November 14, 1997
Obsolete Pesticides Stockpiled in Tanzania
Hazardous stockpiles of obsolete pesticides are located
throughout Tanzania, according to a report by Alcheraus
Rwazo, Senior Scientific Officer at the Tropical Pesticides
Research Institute (TPRI) in Tanzania. The stockpiles have
accumulated for various reasons, including replacement of
outdated formulations by new and more effective pesticides,
importation of excess quantities and uncontrolled foreign aid
in the form of pesticides. Tanzania also lacks adequate
disposal facilities, and, as a result, in some cases obsolete
pesticide stocks have been dumped indiscriminately in open
places.
The exact quantity of obsolete pesticides in Tanzania is not
known at present since no comprehensive studies to determine
quantities, types and locations have been completed at this
time. Nevertheless, scanty information gathered through
surveys and complaints from users indicate that there may be
more than 90 tons scattered throughout the country.
Stockpiles include:
* Unused obsolete pesticides stored on private farms, in
warehouses and in stores of cooperative unions in cotton and
coffee growing areas. An inventory conducted in seven regions
in October 1989 by the National Environment Council and TPRI
revealed stocks that included approximately 18 tons of DDT
and DDT formulations. No action has been taken to dispose of
these chemicals since that time.
* Unused pesticides delivered by the Japan International
Cooperation Agency between 1981 to 1991 in Moshi, Northern
Tanzania. There are approximately 60 kg of pesticides;
however, most lack adequate labels, making proper
identification extremely difficult.
* Approximately 40,000 liters of expired pesticides located
in cotton growing regions of Mwanza and Shinyanga near Lake
Victoria. The products, which include endosulfan, flumeturon,
atrazine, malathion, methidathion and DDT, were found during
a baseline survey conducted by the Tanzania-Germany Project
on Integrated Pest Management in 1993.
* Between 15 and 20 tons of expired deltamethrin, endosulfan
and fluometuron stored in warehouses belonging to the
Tanzania Cotton Marketing Board, Eastern Zone.
* Fifty tons of obsolete pesticides at Vikunge Farm in the
coast region consisting of DDT, aldrin and endrin. These were
part of a consignment bought from Greece as aid through the
Ministry of Agriculture in 1987.
According to Rwazo, the Tanzanian government is now aware of
the problems it faces regarding obsolete pesticides, and has
made some moves to resolve them. In one case, over 57,000
liters of dinitro-o-cresol have been incinerated at a cement
kiln in the outskirts of Dar Es Salaam with the assistance of
the German Technical Agency (GTZ). The consignment was
imported in the 1950s for locust control, but dinitro-o-
cresol was phased out in the 1970s.
The Dutch government is funding a chemical management project
in Tanzania. A team of 12 Tanzanian government employees has
been trained to assess and document any unusable pesticides
and industrial chemicals in the country. The data collected
will be used by the government to formulate strategies for
proper handling, storage and disposal of chemical wastes
(including pesticides) in the country.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that
there are more than 100,000 tons of obsolete pesticides in
developing countries. Of this, 20,000 tons are in Africa and
5,000 tons are in the Near East. Due to the absence of
environmentally sound disposal facilities, some stocks are
now over 30 years old -- and stocks are constantly
increasing. FAO is seeking financial support from pesticide
companies for pilot disposal operations in Gambia (20 tons),
Senegal (300 tons) and Botswana (200 tons). Costs of
disposing of obsolete pesticides in Africa alone are
estimated to exceed US$100 million. Donor countries, aid
agencies, agrochemical companies and recipient governments
are all responsible for the steady accumulation of obsolete
pesticides in developing countries, according to FAO.
"Obsolete pesticide stocks pose a serious threat to public
health and the environment," said FAO Agricultural Officer
Alemayehu Wodageneh. "Storage conditions rarely meet
international standards." In many countries, pesticide
containers are kept in the open where they deteriorate and
leak their contents into the soil contaminating the
environment.
Source: Pesticides News 37, September 1997.
Contact: The Pesticide Trust, Eurolink Business Centre, 49
Effra Road, London, SW2 1BZ UK; phone (44-171) 274 8895; fax
(44-171) 274 9084; email pesttrust@gn.apc.org;
http://www.gn.apc.org/pesticidestrust/.
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