Chemical (Pesticide) Safety (Renewed Initiative)

Muhammad Asif Mahmood Entomologist

Health Department, Punjab, Pakistan entomologistpunjab@gmail.com

Ph:009203007611830

Chemical Safety

• Prevention and management of harmful effects of chemicals (pesticides) on health and environment throughout their entire lifecycle (cradle to grave).

• Cradle to grave concept involves safety measures at manufacturing industry (raw material, production, purification, packing, labelling and storage) to end user (transportation, storage, distribution, utilization & disposal).

Chemicals (pesticides) Fact Sheet

• Every chemical (pesticide) is more or less toxic however chemicals can be used safely in the interest of humans

• Omnipresence of chemicals

– High demand of food, fiber and energy due to rapid population growth resulted in expansion of agriculture production and high use of pesticides

– (≈ 30% crop loss due to weeds & ≈ 30% additional loss expected without application of pesticides)

Quantitative increase in chemicals

year Known Chemicals

1942 0.6 Million

1947 4 Million

2010 > 11 Million

New additions 1000 – 2000 / annum

Available toxicological data

< 10,000

Cost of Pesticide use ≈ 25 Billion $ / year

House hold pesticide use (>20 B units of cans, coils / year)

30 % of world’s pesticide business

Exposure to Chemicals/ Pesticides

• Human have Continuous exposure through – Soil, water & Food

Types of Chemical Exposure

• Intentional Exposure – Cosmetics, Animal feeds, drugs, pesticides, contaminated

food/ additives, water, homicides (suicides)

• Unintentional Exposure – Direct : Occupational, Accidents (minor or major)

– Indirect : Atmospheric , Food web

Impacts of Chemical Exposure

• ≈ 1 Million deaths or severe disability / year

• Cases of Pesticide poisoning : 1-4 M / year

• Deaths due to pesticide poisoning : 200,000/Y

• Employment in pesticide industry – > 4 M people

– Many more deal with chemicals as part of their job

Factors of Pesticide Poisoning

• Shortage/ absence of :

– Legislation or enforcement

– Skill/ Technical knowledge (Managerial, worker / labour & community level)

– Poison Information Centers

– Public Private partnership

– Trained biomedical staff/ facility to deal with acute poisoning

– Political comitment and allocation of funds

– Facilities of operational research on safe use of pesticides

Efforts toward Chemical Safety Historical Background • 1000 BC : Bows of arrows were poisoned with toxic chemicals

• 400 BC : Hippocrates described Lead Colic Disease

• 1906 (Bern): 1st International Decision on chemical safety (reduction in use of white phosphorus)

• 1940 (GREW) : Awareness on occupational hazards & Knowledge about chemical safety in food, water & air

• 1962 : “Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson

• 1987 : “Our Common Future” by Brundtland (Report of world Commission on Environment & Development to UN General Assembly)

• 1992 : UNCED (UN conference on Environment & Development)

• (Agenda 21, Chapter 19 : Environmentally sound management of chemicals )

• 1994 (Stockholm) : International Conference on Chemical Safety (action plan for implementation of UNCED recommendations)

Six Priority Programme Areas Recommended by UNCED -1992

• Expanding & Accelerating International Assessment of Chemical Risks

• Harmonization of Classification & Labelling of Chemicals

• Information Exchange on toxic chemicals & chemical risks

• Establishment of Risk Reduction Programme

• Strengthening of National Capacities & Capabilities on safe management of chemical

• Prevention of illegal international traffic in toxic and dangerous products

Key Actions Planned in Stockholm conference 1994

• Establishment of Inter Governmental Forum on Chemical Safety (IFCS)- 1994

• National Profiles on Chemical Safety

• Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPS)

• Prior Informed Consent Programme (PIC)

Inter Governmental Forum on Chemical Safety (IFCS)

• Non Institutional forum

• Forum for meeting amongst Reps of Govts, International Organization & NGOs

• Propose, promote & support policies and strategies on Global Chemical Safety

IFCS adopted six priority areas identified by UNCED (1992) on implementation of its

recommendations

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

• Harmful Chemicals that remain in the environment for longer times due to inherent ability to resist against degradation through photolytic , biological and chemical process .

• So for known POPs belong to two main groups of organic compounds – Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

– Halogenated hydrocarbons (mainly polychlorinated)

Properties of POPs

• High lipid solubility compared to low solubility in water

• Bioaccumulation in fatty tissues

• Semi volatile – Occur in environment in Vapour or adsorbed form

• Can be transferred to longer distances through water, air, food, animals, birds and humans

• Found every where in oceans, desserts, arctic and Antarctic regions

12 known POPs (Dirty dozen)

• UNEP Governing council meeting Decision No 18/32 recommended assessment of 12 pops

– 8 pesticides

• Aldrin, chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, mirex, tophene

– 02 Industrial products

• Hexachlorobenzene (also used as pesticide)

• Poly chlorinated biphenyl's (PCBs) used in electric transformers

– By products :

• Dioxins and furans are byproducts of chemical manufacturing and combustion process

Decisions UNEP GC (9th meeting Decision 18/32 1995)

1. Consolidation of available information on chemistry & toxicology of substances relevant to impact on health and environment

2. Analysis of transport pathway, origin and deposition of these substances on a global scale

3. Examine sources, benefits, risks and other considerations relevant to production and use of these substances

4. Evaluate availability, cost & effectiveness of alternatives to these substances

5. Assess realistic response strategies, policies & mechanisms for reducing or eliminating emissions, discharges and releases of POPs.

Actions against POPs (UNEP Decision 18/32 1995)

I. IPCS & IOMC started compilation of available information on Chemistry, Toxicology, Transport pathways, origin, cost benefits POPs

II. Recommendation of IFCS Adhoc working group about International action on POPs (report 1996) adopted the resolution WHA 50/13 May97.

Resolution WHA 50/13 (1997) Actions Called Upon Member States

• Base management of POPs on scientific risk assessments

• Coordinate all stakeholders for management of POPs

• Reduce reliance on insecticides for vector control through

– Development of alternative control methods

– Adoption of IVM / IPM approach

– Selective use of DDT in Public Health as per WHO guide

• Strengthen National Information Mechanism on chemical contaminants in all media concerning source, levels, extent of exposure of population

• Strengthen Public awareness and training to prevent poisoning, especially by pesticides

Continue

Actions Called Upon WHO DG

• Protect human health and environment (especially from POPs) establishing a legally bounding instrument for “ PIC” Procedures & Strengthening health expertise on use of pesticides for vector / pest control

• Strengthen WHO collaborating centers for research on Integrated Vector Born Disease control (especially Environment management for vector control)

• Accelerate efforts to base National decision making on chemical risk assessment and promote research on harmful effects of chemicals

• Facilitate information exchange, collate and provide reliable modern data basis (particularly in Developing countries) on human exposure and poisoning

• Continue capacity building of member states for sound management of chemicals & National chemical safety programs

Inter Government Negotiation Committee (UNEP decision 19/13 (97)

(Steps towards Identification of New POPs)

1st INC meeting (1998 at Montrial) • Reps of >100 member states • Established Criteria Expert Group (CEG) to:-

– Negotiate “Legally binding instrument’ & international action on 12 POPs

– Formulate TORs for a working group to develop selection criteria for additional POPs

– The UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) developing stepwise procedure for identification of new POPs.

– INC working group desired information from member states on persistence, Bio accumulation, Transport, risk/hazard evaluation, Socioeconomic and climatic factors of future candidate POPs.

Search Alternatives to POPs Threat of Adoption of Alternatives:

• May be more Costly & hazardous (need high level expertise)

• So Technical, Economical & Social factors need special attention prior to selection of alternatives

• Necessary Information for decision

– Required Quantity, purpose of use, availability & constraints in the adoption of alternatives

Regional Position on POPs • High significance

• Agreed to phase-out pops in steps

• Many socioeconomic factors – Use of DDT still continued (for IRS only)

– Excellent safety record on humans (>40 year use for IRS in malaria control)

• What is needed To replace DDT – Invest in development of new vector control methods

which are Environmentally safe, sustainable and cost effective keeping chemical control at last option e.g. use of cultural, biological & other chemical control methods within IVM methodology

WHO and Regional Position on POPs

• INC-1 DISCUSSED DDT AS A POP , WHO EMPHASISED THAT PHASING OUT OF DDT SHOULD NOT BE DONE IN A WAY THAT WILL LEAD TO FURTHER DETERIORATION OF ALREADY SERIOUS MALARIA SITUATION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES