths and disorders among cashew nut plantation workersand villagers15. In Kasaragod province, where aerial sprayingof endosulfan occurred for at least 15 years, alarmingly highlevels of endosulfan residues have been detected in the bloodand breast milk of villagers and cancers and disorders of thereproductive and central nervous systems are very common.A survey of only 123 houses found 49 cancer cases, 43psychiatric cases, 23 epileptics, 9 with congenitalabnormalities and 23 with mental retardation16.

A case-controlled study comparing 170 children exposed toendosulfan with 92 unexposed children found, among theformer, significantly poorer academic performance, elevatedprevalence of congenital abnormalities and learningdifficulties, delayed puberty in boys, and very high levels ofmenstrual disorders (see table below)17.

Romeo Quijano, Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology(University of Philippines), recently led an investigation ofhealth defects in Kasaragod District and stated that, “noother reasonable cause can explain the illnessesexperienced by the people, except endosulfan.”18

Incidence of symptoms linked to endosulfan exposure17

Symptom Control % Exposed %Learning disability 2.6 10.7Retained in same class 13.5 20.4Congenital abnormalities 1.09 5.8 Menstrual disorders 4 21.8

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Clockwise from top: Endosulfan bottle sold in Cambodiabut labelled in Thai. Avinash from Paleppady in Kerala hascerebral palsy and cannot walk or talk. His village was exposedto aerial spraying of endosulfan for over 15 years. Mamatha(18) from Bellur Village in Kasaragod District died in 2001. Shelived very close to cashew plantations sprayed with endosulfanand suffered from acute epilepsy and nervous systemsproblems which prevented her from walking.

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T on non-targetspecies can be swift and devastating.Farmers in Benin have observed birds andfrogs dying following consumption ofinsects sprayed with endosulfan. According

to one such farmer, “Fields smell awful two or threedays after spraying because virtually every living thinghas been killed and starts to rot”.

Endosulfan is also extremely toxic to aquatic life.Research has shown that exposure to endosulfan,even at sublethal doses (% of LD), inducesbehavioural and biochemical changes in fish.Endosulfan runoff from cotton fields killed over, fish in Alabama (USA) in , despite thepesticide reportedly having been applied accordingto label instructions. Similarly, mass fish deathshave been reported in India, Benin, Sudan,Germany and Australia.

Dr Michael Berrill of Ontario’s Trent Universityrecently conducted research into the effects ofendosulfan on amphibians. Frogs and toadshatched from eggs exposed to low endosulfanconcentrations exhibit a depressed “avoidancebehaviour”, increasing their likelihood of predation.Tadpoles exposed after hatching experiencedelevated mortality, with death being considerablymore likely for two-week old tadpoles than those justhatched. Symptoms of sub-lethal poisoning werealso observed and included: exhibited hyperactivity,whip-like convulsions, temporary paralysis and slowgrowth rates. Berrill concluded that the hazardposed by endosulfan is “sufficiently great to warrant itsreplacement by less toxic alternatives whereverpossible.” In a separate experiment with red-spottednewts, low-concentration exposure to endosulfanimpaired the pheromonal system, thereby disruptingmate choice and reducing mating success.

threats to the environment

a persistent problem

L banned pesticides DDTand dieldrin, endosulfan is anorganochlorine and, as such, is persistent inthe environment. Endosulfan degradesrelatively quickly in water (half life = -

days) but persists longer in soil (half life = -days), and its major degradation product,endosulfan sulphate, is not only more persistent butis equally toxic. Endosulfan bioaccumulates inhumans and other animals (particularly in theirliver, kidneys and fatty tissue). Experiments haveshown endosulfan to accumulate to times theambient water concentration in mussels (Mytilusedulis).

Such persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are ofconcern because of their long-term subtle effects onhormones, the immune system, and reproduction.Because of endosulfan’s toxicity to fish, Canadianregulations discourage farmers from using

endosulfan near open water. However, aerialdrifting of the pesticide can leave residues up tothree meters beyond the perimeter of sprayedagricultural fields. Ultra low volume endosulfanproducts were banned in Australia, where spraydrift had been resulting in residue problems for thebeef industry. Indeed, endosulfan residues led toSouth Korea’s rejection of Australian beef in thepast. Similarly, in , the European Uniontemporarily suspended imports of fish fromTanzania, Uganda and Kenya because ofcontamination with pesticides, includingendosulfan.

Given the serious health concerns associatedwith endosulfan exposure, it is highly worrying thata report by the International Programme onChemical Safety stated that endosulfan has beenshown to persist on the hands of pest controloperators for up to days after exposure.

Top: Deformed cow from area of heavy endosulfan usein Kerala, southern India. Endosulfan residues measuredin cow milk and flesh in Kasaragod province were over100 times the permissible level26. Above: Endosulfan has caused mass deaths of fish onfive continents.

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1 www.indiatogether.org/petitions/endosulfan/worldwide.htm2 Cattle Council of Australia. . Cattle Council welcomes ULV endosulfan ban.

Media Release #/ [ March ].3 PRC. . Data sheet on Endosulfan. Philippine Resource Centre, London.4 Chugh, S. et al. . Endosulfan poisoning in Northern India: a report of cases.

International Journal of Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics : -.5 PANAP, . Endosulfan datasheet. Pesticide Action Network – Asia and the Pacific,

Penang, Malaysia.6 Brandt,V. et al. . Exposure to endosulfan in farmers:Two case studies. American

Journal Of Industrial Medicine : -.7 Ton, P. et al. . Endosulfan deaths and poisonings in Benin. Pesticides News : -

.8 Myers, D. . Cotton Tales. New Internationalist [May ].9 Dinham, B. .The pesticide hazard. Zed books, London.10 PAN-UK. . die from endosulfan poisoning in Sudan. Pesticides News : .11 PAN-UK. . On/off ban on endosulfan in Colombia. Pesticides News : .12 Pesticide Action Network North America Updates Service. . International

Citizen’s Campaign Targets Hoechst Pesticides. PANUPS ( June ).13 EXTOXNET. . Extension Toxicology Network Pesticide Information Profiles:

endosulfan [http://ace.orst.edu/cgi-bin/mfs//pips/endosulf.htm?#mfs].14 Lu,Y. et al. . Genotoxic effects of ?-endosulfan and ?-endosulfan on human

HepG cells. Environmental Health Perspectives : -.15 THANAL. . Preliminary Findings of the Survey on the Impacts of Aerial Spraying on

the People and the Ecosystem. Thanal Conservation and Information Network,Thiruvananthapuram, India.

16 Joshi, S. . Children of Endosulfan. Down to Earth : [ February ].17 Yadav, K. & Jeevan, S. . Endosulfan Conspiracy. Down to Earth [ July ]

www.cseindia.org/html/endosulfan/endosulfan_index.htm.

18 THANAL. . Experts Confirm Endosulfan Poisoning.Thanal ConservationAction and Information Network, Kerala, India. Press Release [ January ].

19 Abu Zeid, I. et al. . Behavioural and biochemical changes induced in a freshwatercatfish, Clarius garipinus. Abstract – th International Symposium on FishEndocrinology. Seattle,Washington, USA.

20 PAN-UPS. . Endosulfan responsible for Alabama fish kill. Pesticide Action NetworkNorth America Updates Service. [ February ].

21 Surendranath, C. . Double trouble. Down To Earth [ October ].22 International Programme on Chemical Safety. . Environmental health criteria

– endosulfan.WHO/UNEP/ILO. Geneva, Switzerland.23 www.mp.wa.gov.au/giz-watson/speeches/fitzroy.html.24 Raloff, J. . Common pesticide clobbers amphibians. Science News :.25 Park, D. et al. . Endosulfan exposure disrupts pheromonal systems in the red-

spotted newt: A mechanism for subtle effects of environmental chemicals. EnvironmentalHealth Perspectives : -.

26 Vankar, P. et al. . Analysis of samples from Padre village in Kasagarod district ofKerala for endosulfan residues. Pollution Monitoring Laboratory – Pesticide ResidueMonitoring Study CSE/PRM-/. Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi,India.

27 ATSDR. .Toxicological profile for endosulfan. United States Agency for ToxicSubstances and Disease Registry, Atlanta, USA.

28 Myers, D. . Endosulfan found in Australian beef. Pesticides News : .29 European Commission, Directorate-General Health & Consumer Protection,

Directorate D – Food And Veterinary Office. . Final report of a mission carried outin Tanzania from the rd August to the th August for the objective of assessingthe controls on pesticide residues in fish coming from Lake Victoria.

References

recommendations

T are that endosulfan poses serious risks to human health,especially under conditions of use in developing countries. Indeed, thechemical has been implicated in scores of cases of accidental death acrossthe globe and long-term exposure has been linked to a range of seriousdisorders among villagers of southern India.

The pesticide kills indiscriminately, affecting not only pests, but also a range ofother harmless or beneficial insects, with similar ramifications for species further upthe food chain. Endosulfan’s ability to harm is reflected in the death of vertebratespecies following consumption of previously exposed insects or exposure tocontaminated water.This document is a synthesis of evidence that endosulfanpresents considerable risk to humans and the environment. In light of this, theEnvironmental Justice Foundation is making the following recommendations:

� Endosulfan is a highly dangerous, outdated chemical, the safe use of whichcannot be guaranteed by many poor countries where it is still used. Governmentsshould ban endolsulfan use and Designated National Authorities in countries thatare signatories of the Rotterdam Convention should propose the chemical forinclusion in the Convention’s Prior Informed Consent procedure.

� Endosulfan is a persistent chemical that has been demonstrated to bio-accumulate in exposed organisms. As such, it should be included on the list ofPersistent Organic Pollutants targeted for global elimination by the StockholmConvention.

� To further promote better practice, the World Health Organisation should:upgrade endosulfan from Class II (moderately hazardous) to Class Ib (highlyhazardous), in line with the USA’s EPA classification. Such a move would assistcountries like Cambodia, which has banned all Class Ia and Ib chemicals, topromote safer agrochemical practices.

� Ultimately, the action most ably protecting human and environmental healthwould be the withdrawal from sale of endosulfan.This requires the agrochemicalindustry to rapidly phase out production of endosulfan and to dispose of allstockpiles safely.

� Safe alternatives to endosulfan must be researched, identified and widelypromoted. Pesticides Action Network Asia-Pacific lists a number of alternatives toendosulfan use in different agricultural contexts.These include use of botanicalpesticides (neem extracts) and parasitic wasps in rice production, and the use ofbaculoviruses, natural enemies and pheromone traps to control cotton pests.

AcknowledgementsThis report was written, edited andproduced by the EnvironmentalJustice Foundation Ltd. Printed on% post-consumer waste paper.

Design by Dan Brown(dan.brown@ukf.net).

We wish to thank the followingindividuals and organisations forproviding information, ideas, literatureand visual material, critical reviews ofearlier drafts, or assisting in other ways.

Mr Jayakumar C, Mr Shree Padre,THANAL (India), OBEPAB (Benin),CEDAC (Cambodia), Dr ElizabethGuillette, LaDon Swann, andBarbara Dinham / Pesticide ActionNetwork UK

In thanking these individuals, we in noway imply that they or theirorganisations fully endorse the report’scontent.

More InformationRotterdam Convention Homepagewww.pic.int

Stockholm Convention Homepagewww.chem.unep.ch/sc/

UNEP Chemicalswww.chem.unep.ch/

World Health Organisation PesticideEvaluation Schemewww.who.int/ctd/whopes/

Pesticides Action Networkwww.pan-international.org

Environmental Justice Foundationwww.ejfoundation.org

Environmental Justice Foundation isa London-based non-governmentalorganisation. More information aboutEJF’s work and pdf versions of this andother reports can be found atwww.ejfoundation.org. Comments onthe report, requests for further copies orspecific queries about EJF should bedirected to info@ejfoundation.org

This document should be cited as:

EJF. . End of the Road forEndosulfan: A Call for Action Against aDangerous Pesticide. EnvironmentalJustice Foundation, London, UK.

AVAILABLE FROM:www.ejfoundation.org/reports.html

EJF. . Death in Small Doses:Cambodia’s Pesticide Problems andSolutions. Environmental JusticeFoundation, London, UK.

EJF / CEDAC. . Bad Medicine:Health Threats Posed by Pesticide Misusewith Special Reference to Cambodia.Environmental Justice Foundation,London, UK. [publication due Autumn]

5 St Peter’s St, London N1 8JD, UK

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