Disposal of POPs pesticides - Available options for Central Asia and the potential role of co-processing

Ed Verhamme

Disposal of POPs pesticides - Available options for Central Asia and the potential role of co-processing

Introduction into cement kiln co-processing Opportunities & limitations - Assessment of cement plant for compliance with environmental standards

Year of publication 2021

Place of publication Budapest, Hungary ;

Pages 27

Author Ed Verhamme

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Presentation

Edition 1

Full item page

Synopsis (short abstract) Pesticides based on a group of chemicals called Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) have been in wide use in the Former Soviet Union (FSU) area from industrialisation of POPs in the late 1940s until the mid-1980s. DDT and other POPs pesticides were being used on a massive scale across the FSU, be it for cotton and wheat farming or forestry. The planning economy lead to widespread accumulation of pesticides wastes, which were buried in engineered landfills or sometimes in simple burial pits. A conservative estimate is that there are today at least 180 000 - 264 000 MT of obsolete pesticides located in old warehouses, landfills, and dumps across the territory of the FSU as well as a growing volume of contaminated soils from unmanaged stocks. Countries in the FSU region partially lack the capacity as well as the infrastructure to manage these wastes in an environmentally sound manner. The GEF-funded and FAO-managed project “Lifecycle Management of Pesticides and Disposal of POPs Pesticides in Central Asian countries and Turkey”, therefore, facilitates solutions for some of the core issues. In this regard, introduction of disposal options for POPs pesticides is vital to address the issue in the region through the project. With this aim, a webinar was held on 24 June 2020. This presentation is about available options for Central Asia and the potential role of co-processing in disposal options of POPs pesticides. Since the subject of the webinar is technical, the target audience is decision makers and influencers to explain the disposal options for the sake of the impacted communities and the environment.

Language English

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The concept note is to introduce the problem in the region regarding obsolete pesticide and soil contamination due to the former Soviet period. Since the issue is a very big challenge in the region, and the disposal of the contaminated soil is not a cost-effective solution to scale-up considering the amount and geographical distribution of the contaminated soils in the region, there should be a new approach to address this significant issue. Therefore, the bio- and phyto- remediation of the pesticide-contaminated soils come forward as a liable and applicable solution. Within the respect of the Global Environment Facility (GEF)-funded and FAO-managed project “Lifecycle Management of Pesticides and Disposal of POPs Pesticides in Central Asian countries and Türkiye”, there have been remediation trials in Kazakshtan and Kyrgyzstan for couple of years. Through this international conference, the results of trials will be explained while prominent experts will share their different experiences in remediation processes in a variety of settings, which provides a good opportunity for introduction of remediation options and knowledge and experience sharing among stakeholders.
Booklet
Yearbook 2022: Lifecycle Management of Pesticides and Disposal of POPs Pesticides in Central Asian countries and Türkiye 2023

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Russian

Within the scope of this Yearbook 2022, the main achievements of the GEF-funded and FAO-managed project “Lifecycle Management of Pesticides and Disposal of POPs Pesticides in Central Asian countries and Turkey” in the last year are highlighted, in order to share progress with the key stakeholders and to increase the synergy for more efficient results ahead. All main activities and results achieved at regional and country level in 2022 to reduce threats from POPs and other obsolete pesticides posing high risks to public health and the environment, to strengthen the legal as well as the institutional framework for proper pesticide management across its full lifecycle, and to reduce the use of pesticides through introduction of improved agricultural practices are summarized in the Yearbook 2022. This publication and other Yearbooks of the project facilitate to monitor the results achieved at regional level as well as country level in terms of two basic pillars of the project, disposal of obsolete pesticides and prevention of obsolete pesticides, for all stakeholders.
Book (series)

Final evaluation of ''Demonstration project for the decontamination of Persistent Organic Pesticides contaminated soils using non-thermal treatment methods''
Project code: GCP/BOT/011/GFF GEF ID: 3985
2020

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The pesticide story began in the 1980s with outbreaks of migratory pests, including locusts. Donors provided pesticides, including persistent organic pollutants (POPs), to help control outbreaks. Several storage depots were set up across the country. Some of the pesticides were not used and remained in the depots where they started to leak from their containers into the soil. Between 1995 and 2003 two projects collected over 300 tonnes from government storage depots and identified 42 tonnes of farmer-held obsolete pesticides. The stocks were taken to a warehouse in Sebele before being disposed of through high temperature incineration in 2003. From 2002 to 2012 the government started collecting empty plastic containers (EPCs) and obsolete stocks. While the accumulation of obsolete stocks had fallen through awareness of the problem raised by these projects, it was still a problem. Also, nothing had been done about the POPs contaminated soils left behind after the government depots had been cleared. The Africa Stockpiles Program continued to raise the issue of POPs contamination. 28. It was in this context, that discussions began in 2008 that led to the design and funding of this Project to deal with contaminated soils and to strengthen pesticide lifecycle management to reduce accumulation of obsolete pesticides and the risk from pesticides in general. The Project document identified “serious gaps in Botswana’s ability to control all aspects of the pesticide life cycle” including the capacity to control imports; gaps in pesticide and waste legislation; and need for improved management of pesticide registrations.