Anti-dumping Duty on Sodium Cyanide

Why in news?

• The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) has recommended imposition of anti-dumping duty on sodium cyanide (NaCN) imported from China, the European Union, Japan and Korea.

About

• An anti-dumping duty is a protectionist tariff that a domestic government imposes on foreign imports that it believes are priced below fair market value.
• Dumping is a process wherein a company exports a product at a price that is significantly lower than the price it normally charges in its home (or its domestic) market.
• The revised definitive anti-dumping duties on the import of sodium cyanide is for a period of five years.
• Sodium cyanide is used in the extraction of gold and silver from their respective ores, in electroplating and the heat treatment of metals, and in manufacturing insecticides, dyes, pigments, and bulk drugs, etc.

Forever Chemicals (PFAS)

Why in news?

• IIT Madras study revealed presence of ‘forever chemicals’ ( Pre- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in Chennai lakes

About PFAS

• Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large, complex group of synthetic chemicals that have been used in consumer products around the world since about the 1950s.
• They are ingredients in various everyday products such as non-stick cookware, upholstery, food packaging, water or stain resistant coatings, and industrial materials.
• They are resistant to water, grease, and heat.
• They do not break down or degrade in the environment.
• Impact and Concerns: They can move through soils and contaminate drinking water sources.
• They build up (bioaccumulate) in fish and wildlife.
• They may affect reproduction, thyroid function, the immune system, and injure the liver
• Solution: PFAS can be broken down into mostly harmless components using sodium hydroxide, or lye, an inexpensive compound used in soap.
• The most common method of destroying PFAS is incineration.
• Most PFAS will break down completely at incineration temperatures around 1,500 degrees Celsius (2,730 degrees Fahrenheit), but its energy intensive and suitable incinerators are scarce.