by Dr. Afaf Sayed Ali Al–Sho’ala

According to our limited capabilities, at present only the following activities are undertaken to reduce the risk of persistent organic pollutants and other hazardous chemicals. These activities include the followings:

1. Voluntary Co-ordination system for licensing of Industrial Projects and Commercial activities that cover the importation, use, production, storage and disposal of chemicals.

The following articles of Environmental Law that was issued in 1996 deal directly with chemical safety:

1. Article 4 item 19: For the purpose of implementing its objectives, the Environmental Affairs shall co-operate and co-ordinate with all relevant authorities to determine and enforce the standards related to the importation and handling of chemicals and radioactive materials .
2. Article 10: The spraying and use of pesticides or other chemical compounds for agricultural, public health or other purposes shall be prohibited except after considering the conditions, regulations and guarantees determined by Environmental Affairs in agreement with Ministry of Health and Ministry of Works and Agriculture so as to guarantee that the environment shall not be directly or indirectly affected, whether at present or in future by the damaging effects of such pesticides or chemical compounds.
3. Article 14: Handling of hazardous materials and waste without permission from Environmental Affairs shall be prohibited.
4. Article 15: Persons concerned with the production and handling of hazardous materials whether in gas, liquid or solid form, shall comply with all the precautions and conditions determined by Environmental Affairs to ensure that no damages would occur to the environment.
5. A draft Ministerial Order on the phase out of Ozone Depleting Substances (Halons, Methlylbromide, Methlyl-Chloroforms, Chloro-fluorocarbons, Hydro-chloro-fluorocarbons, Hydro-bromine-fluorocarbons, and carbon tetrachloride) has been prepared to be issued in the near future.

2. GCC Unified Regulation:

At present, a Unified Regulation project for chemical safety is being prepared for GCC countries to regulate the importation, handling, production, transport, and storage of chemicals. In the near future Bahrain will adopt this regulation.

4. Participation in International Conventions/Procedures related to chemical safety:

• Bahrain response to PIC concerning the importation of 12 pesticides (first and second set of pesticides only, we have not received the third set due to administrative gaps) and the five industrial chemicals was published in PIC Circulars as shown in annexe 1.

• Only two countries inform us about the export of certain chemicals (Annexe 1).
• Information comes very late.
• Information on the first shipment only.
• No information is given about the importer, method of export, commercial identity of the material, date of shipment.

Therefore, it is impractical to locate the imported chemical.

We are going to join other countries to sign PIC legally binding instrument to regulate and ban the importation and use of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and other hazardous chemicals.

• Focal point for IFCS and UNEP POPs.
• Bahrain was one of the first countries to sign Montreal Protocol, which comes as part of Vienna Convention, in effect a programme for Phasing out Ozone Depleting Substances was established supported by the multilateral fund.
• Bahrain has adopted Basal Convention for the control and monitoring of hazardous waste.

5. Establishment of a Unit responsible for Chemical Risk Control:

Recently the chart of the Environmental Affairs was modified to include an official unit responsible for chemical safety. This unit will have a senior environmental specialist, an occupational/environmental toxicologist, a pollution monitor, and 2 port controllers.

3. Banning / Restricting Hazardous Chemicals:

A list of 139 hazardous chemicals (Annexe 2) was prepared by Environmental Affairs, the importation, production, storage, transport, commercialization and use of which are to be prohibited or severely restricted. This list was chosen from PIC Decision Guidance Documents. For this list of chemicals data on their toxicity, carcinogenicity, resistance to degradation, and uses were determined from the IRPTC Computer package, which had been provided by UNEP/ROWA. Among these chemicals 44 materials are POPs, including the 12 POPs which were recommended by IFCS to be substituted.

1. PCBs Substitution:

In 1982 voluntary action had been undertaken by the electricity departments in the country to substitute the oil containing PCBs from the electric capacitors and transformers of the main stations. Those capacitors and transformers were sent to UK for treatment, and replaced by new capacitors and transforms containing mineral oil or silicon oil. A survey was planned to identify other sources of PCBs, but it was not implemented due to shortage of manpower.

1. PCB Recovery Project:

• Application to reclaim PCB oil from imported transformers and capacitors and to de-chlorinate the reclaimed oil was received. The project was evaluated by a technical team from: Environmental Assessment Section, Pollution Control Section, and Waste Management Section. The team suggested that the project should be rejected.

Towards the implementation of programme area (E) of Chapter 19 of Agenda 21 on the environmentally sound management of toxic chemicals, recently (16-20 May 1998) WHO/EMRO assisted us to conduct one week national meeting of all stakeholders in chemical safety. This was to initiate the process of preparation of national profile on chemical safety. The profile is to assess Bahrain infrastructure for management of chemicals. During this meeting a national co-ordinator for the preparation of the profile was nominated and a preparatory co-ordination team was formulated from senior officials from concerned ministries and non-governmental organizations. WHO experts estimated the duration for completion of the profile to be approximately one year.