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P A N U P S
Pesticide Action Network Updates Service
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Persistent Pesticides Exported from U.S. Ports
February 4, 2000
The United States and other industrialized countries produce or
export few if any of the organochlorine pesticides on the short list
of chemicals targeted by the treaty on persistent organic pollutants
(POPs) currently being negotiated. However, other pesticides that
have been designated as persistent bioaccumlative toxic chemicals
(PBTs) are being shipped in large quantities from U.S. ports to
countries around the world.
The Foundation for Advancements in Science and Education (FASE)
recently analyzed U.S. Customs shipping records, and found that PBTs
were exported from U.S. ports at the rate of at least 16 tons per
day in 1998. Since 1991, FASE has been documenting the extent of
trade in banned and other hazardous pesticides by analyzing
transcripts of U.S. Customs shipping records.
To do the analysis, FASE looked to see whether government regulatory
agencies in the U.S. or elsewhere had identified persistent
pesticides of concern. A preliminary investigation found that the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had developed proposed
lists of PBTs in the context of two U.S. statutes, the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and the Emergency Planning
Community Right-to-Know Act-which created the Toxics Release
Inventory (TRI).
The Washington State Department of Ecology has also published a list
of PBTs using data compiled by the Ontario Ministry of Environment
and Energy (Canada). In addition, the Australian and New Zealand
Environment and Conservation Council has published a PBT list.
By comparing the compounds on these lists to data from U.S. Customs
shipping records for the years 1994-1998, FASE determined that 10
pesticides that were designated persistent, bioaccumulative and
toxic on one or more of these lists had been exported from U.S.
ports. The total quantity increased from almost 2.3 million pounds
in 1994 to nearly 12 million pounds in 1998.
Beginning in 1995, the herbicide pendimethalin, which appears on
EPA's TRI list, accounts for the majority of shipments. Although the
acute toxicity of pendamethalin is low, it is classified by EPA as a
possible human carcinogen, and has been reported to have endocrine
disrupting effects.
According to Customs records, pendimethalin shipments to Argentina
averaged more than one million pounds per year between 1994 and
1998. Countries receiving more than a million pounds total during
this period include Brazil (3.3 million), Japan (2 million), Taiwan
(2.2 million), Australia (1.9 million), the Netherlands (1.7
million), Colombia (1.6 million), the Korean Republic (1.6 million)
and India (1.4 million).
The highly toxic organochlorine pesticide endosulfan has been
identified as a PBT by both the EPA and the Washington State
Department of Ecology. Principal destinations of endosulfan
shipments from U.S. ports during the years 1994 to 1998 include
Venezuela (353,453 pounds), Pakistan (204,248 pounds), Guatemala
(133,221 pounds) and Brazil (120,528 pounds).
The organochlorine pesticide lindane has been restricted or banned
in eight countries (Australia, Austria, Cyprus, Finland, Indonesia,
the Netherlands, New Zealand and Saint Lucia) because of
"persistency in the environment, bioaccumulation in the food chain
and toxicity to humans, aquatic and terrestrial species." According
to U.S. Customs records, lindane was exported to Brazil at an
average rate of nearly one ton per week between 1994 and 1998. The
average rate of export to Hong Kong was 0.6 tons per week.
"Public information on the production and trade of persistent
chemicals is vital," said Carl Smith, Senior Editor at FASE. "If
you're attempting to assess risk, it's essential to know how much a
chemical is being used, and where. Public access to this kind of
information will help non-governmental researchers and public
interest groups support the goals of the POPs treaty."
Source: "Beyond POPs: Persistent Pesticides Exported from U.S.
Ports," Global Pesticide Campaigner, December 1999. (The Global
Pesticide Campaigner is published every four months and is available
from PAN North America. Contact panna@panna.org for more
information.)
Contact: Carl Smith, Foundation for Advancements in Science and
Education (FASE); 4801 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90037; phone
(323) 937-9911; email carl.smith@fasenet.org.
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Phone: (415) 981-1771
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Email: panna@panna.org
Web: http://www.panna.org
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