UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME

For use of the media only;
not an official document.

Geneva, 9 July 1998 – Developing countries strongly agree with the need for effective programmes to protect human health and the global environment from the risks of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

At the same time, these countries face many hurdles in identifying and controlling releases of these extremely dangerous chemicals. Many have little or no monitoring data about the use of DDT and other dangerous chemicals, and they lack inventories identifying stockpiles and dump sites of obsolete pesticides. They also have few control measures for managing the use of hazardous chemicals and reducing the accumulation of future unwanted stocks.

This state-of-the-art picture of national conditions and resources is based on the results of eight regional workshops conducted from late 1997 through June of this year by UNEP and the Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety (IFCS). The workshops, which drew participants from 138 countries, documented for the first time the vulnerability of many countries to unknown and potentially serious dangers posed by exposure to certain hazardous chemicals.

These chemicals will be the subject of a new global treaty that will be finalized by the year 2000. The success of the first round of treaty talks, held in Montreal from 29 June to 3 July, further confirmed that the international community enthusiastically supports early and effective action to reduce and eliminate POPs.

One of the key conclusions from the workshops is that countries often lack information about the sources and releases of POPs because of the severe shortage of adequately equipped laboratories and trained personnel. Gathering the necessary information as a prelude to tackling the POPs problem will require extensive financial and technical support. For example, many governments need guidance on the standard analytical methods that are used for establishing baseline data for evaluating POPs levels in humans and wildlife.

There is also an urgent need for more information about abandoned stockpiles. The location of old stockpiles and the quantities of chemicals in them are largely unknown. While some countries have established inventories of pesticide stockpiles, there are still large gaps in information because leaks and poor labeling make it difficult to identify stockpiled chemicals.

The same applies to aging infrastructure and equipment such as electrical transformers and capacitors that are at or near the end of their useful lives and may leak dangerous chemicals such as PCBs.

In all regions there is a lack of adequate destruction capacity for POPs. UNEP is now conducting a study to identify destruction capacities worldwide. POPs are difficult to eliminate and are often destroyed by powerful incinerators.

It is clear too that illegal cross-border trade is a growing problem. Enforcement is often weak and national legislation can be inconsistent, thereby providing an incentive for black market traders.

In addition to highlighting the problems facing developing countries, the workshops pointed the way to a number of solutions. In many cases, establishing coordinating committees involving various ministries and NGOs will be a vital starting point. National profiles need to be developed to provide an overview of how chemicals are manufactured, used, and disposed in each country.

A particularly important next step is the collection of information on available replacements for POPs, particularly DDT, which is still widely used for malaria control. Alternatives can be either other chemicals or the use of non-chemical techniques. Experiences with alternatives needs to be better reported so that they can be replicated in other countries.

The workshops took place in advance of the first round of talks on an international agreement to minimize and eliminate emissions and releases of POPs. The talks are focusing on a list of 12 POPs: aldrin, chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, dioxins, endrin, furans, heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene, mirex, PCBs, and toxaphene. Scientific criteria will be developed for identifying other POPs that may be added to the list later. A global POPs treaty is expected to be adopted in the year 2000.

A growing body of scientific evidence indicates that exposure to very low doses of certain POPs – which are among the most toxic substances ever created – can lead to cancer, damage to the central and peripheral nervous systems, diseases of the immune system, reproductive disorders, and interference with normal infant and child development.

Note to journalists: Additional information is available via the Internet at http://irptc.unep.ch/pops/. For more information or to arrange interviews, please contact Michael Williams at (+41-22) 917 8242, fax (+41-22) 797 3464, e-mail mwilliams@unep.ch. You can also order a copy of the report entitled "Overview of Outcomes from POPs Awareness Raising Workshop Working Groups", Geneva, June 1998. The following individual reports of the "Proceedings of the Subregional Awareness Raising Workshops on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)" are also available: