Plastic waste in urban drains can lead to an explosion of mosquitoes

Plastic waste in urban drains can lead to an explosion of mosquitoes

Subject :Environment

Section :Pollution

Context: A study conducted in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, suggests bisphenol A, or BPA can indirectly aid in the spread of vector-borne diseases in humans and animals.

More on the Findings:

• Study establishes that the human-made chemical can significantly shorten the breeding time of southern house mosquitoes (Culex quinquefasciatus), a major carrier of the West Nile virus, Rift Valley fever virus and avian pox in tropical and subtropical countries, and thereby aid in its quick multiplication.
• This is a matter of concern as most urban wastewater canals, which serve as breeding sites for mosquitoes, are choked with BPA-laden plastic waste.
• Southern house mosquitoes, in contrast, thrive in the presence of the compound. The larvae of the mosquito can tolerate BPA without causing lethal effects up to a concentration of 5 mg/L, a level much higher than what is normally found in the environment.

• The study findings are expected to have far-reaching consequences as BPA is manufactured in high quantities globally and its industrial discharge is a known surface freshwater contaminant.

BisphenolA (BPA)

• BisphenolA (BPA) is a chemical compound and one of the simplest and best-known bisphenols.
• It is produced by the condensation of phenol and acetone, with an estimated 4 million tonnes of produced worldwide in 2015.
• It is a colourless solid which is soluble in organic solvents, but poorly soluble in water (0.344 wt % at 83 °C).
• BisphenolA (BPA) is a chemical produced in large quantities for use primarily in the production of polycarbonate plastics.
• It is found in various products including shatterproof windows, eyewear, water bottles, and epoxy resins that coat some metal food cans, bottle tops, and water supply pipes.
• The primary source of exposure to BPA for most people is through the
• While air, dust, and water are other possible sources of exposure, BPA in food and beverages accounts for the majority of daily human exposure.
• Bisphenol A can leach into food from the protective internal epoxy resin coatings of canned foods and from consumer products such as polycarbonate tableware, food storage containers, water bottles, and baby bottles.
• The degree to which BPA leaches from polycarbonate bottles into liquid may depend more on the temperature of the liquid or bottle, than the age of the container.
• BPA can also be found in breast milk.
• BPA is a known endocrine disruptor.
• Generally, BPA acts on hormonal level by distorting hormonal balance and inducing estrogenic effects through binding with estrogen-related receptors (ERR).
• The resultant effects are numerous of which hormonal related abnormalities have been mostly reported.