POP's and Obsolete Pesticides NewsletterNo 9
May 2005
Prepared on behalf of International HCH and Pesticides Association (IHPA)
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The aim of this newsletter is to disseminate information in a cost-effective way
on the developments taking place in the area of POPs as implicated in the
Stockholm Convention and other PTS of concern. It will cover, among others, the news on
science and technology for disposal of obsolete stocks and remediation of POPs
contamination which might be of interest for commercial exploitation both in
developed and developing countries. Special emphasis will be given to
bio-remediation related technologies which will benefit developing countries.
The newsletter will not go into technical details of selected scientific publications but only highlight salient features for the benefit of the r
eaders. One can subscribe and read IHPA Newsletter (2 times/yr free of charge)
at: http://www.ihpa.info/subscription.php
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This issue is published one month in advance so as to be available before the 8th IHPA Forum in Sofia from May 25-28, 2005.
In addition, the First Conference of the Parties (COP) who are signatory to the Stockholm Conference will take place at
Punta del Este, Uruguay from May 2-6,2005. For both the Conferences details are available on the Internet: http://www.POPs.int and http://www.ihpa.info.
However, for the benefit of the readers we are including in this Newsletter the Agenda for the two meetings.
We are also pleased to include an article written by a well known expert Dr. Kare Helge Karstensen of SINTEF, Norway who has been involved in environmentally sustainable disposal of hazardous waste in Cement kilns which has been a hot issue for a long time. He has been involved in developing guidelines on BAt/BEP and in incineration aspects of hazardous waste including POPs. We are indeed very thankful to him for giving his valuable time.
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Sound Destruction of Obsolete Pesticides in Cement Kilns in Developing Countries
Kåre Helge Karstensen
The Foundation for Scientific and Industrial Research (SINTEF),
P. O. Box 124, N-0314 Oslo, Norway
E-mail address: khk@sintef.no
See attachment: Sound_destruction.pdf
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will take place at Punta del Este, Uruguay from May 2-6. The Provisional Agenda is given as attachment: COP_Uruguay.pdf
Details can be obtained from UNEP Website: www.POPs.int
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The 8th Int. HCH and Pesticides Forum will take place in Sofia. The Forum is fully packed with programme running on parallel sessions. For the benefit of the readers we are giving an abridged version (detailed programme is 14 pages long) of the Forum - see attachment: 8thForum_Draft.pdf
Further details of the programme see at: http://www.hchforum.com/detailedProgramme.php
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Public awareness to POPs is becoming a major campaign in both developed and developing countries. Recently New York Times in its leading article (DT 9.01.05) takes up the issue of toxic breast milk. It says that if human breast milk came stamped with an ingredient label it might read like this: 4% fat, vitamins A, C, E and K, lactose, essential ail minerals, growth harmones, proteins, enzymes and antibodies. In a healthy woman it contains 100% of virtually everything a baby needs to survive. It says that now, the same breast milk in modern day of man’s dependency on chemicals, results in carrying POPs including PCBs, fire retardants etc. making the baby less resistant to infection and also might affect the very normal development. This does not mean that mothers should stop breast feeding-far from it-. It says that the benefits of breast feeding far outweigh the side effects. However it is a warning about taking chemicals/environmental safety very lightly. Of course Basel Convention/PIC/ SC will contribute to the safety of breast milk in the future.
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In our last Newsletter we raised the issue of leading NGOs not taking the same lead as they took on Basel Convention. PIC and recently the Stockholm Convention to provide safer alternatives for control of malaria. In the last high profile meeting at Davos , Switzerland where high level CEOs and world renowned personalities meet every year, the President of Tanzania in a teleconference pleaded help to buy impregnated nets to protect children from malaria. The famous Hollywood star Sharon Stone listening to his plea, got up and auctioned her jewelry on the spot and got $10,000. Immediately other rich delegates followed her and in two hours they collected $2 million for Tanzania. Countries like Tanzania need more than just money. They need sustainable approach to eradicate Malaria. Sumitomo Chemical has come up with a next generation bed net called Olyset which is made up of a durable plastic weave impregnated with the insecticide permethrin which stays potent for five years. The net is now manufactured in Tanzania for cost effective distribution. It is distributed free or cost around $7-8. While this is a welcome news, an article in New York Time says that the WHO programme on Rollback fight against malaria is fraught with problems and bureaucracy. This is worrying by the fact that in future Stock Holm Convention will protect aquatic life in the Arctic and Antarctica from POPs but African children will be dying in their thousands because the developed world did not provided them with safer alternatives. May be a thought for delegates attending the first COP in Uruguay and the 8th IHPA Forum in Bulgaria.
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The Newsletter wishes all the delegates of the 8th International HCH and Pesticides Forum a very successful, meeting and a pleasant stay at Sofia
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Editor: B. Sugavanam, Email: bsugavanam@yahoo.co.uk
Co-Editor: Ivan Holoubek, Email: holoubek@recetox.muni.cz
Co-Editor: Sushil Khetan, Email: skhetan@andrew.cmu.edu
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Copyright 2002-2005, IHPA
http://www.ihpa.info
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