Table of Contents
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S/No |
Title |
Synopsis |
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I. Subject Area : Public Health |
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1 |
Life-saving air bags pack deadly chemicals |
A researcher at the University of Arizona had reported the potential harmful effect on human health and environment posed by scraped cars with air bags containing sodium azide. |
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II. Subject Area : Environmental Policy |
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2 |
US is to phase out methyl bromide pesticide |
The US' Department of Agriculture has announced a plan to phase out the use of methyl bromide pesticide by 2005. |
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3 |
Japan enacts law on mandatory collection and proper disposal of CFCs |
In Japan, a new law will be enacted to impose mandatory requirements on the collection of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) from disused electric appliance for proper disposal. |
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III. Subject Area : Environmental Technology |
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4 |
Plastic wrap to detect contaminated food |
A Canadian company Toxin Alert, is developing a plastic food wrap that will change colour if it comes into contact with food that is contaminated with dangerous bacteria. |
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IV. Subject Area : General Environmental News |
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5 |
Car and oil industries in Japan to meet more stringent diesel emission standards by 2005 |
In response to a campaign against the exhaust pollution from diesel-powered vehicles, the car and oil industries in Japan have agreed to meet more stringent diesel emission standards by 2005 . |
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6 |
French government asked to tighten the allowable dioxin intake recommendations |
The French Center for Independent Information on Waste has urged its government to tighten the allowable intake recommendations for dioxins following evidence of dioxin contamination in foods. |
SUMMARY REPORT
Period Covered: 3 Apr 2000 to 9 Apr 2000
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Item 1 |
Life-saving air bags pack deadly chemicals |
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Summary |
A researcher at the University of Arizona says that while automobile air bags save lives in auto accidents, there is a possibility of them harming human health and the environment at the same time. A chemical, sodium azide is used to inflate the air bags at the moment of impact in an auto accident. In an accident, a special mechanism is triggered to heat up tablets of the sodium azide contained in a canister within the air bag, resulting in a chemical reaction that decomposes sodium azide explosively, forming harmless nitrogen gas. Sodium azide is a potent poison that can kill anything from soil bacteria to humans. With increasing use of air bags and when these vehicles age there is a growing risk of the release of the chemical into the environment from accidental spillage or emission from unattended discarded cars and trucks left in the junkyard. Subsequent human exposure to the deadly chemical may be very dangerous. |
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Reference |
http://www.enn.com/ |
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Item 2 |
US is to phase out methyl bromide pesticide |
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Summary |
The US' Department of Agriculture has reminded the agricultural community of the impending ban on the use of methyl bromide. Under federal law, use of methyl bromide pesticide was to be cut by 25% in 1999. Additional cuts are scheduled for 2001 and 2003, and then a total elimination of the use by 2005. Methyl bromide, which is an odorless and colorless gas, is used to fumigate the soil, treat commodities while in storage, and control pests during quarantine. The most likely alternatives to methyl bromide as a soil fumigant are the chemicals Telone and chloropicrin. |
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Reference |
http://www.pollutiononline.com/content/news/article.asp |
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Item 3 |
Japan enacts law on mandatory collection and proper disposal of CFCs |
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Summary |
Japan is to enact a new law to impose requirements on compulsory collection and proper disposal of chlorofluoro-carbons (CFCs). CFCs are responsible for the depletion of the ozone layer and are known to have greenhouse gas effects several thousand times greater than carbon dioxide. Although Japan has ceased the production of CFCs, it is still being used as a refrigerant in vehicles and home appliances. Over the next few years, many vehicles and home appliances such as refrigerators and air conditioners purchased in 1990s would reach the end of their useful life and they would have to be disposed of. The new law is made with the aim of reducing emissions of CFCs from these vehicles and home appliances. |
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Reference |
International Environment Reporter, Vol. 23. No. 6 page 235 & 236 |
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Item 4 |
Plastic wrap to detect contaminated food |
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Summary |
The New Scientist magazine reported that a Canadian company, Toxin Alert, is developing a plastic food wrap that will change colour if it comes into contact with food that is contaminated with dangerous bacteria. Toxin Alert's wrap will contain antibodies that stick to the inside of the wrap and are activated when it touches spoilt food. The wrap will be made to detect salmonella, Campylobacter, Escherichia coli O157 and listeria bacteria. It may also be adapted to detect pesticides or even proteins characteristic of genetically modified foods. The wrapping will be affordable and offers a potentially good means to prevent food contamination and therefore save lives. |
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Reference |
http://www.planetark.org/ |
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Item 5 |
Car and oil industries in Japan to meet more stringent diesel emission standards by 2005 |
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Summary |
In response to a campaign to ban the use of diesel-powered vehicles not equipped with diesel particle filters, the car and oil industries in Japan have agreed to meet more stringent diesel emission standards by 2005. The new standards would mean that the auto industry has to reduce emissions of small particulate matters and nitrogen oxides to about 60 percent of the 1999 emission standards levels. The carbon monoxide and hydrogen carbon levels would also have to be slashed to 80 percent of the 1999 levels. The oil industries on their part would have to reduce sulphur content in diesel and other fuels to the levels mandated by the European Union. |
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Reference |
International Environment, Vol. 23, No. 7, pg. 276 - 277 |
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Item 6 |
French government asked to tighten the allowable dioxin intake recommendations |
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Summary |
Recently uncovered evidence of dioxin contamination in the food chain has prompted the French Centre for Independent Information on Waste (CNIID) to urge the government to tighten allowable intake recommendations for dioxins, which are found in milk, dairy products, meats and other foods. Dioxins are a family of closely related compounds that are believed to be dangerous to humans. They are suspected to be capable of influencing modifications to the immune system and causing some birth defects and cancers, even at very low doses. In France, the health norms currently establish the maximum daily allowable intake of dioxins at 1 picogram per kilogram of body weight. (A picogram is one-trillionth of a gram.) In contrast, the standard for dioxin intake is 100 times stricter in the United States. The US Environmental Protection Agency set the maximum allowable daily dioxin intake at 0.01 picograms per kilogram of body weight. |
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Reference |
International Environment, Vol. 23, No. 7, pg. 277 - 278 |