23. POPs Related Situation Relevant to Hungary

I. Regulation and Management of POPs

by Dr. Z. Adamis

In the second part of the 20th century chemization is more speedy than ever expected. The numbers of chemicals on the market in 1975 were 60.000 and in 1995 were more than 100.000, while the numbers of all registered chemicals were 6 and 10 million. The use of chemicals promoted the spread of modern technologies, made work processes easier, faster and more effective, made possible the protection of crops and increased production. Although somewhat delayed, more and more warnings were noticed - the human being, the living world and our environment became endangered.

Furthermore, after a few years serious global problems has been realized. In 1972 an international conference were convened in Stockholm with the aim of working out the strategy of fight against the hazards endangering the human environment.

Recently, UNEP Governing Council with decision 18/32 initiated an assessment process on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) starting with a list of twelve substances.

In Hungary the use, restriction or ban of these chemicals are summarized in Table 1, 2 and 3.

Chlorinated hydrocarbon type pesticides (DDT, aldrin, etc.) had been used in great amounts for pest control, including the use in agriculture since the Second World War. The unprecedented use of highly toxic chemicals on a great scale was accompanied by lethal accidents and severe adverse effects on the fauna.

Hungary was among the first countries in the world who ban or severely restricted chlorinated hydrocarbon type pesticides. In Official Journal these regulations was published in 1966. The reasoning was based on their persistence in environment and their bioaccumulation in food - chain.

The second generation of pesticides of the chlorinated hydrocarbon (chlordane, hexachlor, mirex) were partly never registered in the country, or used only for a short time.

In the case of POPs used in industry existing information is not sufficient to assess realistic response strategies and policies for reducing and/or eliminating these chemicals (for example dioxins, furans) in Hungary.

Table 1

List of POPs chemicals

Name Hungarian regulation

PCBs Severely restricted (1993)

Dioxins -

Furans -

Hexachlorobenzene Banned (1966)

Aldrin Banned (1966)

Dieldrin Banned (1970)

DDT Severely restricted (1966)

Endrin Banned (1966)

Chlordane Banned

Mirex Never registered in Hungary

Toxaphene Banned (1992)

Heptachlor Banned

 

Table 2

Reasons of restriction/ban of POPs
DDT CAS Nr.: 50-29-3
Chemical Name: Benzene,1,1’-(2,-2,-2-trichloroethylidene)bis-4-chloro-

Severely restricted for use as a pesticide. Banned for agricultural use. Use remains allowed in public health for vector control (malaria). Potential oncogenicity, persistence, bioaccumulation.
Effective Date: 24/04/1966
Dieldrin CAS Nr.: 60-57-1

ChemicalName:2,7:3,6Dimethanonaphth

-2,3-b/oxirene,3,4,5,6,9,9-hexachloro-

-1a,2,2a,3,6,6a,7,7a-octahydro-,

(1a.alpha.,2.beta.,2a.alpha.,3.beta.,6.beta.

6a.alpha.,7.beta.,7a.alpha.)-

Banned pesticide. Banned for all agricultural use. No remaining uses allowed. High toxicity, persistence in environment, bioaccumulation.
Effective Date: 03/03/1970

 
 

 

Table 3

Reasons of restriction/ban of POPs
Aldrin CAS Nr.: 309-00-2
Chemical Name:1,4:5,8-

Dimethanonaphthalene,1,2,3,4,10,10-hexachloro-1,4,4a,5,8,8a-hexahydro-,

(1.alpha.,4.alpha.,4a.beta.,5.alpha.,8.alpha.,8a.beta.)-

Banned pesticide. Banned for all agricultural use. No remaining uses allowed. High toxicity, persistence in the soil, bioaccumulation.
Effective Date: 11/04/1966
Endrin CAS Nr.: 72-20-8
Chemical Name: 1,2,3,4,10,10-hexachlor-6,7-epoxy-1,4,4a,5,6,7,8,8a octahydro1,4,5,8dimethanonaphtalin.

High acute toxicity, persistence, bioaccumulation. Banned all agricultural use in 1966.

In the case of chlordane, mirex, toxaphene and heptachlor the ban or restriction based on the same reasons.