by Ms. Carmen L. Quevedo Camacho

The persistent organic chemical substances are organic compounds of natural or anthropogenetic origin that resist photolytic, chemical, or biological degradation.

The persistent organic pollutants (POPs), slightly soluble in water and highly soluble in lipids, can accumulate in the fatty tissues of live organisms. Because they are semivolatile, they are easily dispersed in the atmosphere and transported in fresh and salt water, which makes it possible for them to be found very far from where they were generated or produced.

Due to the high risks associated with improper utilization and handling, the countries of the world have developed controls and standards at the national and regional levels that guarantee the reduction of their use to improve the health of the public and the control of the environment.

For that purpose the Ministry of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (MARNR) maintains a registry of activities likely to degrade the environment and requires compliance with regulations establishing emission limits.

For the control of hazardous materials and wastes the country has a regulation that establishes permissible limits for hazardous waste incinerators. However, in the country there are no centers for treatment and final disposal of the polychlorinated biphenyls.

With regard to analytical capacity, there is in the country a registry of environmental laboratories able to evaluate water, air, and hazardous waste samples. These laboratories are in the private sector, universities, the Scientific Research Institute (IVIC), INTEVEP, and the oil companies. There is also installed capacity in the official laboratories of the Ministry of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources.

The promulgation of laws and regulations to preserve the environment and as a consequence, the health of the citizens, may be considered a necessity. However, compliance with these laws should be feasible, which means that the implications of their application need to be reviewed carefully. Currently, it can be more dangerous to discontinue a hospital service for lack of compliance with certain high-risk technical standards than to continue to offer it and in this way save the lives of those affected.