Headache, heart failure, even worse, death, are just few examples of signs of overexposure to hazardous chemicals. There are a lot more out there, be it affecting our respiratory system, ingestion, or even reproductive system. Those effects, as well as the effects that affect our environment for a long-term, are definitely concerned by countries. Of course, there’s almost no country in the world which intentionally let hazardous chemicals enter their country.
Especially for the most hazards one. From Inida, China, UAE, South Africa, to Europe, they all have their own policy, laws, and rules about hazardous chemicals. Not just for pesticides banned in India, chemicals restricted in South Africa, banned chemicals in UAE and List of Toxic Chemicals Banned or Severely Restricted in the P.R.C , Nigeria also has one here.
List of Banned Chemicals in Nigeria
As we know that every countries must have their laws to make their city prosperous and work as order. No exception in Nigeria. Nigeria also have laws in using chemicals, in every countries there must be laws that control chemicals uses in order to prevent dysfunction, due to its toxicity. So here are some list of banned chemicals in Nigeria.
- Mirex
Mirex is a white crystalline solid chlorinated hydrocarbon, with white color and nearly odorless compounds. Once, mirex was used to insecticide against ants, but unfortunately it impacted the environments, moreover make fire ants colony grow bigger and kills local ants. Since it was known to be dangerous, hazardous and poisonous, it is no longer produced nor used since 1976.
- Fluoroacetamide
Fluoroacetamide is a fluorinated amide that easily react with acid. It is very toxic when heated because it contains of nitrogen oxides which produced toxic flammable gasses. It is also toxic when it is swallowed or ingested, in less than 7 drops it can leads to critical damage to lungs, brain, respiratory failure, heart failure and even death.
- Paraquat Dichloride
Paraquat dichloride is higly toxic to human. One drops could be fatal if its swallowed.It can leads to a lot of health problems such as, parkinson, even death. Because there is no antidote for poisoned to paraquat.
Paraquat has its own characteristics:
- Fast – acting chemicals
- Partially inactivated when contact with soil
- Kills a wide range of unwanted grasses
Paraquat widely used to herbicide crops, such as cotton.
- Dibromochloropropane
Dibromochloropropane was used to pesticide field crops, veggies, fruits, nuts, and other crops from pests especially worms.
Due to its highly toxicity it is banned by the EPA, since 1977 except in Hawaii, because it is still use to pesticide pineapples.
Exposure to DBCP can leads to infertility in male, breast cancer, liver damage, even tumors.
- Hexachlorocyclohexane
Hexachlorocyclohexane which is also known as benzene hexachloride (BHC) is a solid colorless compounds. This chemicals compounds is highly toxic, because its form gamma-HCH that used to insecticide on fruits, veggies, and other crops. When it is inhaled it can causes signs of overexposure such as dizziness, headache, blood disorders, and changes of sex hormones. But if Hexachlorocyclohexane is ingested it can leads to seizures and mostly death.
- Pentachlorophenol
Pentachlorophenol is a pesticide, whether it is as herbicide, fungicide, insecticide, algaecide, and disinfectant. It is commonly used to pesticide in agricultural crops (For nonfood uses) such as, leather, rope, paper mills, and much more. It is banned since 1988 due to its high toxicity and its effects on environments. There are two routes that pentachlorophenol could affect our body.
First by oral, second breathing or inhalation and third by dermal. By Long term of overexposure to pentachlorophenol can leads to dangerous effects on our health, such as kidneys problems, heart failure, failure blood system, and there are lots more.
- Methamidophos
Methamidophos is a highly active chemical, or you can say as fast-acting chemicals. It works by decreasing the enzyme’s activities which is important for nervous system function called acetylcholinesterase. Methamidophos is great to control insects such as worms, beetles, leafhoopers, mites, whiteflies, and much more insects that’s usually interrupted crops to grow.
Crops which are using methamidophos as pesticides are cabbage, cotton, tobacco, grapes, celeries, broccoli, corns, veggies and other crops. Methamidophos can go together eith other pesticides as long as it isn’t use together with alkaline meterials, because it can produce a great reaction. Indeed, this is also the List of Banned Chemicals in South Africa
- Captafol
Captafol is a white crystalline solid with a slight, but pungent odor. It is insoluble in water. So, technically captafol is a wettable light tan powder that is used as a fungicide.
Like the other banned pesticides, captafol is hazardous if it is inhaled, because the dust will irritate the respiratory tract. Besides inhaled, captafol also can irritates our skin and damages our eyes if we are overexposure to captafol.
It isn’t just affect human health, but also our surroundings, it is dangerous for aquatic life. Once it was widely used on food crops, but due to its toxicity, It is already banned in the passed 10 years
Precautions
As we know that what chemical it is, it is always give bad effects to our body health whether it is long-term side effects or short-term side effects. So whenever we are working with chemicals, we need to prepare everything well. Remember “Safety first”. So here are some precautions that may help you working with chemicals reactions.
- Safety glasses
We need to wear safety glasses when working with chemicals, especially when we are working with acids, gasses, or flammable materials.
- Do not spills any fluid
We need to beware with any fluids that we are working with especially acids, because acids has corrosive characteristic.
- Clean everything well
Clean every tools that we have used or contacted with chemicals. We need to do it in order to prevent any contamination.
- First -aid-kit
Prepare first-aid-kit tool box near you. In case if any toxic chemicals contact with your skin, you have prepared already to prevent more wounds. You might also read :List of Banned Chemicals in Textiles
Indeed, there are many list of banned chemicals in Nigeria that also Harmful Chemicals in the Environment