Aldrin

Because of its harmful qualities and environmental endurance, aldrin, a persistent organic pollutant (POP), has been a source of global concern. Aldrin was first introduced as an agricultural pesticide, but its use was prohibited in many countries, including India, under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. Despite the prohibition, aldrin’s long-term environmental persistence continues to pose serious issues. Aldrin’s residues can still be found in many parts of the earth. Bioaccumulation of aldrin has occurred as a result of residual pollution in soil and water sources, impacting animals and potentially compromising human health through food chain exposure. This chapter highlights examples of such cases, as well as the impact of aldrin as a POP in India and globally, emphasizing the status of this organochlorine pesticide (OCP) in the country, its environmental risks and effects on biota, and the importance of international cooperation to effectively manage and eliminate this dangerous pollutant. Understanding the complexity of aldrin’s persistence and its current condition at the national and international levels would allow India to contribute to the global effort to preserve the environment and human well-being from the harmful impacts of persistent organic pollutants.