Developing countries house more than 100,000 tonnes of obsolete and dangerous pesticides that the United Nations last week called a time bomb that endangers lives.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization is appealing for donations from wealthy countries to fund a continuing clean-up campaign.
“Clean-up and prevention measures urgently need to be combined,” Mark Davis, head of the FAO’s prevention and disposal of obsolete pesticides program, said in a statement issued from Rome Sept. 9 after a meeting on the issue.
“The awareness of a targeted and limited use of pesticides, respecting human health and the environment, need to be urgently raised in many countries.”
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The FAO said the stockpiles range from well-stored products to leaking, deteriorating containers.
“Pesticide poisoning is common close to unmanaged sites.”
The agency said it costs about $4,500 Cdn to dispose of one tonne of pesticide. Since developing countries often do not have disposal incinerators, much of the stockpile will have to be moved to sites in Europe or elsewhere to be burned.
Davis said the problem ranges from Africa, where an estimated 50,000 tonnes are stored, through to Asia and Latin America. FAO estimates of the size of the problem do not include China, “where the problem of pesticide waste is believed to be widespread.”
He said the pesticides involved are some of the most toxic in the world, including persistent organic pollutants, DDT, dieldrin and endrin.
The origin of dangerous pesticide stockpiles in developing countries has been a controversial issue. Many were imported to fight pests but not used.
However, critics also have alleged that some chemical companies continue to ship pesticides to poor countries that they can no longer sell into developed countries because of health and environmental fears and tougher government rules.
The FAO did not deal with the issue in its statement. It said the stocks are left over from past pest control campaigns.
“Stockpiles have accumulated because a number of products have been banned for health or environmental reasons but were never removed and disposed of,” the agency said.
“Stocks remain where they are stored and often deteriorate to contaminate the environment and put people at risk.”
Funding for the 10-year-old campaign to clean up the stockpiles ends in December unless FAO countries provide more money.
