STRENGTHENING THE NATIONAL CAPACITY TO IMPLEMENT MEASURES TO REDUCE

OR ELIMINATE RELEASES OF PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS (POPs)

INTO THE ENVIRONMENT

1. INTRODUCTION

The benefits that are derived from use and application of chemicals are enormous. These include the control diseases, increase in food production, and improvement in our standards of living. Some of these chemicals pose serious threat to the environment and human health.

Contamination from Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) is a pervasive global problem that urgently demands a global solution. Eradicating POPs from the global environment requires eliminating their sources which may include specific facilities, processes or materials. It also requires destruction of stockpiles of POPs and associated environmental contaminats. POPs stockpiles are estimated to include more than one million tonnes of PCBs distributed globally^1,2 and more than 100,000 tonnes of obsolete pesticides in non member states of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)³. Accumulations of POPs such as dioxin-contaminated materials, particularly in countries where incineration has been relied on for waste disposal, is expected to be very high. There are no estimates of the mass of contaminated soils and sediments that are associated with existing stockpiles of PCBs, obsolete pesticides and dioxin-containing materials. A global initiative aimed at implementing measures to reduce or eliminate releases of POPs into the environment is therefore more than welcome.

2. STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

POPs stockpiles and its associated contamination impose enormous environmental, public health and economic burdens, especially in developing countries. In Ghana, problems encountered, among others include:

-- Lack of data on quantities and the geographical location of POPs in the country

-- Improper identification of obsolete pesticides due to the presence of unlabelled pesticide products

-- Banned POPs chemicals in international trade which have found their way into the country through unauthorised routes

-- Lack of knowledge of existing alternatives for POPs

3. RECENT AND ONGOING DEVELOPMENTS

Surveys have been conducted since 1997/98 by a number of National Technical Task Forces. This forms part of a National Action Programme for Integrated Chemicals Management in Ghana initiated by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) in collaboration with the Inter-Organisational Programme for Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC). Activities undertaken under the project include:

-- Documentation and thorough assessment of existing laboratory capacities in the country.

-- Inventory of obsolete pesticides on farms, formulation plants, institutions and agro-based companies.

-- Preparation of guidelines for the safe storage and handling of chemicals.

-- Preparation of a National Education Campaign Strategic Document.

Materials being developed by the National Task Force on Education and Awareness Raising are as follows:

a. Production of two TV documentaries;

b. A number of radio jingles;

c. Teacher’s guide on chemicals and pesticides;

d. Two 3 page brochures on "safe handling of chemicals" and "storage and disposal of chemicals"

-- The National Task Force on Data Management/Information Systems conducted a survey among government institutions and private companies. Several weaknesses were identified such as lack of proper record keeping, lack of data on chemical waste generation and disposal, chemical related accidents and poisoning.

Other national on-going activities involving research by universities, research institutes and companies on POPS are as follows:

-- Determination of the physical, chemical and biological properties of soils that influence the degradation of lindane and endosulfan in the forest and savannah ecosystems;

-- Studies on the persistence of lindane and endosulfan in forest and savannah soils;

-- Investigation on the effect of rate of application on total bacterial population in soils;

-- Assessment of possible phytotoxic effect of lindane and endosulfan on growth of maize as affected by application rate;

-- Determination of the effect of lindane and endosulfan application on plant nutrition using the uptake of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium as indices;

-- Evaluation of the fate of dieldrin under treated foundation of buildings;

-- Monitoring of pesticides in cocoa beans;

-- Determination of the extent of current usage of banned pesticides in the country;

-- Validation of TLC methodology for screening pesticide residues and application of the methodology to pesticide residue analysis in some agro-ecosystems;

-- Disposal options for transformer oil. This aims at replacing PCBs in existing electrical transformers in use in the country;

-- Monitoring of pesticides; The aim is to review current usage patterns of pesticides; identify and quantify levels of organochlorine residues in environmental samples;

-- Replacement of organochlorine POPs with non-persistent alternative chemicals;

-- Persistence and fate of ¹⁴C-lindane applied to soil in maize ecosystem.

4. OBJECTIVES:

1. To acquire a comprehensive data on quantities and the geographical location of all the dirty dozen in the country. Such identification shall include usage, storage, transportation and disposal.

2. To strengthen existing laboratories to facilitate the identification and characterization of unlabelled chemicals that enter the country.

3. To strengthen regulatory procedures in order to control chemical imports and prevent the possible entry of POPs into the country.

4. To intensify efforts in the implementation of the future POPs Convention and to create awareness for end-users of such chemicals, so as to facilitate the identification of alternative chemicals (substitutes).

5. ANTICIPATED BENEFITS:

Proper assessment of POPs coupled with a comprehensive programme for its replacement and regulatory enforcement will:

-- Prevent pollution of soils surface and ground water

-- Improve air quality

6. PROPOSED ACTIVITIES AND TECHNICAL ASSISSTANCE NEEDED:

1. Undertaking an inventory of POPs in Ghana. Surveys will be conducted using designed questionnaire and subsequent administration to industries, farms, mining centres etc. Support is being sought to cover transportation, stationery, computers and video for interviews.

2. Further development of the POPs inventory into a database comprising identification and quantities e.g. PCBs in electric transformers, wood processing, disposal after use; geographical locations etc. This aspect of activity will be an integral part of the National Action Programme for Integrated Chemicals Management in Ghana except that emphasis would be laid on POPs in this particular case.

3. Building capacities for POPs identification. Support is being sought to provide equipment to facilitate identification and quantification of POPs and their replacement. Research programmes of university students and lecturers will be planned around identification and quantification of POPs.

4. Training on safe use of POPs. Technical expertise is needed to educate the end-users of POPs on the potential hazards and adverse effects of such chemicals and the need to switch over to the use of available alternatives.

7. REFERENCES

23. Country Situation on Persistent Organic Pollutants