CURRENT AFFAIRS 6 OCTOBER 2019

CURRENT AFFAIRS

6 OCTOBER 2019

BY SUMIT

1.National Register of Citizens(NRC)(GS-2,3)

CONTEXT:NRC is an internal, legal process: Narendra Modi assures Sheikh Hasina

Two weeks after they met in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has once again assured Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the issue of the National Register of Citizens in Assam, officials said, after a meeting between the two in Delhi on Saturday.

They also discussed the fate of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, witnessed the exchange of seven MoUs, agreements in the areas of water-sharing, implementation of India’s Lines of Credit, a coastal surveillance system, as well as education, culture and youth. They inaugurated three projects, including one for the export of LPG cooking gas from Bangladesh to India.

National Register of Citizens(NRC):What is NRC?

The NRC is the list of Indian citizens and was prepared in 1951, following the census of 1951.
The process of NRC update was taken up in Assam as per a Supreme Court order in 2013.
In order to wean out cases of illegal migration from Bangladesh and other adjoining areas, NRC updation was carried out under The Citizenship Act, 1955, and according to rules framed in the Assam Accord.
The Assam government released the final draft of NRC on July 30, 2018. The list incorporates names of 2.89 crore people out of 3.29 crore applicants. The names of 40.07 lakh people have been left out.

Why is it being carried out?

Crisis of identity: Influx of immigrants has created a crisis of identity among the indigenous. Locals fear that their cultural survival will be affected, political control weakened and employment opportunities undermined because of immigrants.
Environmental degradation: Large areas of forest land were encroached upon by the immigrants for settlement and cultivation. The state experienced declining percent of land area under forest from 39% in 1951-52 to about 30% now.
Increase financial burden: Immigration has increased pressure on the part of state government, as the government has to increase the expenditure on education and health facilities to the immigrants.

Assam agitation:

The failure of government to respond the issue of illegal migration led to the agitation by the Assamese under the leadership of All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad (AAGSP) and All Assam Student’s Union (AASU). Assam witnessed governmental instability, sustained civil disobedience campaigns and worst cases of ethnic violence. Assam accord was the result of this agitation.
Illegal voters: Most of the Bangladeshi immigrants have got their names enlisted in the voting list illegally, thereby claiming themselves as citizens of the state. The immigrant’s population act as a vote bank for the political parties in Assam.

Why is this worrisome?

The official presumption that people residing in Assam areas are foreigners has reduced several million of these highly impoverished, mostly rural, powerless and poorly lettered residents to a situation of helplessness and extreme poverty, destitution, hardship.
It has also caused them abiding anxiety and uncertainty about their futures. They are required to convince a variety of usually hostile officials that they are citizens, based on vintage documents which even urban, educated, middle-class citizens would find hard to muster.
Women are especially in danger of exclusion from the citizenship register. Typically, they have no birth certificates, are not sent to school, and are married before they become adults.

UN experts recently warned that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam could render millions of citizens stateless and create instability in India.

Way ahead:

A person’s citizenship is a basic human right. Declaring people foreigners in haste without judicially verifying their credentials can leave many human beings stateless.
The need of the hour is that Union Government should clearly chart out the course of action regarding the fate of excluded people from final NRC data and political parties should refrain from colouring the entire NRC process through electoral prospects that may snowball in to communal violence.
There is a need for a robust mechanism of legal support for the four million who have to prove their citizenship to India with their limited means.

Measures to boost border security:

The Central Government should appoint a National Immigration Commission to frame a National Migration Policy and a National Refugee Policy. The Commission should examine ways of strengthening the Foreigners Act 1946, as well as feasibility of Identity Cards for both citizens and non-citizens and Work Permits for migrants.
Border fencing in Assam must be completed forthwith on a war footing. The existing Border Security Force posts and the BSF water wing should be strengthened.
Our nationals in the border districts and for that matter in the whole State should be provided multipurpose photo identity card.
The ongoing NRC updating should be completed without delay and proper arrangement for the deportation of illegal migrants should be done.
The Illegal Migrants Determination by Tribunal (IMDT) Act of 1983 should be repealed.

Mock Question RELATED TO NRC BY MRUNAL SIR

Enumerate the major points of the ‘Assam accord (1985)’. How is it associated with the present issue of the National Register of Citizens? (250 words, 15 marks.)
असम समझौते (1985) के प्रमुख बिंदुओं की सूचि दीजिए. राष्ट्रिय नागरिक रजिस्टर के वर्तमान मुद्दे से यह कैसे जुड़ा हुआ है?
Relevance to Syllabus? Polity: Constitution subtopic ‘Citizenship’.

QUESTION FOR YOUR PRACTICE...
QUESTION-1.Which of the following statements correct
A) Assam is the only State in the country that prepared an NRC in 1951 following the census of that year and has become the first State to get the first draft of its own updated NRC.
B) The publication of the first draft of the NRC by December 31, 2017 was ordered by the Supreme Court.
1) A only
2) B only
3) Neither A nor B
4) Both A and B

2.Green crackers,Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO), National Environmental and Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) (GS-2,3)

CONTEXT:Green crackers set to reduce pollution, says Harsh Vardan

To reduce particulate matter by 30%: CSIR
Ahead of Dasara and Deepavali, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) on Friday said it had developed and brought to market “green crackers” that, by its own assessment, would reduce particulate matter pollution by 30%.
The organisation has signed agreements with 230 companies to manufacture and make them available for sale.
Concerned about the pollution levels and the role firecrackers played in exacerbating it, the Supreme Court last October banned the sale, use and manufacture of crackers that weren’t ‘green’. This meant that these crackers couldn’t be loud beyond a certain limit, had to be approved by the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) and had to be free of mercury, arsenic and barium. However, compliant crackers weren’t available in the market.
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court allowed the bulk manufacture of green crackers from May after the CSIR said its labs had been able to make trial samples and had them approved by the PESO.
The apex court is expected to take a decision on “improved crackers”, which have reduced levels of barium nitrate on October 22.
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court allowed the bulk manufacture of green crackers from May after the CSIR said its labs had been able to make trial samples and had them approved by the PESO. However, only crackers that eschewed barium nitrate would be allowed and the boxes they are sold in bear a unique logo as well as sport a unique QR code (to trace their origin).
These “new crackers” are available as sparklers, flowerpots, maroons and “atom bombs” and have been developed by the National Environmental and Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), a CSIR lab

GREEN CRACKERS:

About

The Supreme Court, in its verdict allowed bursting of green crackers, understood to be low on harmful chemical emissions.
Scientists associated with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) are ready with functional prototypes of a range of crackers and fireworks that promise up to 40% less emission.

Green crackers:

A low-polluting firecracker within the permitted decibel and emission norms is a green cracker
Green crackers are so named because they do not contain harmful chemicals that would cause air pollution. Components in firecrackers are replaced with others that are less dangerous and less harmful to the atmosphere.Broadly, it avoids the use of ash or filler materials and use charcoal as per specifications by Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO).
Green crackers are expected to bring a 30-35% reduction in particulate matter and a significant decline in hazardous nitrous oxide and sulphur dioxide as these would release water vapour and air which would suppress dust as well as dilute the gases emitted.
Researchers are also trying to contain the sound levels to less than 120 decibels.

Background:

The idea of green firecrackers is carried forward by a network of CSIR labs after it was proposed by Union Science & Technology Minister.
The idea was to assess if we can replace or reduce dangerous components with materials that are less harmful.
The CSIR-CECRI has developed flower pots by using eco-friendly materials that can potentially reduce particulate matter by 40%.
Scientists have given these crackers alternative names: Safe Water Releaser (SWAS), Safe Thermite Cracker (STAR) and Safe Minimal Aluminium (SAFAL).

Significance

The apex court order will definitely impact sales of conventional crackers, but is difficult to quantify losses as the industry operates mostly unorganized.
Green crackers are relatively new methods and there aren't enough studies to show how it can impact health and environment. Many experts believe that crackers of any kind, be it green or the usual ones only add to the pollution.
But it is an attempt to make our religious beliefs and lifestyle more sustainable. Not only green, but another concept towards a cleaner environment is being tested, called E-Crackers. E-crackers or electric crackers are being tested by at the CSIR-CEERI in Pilani, Rajasthan.

ABOUT Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO)

Petroleum And Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) is a department formed by Government of India under Department for the Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade under Ministry of Commerce and Industry,to administer Explosives Act 1884,Explosive Substance Act, Petroleum Act 1934, Inflammable substance Act 1952 and Environment Protection Act 1986 to control import, export, transport, storage and usage of explosive materials,flammable materials, pressure vessels, cryogenic vessels, design and installation of all necessary and relevant infrastructure etc. PESO is a regulatory authority with autonomous status. The Department is headed by Chief Controller of Explosives and is headquartered at Nagpur in the State of Maharashtra in India. The authority framed various rules like Petroleum Rules 2002, Explosive Rules 2008, Gas Cylinder Rules 2002, Static & Mobile Pressure Vessels (Unfired) 2016, Ammonium Nitrate Rules, Calcium Carbide Rules 1987, Cinematographic Films Rules, 1948 etc.
It was established during the British India in 1890s as Department of Explosives and later expanded to various other activities. PESO is known for one of the most efficient departments in India. The officers are selected by the UPSC into Indian Petroleum and Explosives Safety Service (IPESS), a central civil services cadre.

ABOUT National Environmental and Engineering Research Institute (NEERI):

The CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI) is a research institute created and funded by Government of India. It was established in Nagpur in 1958 with focus on water supply, sewage disposal, communicable diseases and to some extent on industrial pollution and occupational diseases found common in post-independent India. NEERI is a pioneer laboratory in the field of environmental science and engineering and part of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). NEERI has five zonal laboratories at Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai. NEERI falls under the Ministry of Science and Technology (India) of central government.The NEERI is an important partner organisation in India’s POPs national implementation plan (NIP).
The National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur was established in 1958 as Central Public Health Engineering Research Institute (CPHERI), when environmental concerns were limited to human health with a focus on water supply/sewage disposal/ communicable diseases and to some extent on industrial pollution and occupational diseases. The chemical and biological solutions to address these problems were simple, though challenging. However, slowly world wide public awareness on the contamination of environment on regional to global scale started getting attention in 1970’s. Shrimati Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, rechristened the Institute as National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) in the year 1974. National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur is devoted to research and innovations in environmental science and engineering

QUESTION FOR YOUR PRACTICE...
QUESTION-2.ACCORDING TO UNIOUN ENVIRONMENT MINISTERY,AT WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING PLACES THE EMISSION TESTING CENTRE HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED?
1)CSIR-CBRI
2) CSIR-NEERI
3) CSIR-CDRI
4) CSIR-NPL

3.MINORITIES IN INDIA(GS-1,2)

CONTEXT:‘Minorities are completely safe here’, says Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

“Minorities are completely safe here. India is heaven for minorities. Our neighbouring country Pakistan is hell,” Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Union Minister for Minority Affairs, said here on Saturday.
To a question whether minorities were feeling increasingly unsafe in the country, Mr. Naqvi said it was untrue. The Union government is committed to the development of minorities, he went on to add, arguing that India was the only country to provide constitutional protection for minorities to start educational institutions.
He claimed the widening of the scholarship programme by the Ministry of Minority Affairs had brought down the school dropout rate among girls from minority communities from about 70% to around 40%

Definition of Minority Communities

The following communities have been notified as minority communities by the Government of India, Ministry of Minority Affairs;

Sikhs
Muslims
Christians
Zoroastrians
Buddhists
Jains

Geographic spread of minorities in India

Notified minorities constitute about 19% population of the country.
In rural India during 2009-10, 11 per cent of households followed Islam with about 12 per cent of the population. Christianity was followed by around 2 per cent of the households constituting about 2 per cent of the population. In urban areas, the percentages of households and population following Islam were about 13 and 16 and following Christianity were about 3 and 3, respectively.
Government of India has also forwarded a list of 121 minority concentration districts having at least 25% minority population, excluding those States / UTs where minorities are in majority (J & K, Punjab, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Lakshadweep). To access the list of 121 districts

Socio-economic status of minorities in India

According to 66th round of NSS,

The sex-ratio for Muslims in both rural and urban areas showed a decline between 2004-05 and 2009-10; however those corresponding to Christians showed an improvement during this period.
The average household size, in both rural and urban areas, for Muslims was higher than those of other religious groups, and the average household size was the lowest among Christians. The household size in rural areas was higher than that of urban areas for each of the religious groups.
In rural areas, self-employment was the mainstay for all the religious groups. The proportion of households with major income from self-employed in agriculture was the highest among Sikh households (about 36 per cent). The proportion of households belonging to the household type rural labour was the highest among Muslims (about 41 per cent). In urban India, the proportion of households with major source of earnings as self-employment was highest for Muslims (46 per cent). The major source of earnings from regular wage/salaried was the highest for Christians households (43 per cent) in urban areas.
Among all the land possessed classes, in rural areas, proportion of households belonging to the land possessed class ‘0.005-0.40’ hectare was the highest for all the major religious groups, which was more than 40 per cent.
About 43 per cent of Christian households and 38 per cent of Muslim households cultivated more than or equal to 0.001 hectare of land but less than 1.00 hectare of land. The proportion of households cultivating more than 4.00 hectares of land was the highest for Sikhs (6 per cent), followed by Hindus (3 per cent).
For both rural and urban India, average Monthly per Capita Expenditure (MPCE) was the highest for Sikh households followed by Christians. At the all-India level, the average MPCE of Sikh household was Rs. 1659 while that for Muslim household was Rs. 980.
The literacy rate among persons of age 15 years and above was the highest for Christians, for both the sexes in rural and urban areas. The proportion of persons of age 15 years and above with educational level secondary and above was the highest for Christians, followed by Sikhs.
The current attendance rates in educational institutions were higher among males than females and also higher in urban areas than in rural areas. The current attendance rates in educational institutions among persons of age 0-29 years were the highest among Christians for rural males, rural females, urban males and urban females.
The Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) for male was much higher than female for all religious groups - the differential being greater in urban areas. The male-female differential in LFPR was the lowest among Christians. The LFPR for rural male, rural female and urban female was the highest for Christians while that for urban male was the highest for Sikhs.
Work Participation Rate (WPR) for male was much higher than female for all the religious groups - the differential being greater in the urban areas. The male-female differential in WPR was the lowest among Christians.
In rural areas, majority of male workers belonged to the categories not literate (28 per cent) or literate and up to primary (28 per cent) while majority of female workers belonged to the category not literate (59 per cent). The proportion of male workers with general education level secondary & above was the highest for Christians (32 per cent), followed by Sikhs (30 per cent). In urban areas, majority of male workers belonged to the education category level secondary & above (52 per cent). Among urban males, proportion of workers with level of education secondary & above was 58 per cent each for Christians and Sikhs whereas those were 30 per cent for Muslims.
The unemployment rate in rural areas is less than that of urban areas. In rural areas, during 2009-10, unemployment rate was the highest for Christians for both males (3 per cent) and females (6 per cent). In urban areas, unemployment rate was the highest for Sikhs for both males (6 per cent) and females (8 per cent).

Prime Minister’s 15 Point Programme for the Welfare of Minorities

Government of India has formulated the “Prime Minister’s New 15-Point Programme for the Welfare of Minorities”. An important objective of the Programme is to ensure that an appropriate percentage of the priority sector lending is targeted for the minority communities and that the benefits of various government sponsored schemes reach the under-privileged, which includes the disadvantaged sections of the minority communities. The Programme is being implemented by the Central Ministries/Departments concerned through State Governments/Union Territories and envisages location of certain proportion of development projects in minority concentration districts.

UNACADEMY VIDEO ....RELATED QUESTIONS TO MINORITIES...

4.National Nutrition Mission(GS-2)

CONTEXT: Nutrition Mission benefits 7,700 children
Their health is being monitored through anganwadi centres in Rajasthan

ABOUTNational Nutrition Mission

Government is implementing several schemes and programs under the Umbrella Integrated Child Development Services Scheme as direct targeted interventions to address the problem of malnutrition in the country. All these schemes address one or other aspects related to nutrition and have the potential to improve nutritional outcomes in the country.
Malnutrition is not a direct cause of death but contributes to mortality and morbidity by reducing resistance to infections. There are a number of causes of death of children such as prematurity, low birth weight, pneumonia, diarrhoeal diseases, non-communicable diseases, birth asphyxia & birth trauma, injuries, congenital anomalies, acute bacterial sepsis and severe infections, etc.

POSHAN Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission) is a flagship programme of the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD), Government of India, which ensures convergence with various programmes i.e., Anganwadi Services, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG) of MWCD Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), National Health Mission (NHM), Swachh-Bharat Mission, Public Distribution System (PDS), Department Food & Public Distribution, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation.

POSHAN ABHIYAN

About the Mission

The goals of NNM are to achieve improvement in nutritional status of Children from 0-6 years, Adolescent Girls, Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers in a time bound manner during the next three years beginning 2017-18.
The National Nutrition Mission (NNM) has been set up with a three year budget of Rs.9046.17 crore commencing from 2017-18. The NNM is a comprehensive approach towards raising nutrition level in the country on a war footing. It will comprise mapping of various Schemes contributing towards addressing malnutrition, including a very robust convergence mechanism, ICT based Real Time Monitoring system, incentivizing States/UTs for meeting the targets, incentivizing Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) for using IT based tools, eliminating registers used by AWWs, introducing measurement of height of children at the Anganwadi Centres (AWCs), Social Audits, setting-up Nutrition Resource Centres, involving masses through Jan Andolan for their participation on nutrition through various activities, among others.

Major impact

The programme through the targets will strive to reduce the level of stunting, under-nutrition, anemia and low birth weight babies.
NNM targets to reduce stunting, under- nutrition, anemia (among young children, women and adolescent girls) and reduce low birth weight by 2%, 2%, 3% and 2% per annum respectively. Although the target to reduce Stunting is atleast 2% p.a., Mission would strive to achieve reduction in Stunting from 38.4% (NFHS-4) to 25% by 2022 (Mission 25 by 2022).
It will create synergy, ensure better monitoring, issue alerts for timely action, and encourage States/UT s to perform, guide and supervise the line Ministries and States/UT s to achieve the targeted goals.

Benefits & Coverage

More than 10 crore people will be benefitted by this programme. All the States and districts will be covered in a phased manner i.e. 315 districts in 2017-18, 235 districts in 2018-19 and remaining districts in 2019-20 .

5.India is home to Asia’s oldest bamboo(GS-1,3)WE WILL TRY TO UNDERSTAND BAMBOO CULTIVATION IN INDIA.

CONTEXT: With over 49,000 plant species reported as of 2018, India holds about 11.5% of all flora in the world. Now, a new fossil record has shown that India is the birthplace of Asian bamboo, and they were formed about 25 million years ago in the northeastern part of the country.

Ancient fossils

An international team of researchers found two fossil compressions or impressions of bamboo culms (stems) and after further study noted them to be new species. They were named Bambusiculmus tirapensis and B. makumensis as they were found in the Tirap mine of Makum Coal field in Assam. These belonged to the late Oligocene period of about 25 million years ago. They also found two impressions of bamboo leaves belonging to new species Bambusium deomarense, and B. arunachalense, named after the Doimara region of Arunachal Pradesh where it was discovered. These leaves were found in the late Miocene to Pliocene sediments, indicating that they were between 11 and three million years old. Yunnan Province in China now has the highest diversity of bamboo, but the oldest fossil in that region is less than 20 million years old, clearly indicating that Asian bamboo was born in India and then migrated there. This finding further strengthens the theory that bamboo came to Asia from India and not from Europe

BAMBOO CULTIVATION IN INDIA:

Which state is the largest producer of bamboo in India?

Assam produces the maximum amount of bamboo in India as most of its forests are throbbing with bamboo plantation of various species. The North Eastern region of India has a good amount of bamboo resources in its kitty. This fastest growing plant has the capacity to substitute wood in the near future. India stands at the second spot in the production of bamboo resources in the world, next to China.

Areas where bamboo is grown in Assam

Bamboo is not just grown in the forest regions of the state but also in the villages. The areas where bamboo is mostly grown in Assam are North Cachar Hills, Cachar, Nagaon, Karbi Anglong, and Lakhimpur.

Species of bamboo grown in Assam

About 51 species of bamboo plant is grown in Assam. The species are being used for multiple purposes like in construction of buildings, and in making of furniture and various devises. The most-used species of bamboo of monetary value are the Muli (Melocanna bambusoides), Khang (Dendrocalmus longispatnus), Dalu (Teinostachyum dalloa), Kaligoda (Oxytenanthera nigrociliata), and Pecha (Dendrocalamus Hamilton-ii). The Muli and the Dalu have immense economic importances. The former is used for pulping, fencing, and constructional purposes, and the latter one in the mat and basket industry.

Exploitation of Bamboo in Assam

Bamboo is considered as an indispensable part of the state’s culture, way of living, and livelihood of the people. The communities have good amount of knowledge and skills relating to the procreation, altering, and usage of bamboo. There is a conventional understanding of the bamboo and a tradition of skill that can be relied upon for fresh emerging products and applications. The products such as bamboo houses, bamboo mats, bamboo baskets, bamboo hats, walking sticks, umbrella handles, fishing rods, tool handles, cordage, tent poles, hand-fans, ladders, yokes, bamboo and leaf headgear; handicrafts like musical instruments, toys and dolls, and various household and agricultural instruments are made of bamboo.

Bamboo is majorly used in the manufacturing of paper in Assam. The Hindustan Paper Corporation Ltd. is engaged in the paper manufacturing in the state through its operational unit in Panchgram located in Hailakandi district and in Jagiroad. The prospects of the establishment of various pulp and paper units depending on the bamboo plantation in the state are tremendous.

Government initiatives to develop the industry

The Government of Assam is striving to develop the bamboo sector in an exhaustive manner. It is following an integrative and multidimensional approach to provide monetary advantages to the people of the state.

The state government inaugurated a Bamboo Technology Park worth Rs. 62.28 crore on 23rd June 2017, at Chaygaon in Kamrup district. The main objective behind the establishment of this park was to provide infrastructure resources to the bamboo entrepreneurs. Ever since its inception, this technology park has been engaged in introducing various advanced technologies that can be employed in the bamboo sector to produce diversified bamboo products. All of this can lead to the generation of employment, skill building, and a change in the economic and industrial scenario of Assam

6.Organic Pollutants(gs-3)

Context: IISER Pune team synthesises photocatalyst to degrade organic pollutants

Cleansing water: The catalyst becomes active when exposed to sunlight and degrades the pollutants. | Photo Credit: KrimKate

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune have successfully converted the highly unstable perovskite into a highly stable photocatalyst capable of decomposing toxic organic pollutants commonly present in water. The catalyst that becomes active when exposed to sunlight was synthesised by encapsulating nanocrystals of organicinorganic perovskite inside a metalorganic framework (MOF)

Organic pollutants :

Organic pollutants include many insecticides and herbicides that have been used in agriculture and pest control. Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) is a pesticide, highly effective in controlling mosquitos, which was banned in the USA in 1972, but is persistent and its metabolite (DDE) is found in the blood of many populations. Other pollutants were manufactured for use in various industries [e.g. polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), phthalates], and others, such as dioxin, are unintended by-products of manufacturing. Phthalates are plasticizers used in bottles, toys and personal care products. PCBs are a large group of similarly structured compounds with variation in toxicity and persistence in the environment and in the body. Some forms are very similar to dioxin. Polybromated diphenyl esters (PBDEs) are fire retardants added to a large variety of consumer items that leach into surrounding materials and now can be detected in many populations. Organic pollutants such as PCBs, dioxin and DDT are lipophilic; they are stored in fat cells and can be retained for years. They cross the placenta, and lactation is a significant source of exposure. They are also found in dietary items such as fish, meat and dairy products.

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todays answers...

question 1-4

question 2-2

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