Press Release

New Delhi, June 28, 2022:A new study by Toxics Link, released today, titled ‘Toxic Chemical “Nonylphenol”: A Barrier to Safe Drinking Water’ has raised concerns over high levels i.e., 29.1 to 80.5 ppb (parts per billion) of‘Nonylphenol’, a toxic chemical detectedin drinking water samples across India. In this study, fifteen drinking water samples were collected from different parts of the country and sent to the Shriram Institute of Industrial Research, New Delhi for testing. The highest concentration was observed in a borewell water sample from Bathinda (80.5 ppb). “Nonylphenol is a toxic chemical and a well-known endocrine disruptor associated with a number of adverse effects on human health. Daily intake of Nonylphenol through drinking water can have adverse health impacts on citizens”, said Piyush Mohapatra, Senior Programme Coordinator, Toxics Link.

Download|05 May 2022

New Delhi: A first of its kind assessment titled “Plastic Mulching: Microplastics in Agricultural Soils,”released by environmental NGO Toxics Link today, has found a high abundance of microplastics in the soilsamples that have been using plastic mulch sheets. The usage of plastic film in mulching is a recentdevelopment globally, and in India, it has been practiced only for a few decades. Mulching is a practice ofcovering the soil to retain the soil temperature and moisture to facilitate higher crop production. The study,which tested soil in some agricultural belts in Karnataka and Maharashtra, shockingly, found tiny plasticparticles at various depths, indicating soil contamination due to the rampant use of plastic mulch sheets.Recent studies have found that microplastics are not only fatal to the human environment but have alsofound their way into the human blood and lungs.

Download|05 May 2022

New Delhi, 7, April, 2022: Mercury lamps continue to harm the environment and human health, claims a new study by New Delhi based environmental group, Toxics Link. The report titled The End of Light – Waste Generated by Mercury-Bearing Lamps’ by Toxics Link found that cities in India lack a take-back mechanism for CFLs and Fluorescent lamps (FTLs), and the discarded hazardous lamps end up in landfills or inappropriately recycled by the informal sector, thus releasing mercury into our environment.

Download|07 Apr 2022

New Delhi, 24, March, 2022: A new study titled ‘Dirty Cleanser: Assessment of Microplastics in Cosmetics’, released by Delhi-based NGO Toxics Link, shows that shockingly large number of personal care cosmetic products (PCCPs) in India — including some of the leading brands — contain harmful microplastics. The 52-page study, based on the assessment of 35 PCCPs, underscores the disturbing fact that microbeads released from items of daily use, pose a serious threat to the environment, particularly the marine ecosystem.

Download|24 Mar 2022

New Delhi, February 24, 2022: A new Toxics Link study, released today, titled ‘Menace of Antibiotic Pollution in Indian Rivers’ has raised serious concerns over antibiotic residues found in river water samples across India. Antibiotics are important life-saving medicines and play a key role in the wellbeing of human health. However, indiscriminate use and lack of regulatory standards for antibiotics in effluents from pharmaceutical industries are contributing to the rise of antibiotic pollution in rivers. This rising trend of antibiotic pollution poses serious threat to ecology and human health which can have far reaching consequences such as the development of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). “India being one of the major users and producers of antibiotics in the world is more prone to the ill effects of antibiotic pollution”, said Piyush Mohapatra, Senior Programme Coordinator, Toxics Link.

Download|25 Feb 2022

Delhi, November 11, 2021: Dangerously high levels of mercury, a heavy metal and neurotoxin, were found in imported skin whitening creams being sold in Indian markets as reported by Toxics Link in its latest report “Dark truth of skin whitening creams: Presence of Mercury in skin whitening creams”.According to the WHO, mercury is hazardous to health and has the potential to cause damage to the central nervous system, the gastrointestinal system and the kidneys. The UNEP has also shown concern over the fact that mercury bio-accumulates in the body tissue and its long-term exposure can have impact to the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs and immune system particularly, in unborn children and babies. In the present report, 15 skin whitening creams of different brands manufactured in India, Pakistan and Philippines were enlisted. These samples were collected from different cities of India, i.e., Mumbai, Vijayawada, Delhi and Trivandrum and tested in Shriram Institute for Industrial Research, New Delhi using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) by a standardized method.

Download|11 Nov 2021

Panjim, August 11, 2021: The residents of Goa might be consuming plastics along with drinking water, reports a new study by Delhi-based advocacy group Toxics Link. The study titled ‘Clean Drinking Water: A pipe dream?’, assessing microplastics in tap water in Goa, released today, reveals that the drinking water supplied to Goan homes is contaminated with plastics. The study, which assessed tap water from Margao, Panjim,Mapusa, Marcel and Canacona and the water treatment plants in Goa found Microplastic particles in all the water samples and raises concern over increasing microplastic contamination of our water bodies.

Download|11 Aug 2021

A new study titled, ‘Quantitative analysis of Microplastics along River Ganga’ released by Delhi-based NGO Toxics Link today finds that the river is heavily polluted with microplastics. The findings reveal the presence of microplastics in all samples collected from the river at Haridwar, Kanpur and Varanasi. The river waters were found to be polluted with multiple kinds of plastic, the highest concentration being found at Varanasi, comprising of single-use and secondary plastic products. Microplastics are defined as plastics less than 5 mm in length and recognized as a major source of marine pollution of significant concern, due to their persistence, ubiquity and toxic potential. Untreated sewage from many cities along the river’s course, industrial waste and religious offerings wrapped in non-degradable plastics add large amounts of pollutants to the river as it flows through many cities that are densely populated. The plastic products and waste materials released or dumped in the river break down and are eventually reduced to Micro particles and the river finally transports significantly large quantities downstream into the ocean which is the ultimate sink of all plastics being used by humans. “Essentially all along microplastics are flowing into the river system. It does reflect or suggest a direct linkage between the poor state of both solid and liquid waste management; hence it is critically important to initiate steps to remediate it, said Priti Mahesh, Chief Coordinator at Toxics Link.

Download|22 Jul 2021

दिल्ली स्थित एनजीओ टॉक्सिक्स लिंक द्वारा जारी ‘गंगा नदी के किनारे माइक्रोप्लास्टिक्स का मात्रात्मक विश्लेषण’ नामक एक नए अध्ययन में आज पाया गया कि नदी माइक्रोप्लास्टिक से बहुत अधिक गंदी हो गई है। इस अध्‍ययन के परिणामों से हरिद्वार, कानपुर और वाराणसी में नदी से लिए गए सभी नमूनों में माइक्रोप्लास्टिक पाया गया है। यह पाया गया है कि नदी का पानी कई प्रकार के प्लास्टिक से गंदी हो गई है, जिसमें एक बार इस्‍तेमाल होने वाले और प्‍लास्टिक से बनने वाले सेकेंडरी उत्‍पाद शामिल हैं, इसकी सबसे अधिक मात्रा वाराणसी में पाई गई है। नदी के किनारे कई शहरों से गैर-शोधित सीवेज, औद्योगिक कचरे और बिना गलने वाले प्लास्टिक में लिपटे धार्मिक प्रसाद से नदी में भारी मात्रा में प्रदूषक मिल रहे हैं क्योंकि यह ऐसे कई शहरों से होकर बहती है जो घनी आबादी वाले हैं। प्लास्टिक उत्पादों और कचरे को नदी में छोड़ दिया या फेंक दिया जाता है और जो आखिरकार छोटे-छोटे टुकड़ों में बदल जाते हैं और नदी अंततः बड़ी मात्रा में इन कचरों को नीचे समुद्र में ले जाती है जो मनुष्यों द्वारा उपयोग किए जा रहे सभी प्लास्टिक का अंतिम सिंक है।टॉक्सिक्स लिंक की मुख्य समन्वयक प्रीति महेश ने कहा कि “निश्चित तौर पर सभी माइक्रोप्लास्टिक नदी में बह रहे हैं। यह ठोस और तरल कचरा प्रबंधन दोनों की खराब स्थिति के बीच सीधे संबंध को दर्शाता या बताता है, इसलिए इसे ठीक करने के लिए कदम उठाना जरूरी है।

Download|22 Jul 2021

A new study titled, ‘Quantitative analysis of Microplastics along River Ganga’ released by Delhi-based NGO Toxics Link today finds that the river is heavily polluted with microplastics. The findings reveal the presence of microplastics in all samples collected from the river at Haridwar, Kanpur and Varanasi. The river waters were found to be polluted with multiple kinds of plastic, the highest concentration being found at Varanasi, comprising of single-use and secondary plastic products. Microplastics are defined as plastics less than 5 mm in length and recognized as a major source of marine pollution of significant concern, due to their persistence, ubiquity and toxic potential. Untreated sewage from many cities along the river’s course, industrial waste and religious offerings wrapped in non-degradable plastics add large amounts of pollutants to the river as it flows through many cities that are densely populated. The plastic products and waste materials released or dumped in the river break down and are eventually reduced to Micro particles and the river finally transports significantly large quantities downstream into the ocean which is the ultimate sink of all plastics being used by humans. “Essentially all along microplastics are flowing into the river system. It does reflect or suggest a direct linkage between the poor state of both solid and liquid waste management; hence it is critically important to initiate steps to remediate it, said Priti Mahesh, Chief Coordinator at Toxics Link.

Download|15 Jul 2021

New Delhi, June 3, 2021: 12.3 billion or 113,000 tonnes of used sanitary pads are dumped in landfills in India every year, adding to the already existing plastic pollution in the country, shares a new study titled ‘Menstrual Products and their Disposal’ released by the environmental group Toxics Link in New Delhi today. The study has also raised serious concerns on improper disposal methods and non-segregation of menstrual waste from household waste, which leads to unhygienic working conditions for waste workers, and posing the risk of infectious diseases among them.

Download|03 Jun 2021

New Delhi, September 28, 2020: If you are a doting as well as a discerning parent with a baby or toddler this is for you! A new study titled, ‘What’s in the Diaper: Presence of Phthalates in Baby Diapers’ released by Delhi-based advocacy organisation Toxics Link raises concern over toxic phthalates being found in disposable baby nappies that are available in the Indian market. Phthalates are endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and exposure to them is known to cause serious health impairments.

Download|28 Sep 2020

नई दिल्ली, सितंबर 28, 2020:यदि आपके घर में शिशु या छोटा बच्चा है जो अभी चलना सीख रहा है जिसे आप बहुत प्यार करती हैं और समझदारी से देखभाल करती हैं, तो यह समाचार खास आप के लिए है! दिल्ली स्थित  संगठन ‘टॉक्सिक्स लिंक’द्वारा जारी, ‘व्हाट्स इन द डायपर: प्रेसेंस ऑफ थैलेट्स इन बेबी डायपर्स‘शीर्षक के नवीन अध्ययन मेंभारतीय बाजार में उपलब्ध डिस्पोजेबल बेबी नैपीज़ में विषैले थैलेट पाए जाने पर चिंता व्यक्त की गई है। थैलेट, अंतःस्त्रावी रसायनों की कार्यप्रणाली में व्यवधान उत्पन्न कर स्वास्थ्य को गंभीर हानि पहुँचाते हैं।

Download|28 Sep 2020

New Delhi, September 10, 2020: A new study titled ‘Environmental illusion The non-woven bag’ released by Delhi-based advocacy organisation Toxics Link today, busts the myth that non-woven bags are an eco-friendly alternative to plastic bags and reveals that they are nothing but polypropylene (a form of plastic) thereby emphasising the need for informing and educating the consumers regarding their reality. The study results indicate that 88% of the respondents have replaced plastic bags with alternatives while 45% have replaced plastic bags with non-woven bags. Ironically all markets where single-use plastic is banned are being swamped with these NW bags creating a huge confusion in the perception of consumers.

Download|10 Sep 2020

In alignment with the global plan of action to eliminate Lead from paints, the Government of India notified the Regulation on Lead Contents in Household and Decorative Paint Rules in 2016 which came into effect from 1st November, 2017.

Download|18 Jun 2020

“Lead in paints is one of the common sources of Lead poisoning amongst children. Children are the most susceptible to lead poisoning as lead can cause irreversible damage to the nervous system. So global efforts have been mooted by WHO and UNEP to phase out lead from products including paints” said Piyush Mohapatra, Senior Program Coordinator at Toxics Link.

Download|18 Jun 2020

Lead (Pb) is a cumulative toxicant that poses serious risks to the environment besides human health and lead exposure has been identified by The World Health Organization as one of the top ten environmental health threats globally.

Download|18 Jun 2020

When Lead accumulates in the body it can damage almost all organ systems and young children and pregnant women are at highest risk. It is mostly ingested by toddlers by the commonplace practice of licking doors and windows or eating dried paints.

Download|18 Jun 2020

June 18, 2020: A new study titled ‘How safe is your paint?’ released by the environmental NGO Toxics Link raises concern on the availability of Lead containing paints across India and lack of compliance to the existing regulations in most cases.It is a well-known fact that no safe level of exposure to Lead has so far been identified.

Download|18 Jun 2020

Creating environmental awareness through films! February 20, 2020:A one-and-a-half-day eco film festival by environmental research and advocacy group Toxics Link with support from The Swedish Society For Nature Conservation will be held in Panaji on February 22 and February 23.Toxics Link( www.toxicslink.org),is a non-profit organization based in Delhi working on environmental issues related to waste and chemicals for over the last two decades and has credible representations at public and private forums and discussions. Toxics Link in collaboration with India International Centre, has been jointly organising a biennial environmental film festival called ‘Quotes from the Earth’ in Delhi since 2004 and the eighth edition of the festival was held in 2018.The eco film fest with a visual tapestry of films showcasing critical environmental issues on diverse topics like water, sustainability, biodiversity, forest conservation, waste etc is being organised for the first time by Toxics Link in Goa.

Download|20 Feb 2020

New Delhi, Feb 19, 2020:A new study titled ‘Single Use Plastic-The Last Straw’ released by the environmental group Toxics Link in New Delhi today, reveals that consumers in India recognize the environmental impact of disposable plastic products and want a ban on many single use plastics in the country.The results highlight growing public awareness of the problem of single use plastic waste in the country. Single use plastic has been identified globally as one of the key contributors to marine pollution and the most found items in global beach cleanups. By 2025, it is estimated that the ocean will contain one ton of plastic for every three tons of fish; and by 2050, it will have more plastics than fish.

Download|19 Feb 2020