MEXICOS PAST SUCCESS: CHLORDANE, DDT AND PCBs

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MEXICOS PAST SUCCESS CHLORDANE, DDT AND PCBs
DIRECTORATE OF RESEARCH ON CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES
AND ECOTOXICOLOGICAL RISKS INE-SEMARNAT Mario
Yarto-Ramírez José Castro-Díaz Arturo
Gavilán-García 229th ACS National
Meeting March 15th, 2005
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CONTENT

• INTRODUCTION
• METHODOLOGY
• RESULTS FROM IMPLEMENTATION
• CONCLUSIONS

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INTRODUCTION
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INTRODUCTION

• A well-known group of toxic chemicals are
  classified as persistent organic pollutants
  (POPs).
• Their properties include
• high toxicity
• persistence in the environment
• long-range transport in the atmosphere
• accumulation in fatty tissue.
• Direct contact with POPs can result in acute
  effects accidents with POPs used as pesticides
  or as raw materials for industrial processes have
  killed workers or made them seriously ill after
  different kinds of exposure.

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INTRODUCTION
North American Agreement on Environmental
Cooperation (NAAEC)
North American Free Trade Agreement,
1994 (NAFTA) Canada, Mexico The United States
Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CCA)
Sound Management of Chemicals Initiative (SMOC),
1995 Task Forces
North American Regional Action Plans
(NARAPs) DDT Chlordane PCBs Mercury Dioxins,
Furans Hexachlorobenzene Monitoring
Assessment
Task Forces for each NARAP Government, Industry,
Academy NGOs
Monitoring Assessment (CENICA)
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INTRODUCTION

• The SMOC project of the CEC was created as
  an ongoing initiative to reduce the risks of
  toxic substances to human health and the
  environment in North America. The project
  provides a forum for
• identifying priority chemical pollution issues of
  regional concern
• developing of NARAPs to address these priority
  issues
• overseeing the implementation of approved NARAPs
• facilitating and encouraging capacity building
  to facilitate cooperation on tri-national
  agreements and actions for reducing chemical
  pollution in North America.

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INTRODUCTION
PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS (POPs)
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METHODOLOGY
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METHODOLOGY

• Resolution 95-05 of the NAAEC calls for the
  development of NARAPs for selected persistent and
  toxic substance.
• Each Action Plan is unique and do reflect the
  differentiated responsibilities of each of the
  countries, consistent with their respective
  production, use, and disposal practices for the
  particular substance.
• The Working Group delegates a temporary Task
  Force for implementation government, industry,
  environment, and academia.
• Once the NARAP is approved by the Task Force, it
  is forwarded to the SMOC and when approved and by
  the CEC Council, the SMOC Working Group typically
  forms an Implementation Task Force (ITF).

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METHODOLOGY

• Once the ITF is formed, it will develop an
  Implementation Work Plan, in which it will set
  priorities for implementation of actions,
  estimate costs of implementing the actions,
  develop a schedule and determine roles and
  responsibilities.
• Delegates of the Parties to the Task Force are
  responsible for conveying the Implementation Plan
  and tracking implementation of actions
  domestically. In case of Chlordane, DDT and PCBs,
  Mexico developed several actions to accomplish
  with the respective NARAP.

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RESULTS FROM IMPLEMENTATION
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RESULTS FROM IMPLEMENTATION

• Chlordane
• Chlordane was originally introduced in Mexico for
  extensive use in agriculture. In recent years,
  however, use of this pesticide has been limited
  to termite control in certain wood products.
• In 1997, a NARAP was developed as a basis for
  coordinated regional action to eliminate the use
  of chlordane in Canada, Mexico, and the United
  States.

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RESULTS FROM IMPLEMENTATION

• In 1970, chlordane was used for pest management
  in corn and sorghum.
• In 1988, its uses were restricted to termite
  control in urban areas.
• From 1992 to 1996, 212.8 tonnes of chlordane were
  imported into Mexico, imported from the US as a
  technical product.
• There is little data available on the amplitude
  of contamination or on the degree of human or
  biotic exposure to chlordane.

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RESULTS FROM IMPLEMENTATION

• In 1996, communication with CICOPLAFEST was
  established to determine status and steps to be
  taken.
• In 1996, contact with the importing and
  formulating company, with a view to arranging for
  the suspension of imports and cancellation of the
  products registration once the remaining stocks
  were used up.
• Two pest controllers associations were contacted
  in order to get more information about chlordane
  generation, uses and management.
• A list of researchers working in Mexico on topics
  related to termites and their control was
  compiled.

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RESULTS FROM IMPLEMENTATION

• In 1996, the pamphlet Todo lo que usted debe
  saber sobre el chlordano y su situación en
  America del Norte was published.
• In 1997, a workshop on pesticides for termite
  control was held.
• Alternative termite control methods and possible
  substitutes for chlordane were evaluated
  physical barriers, predators, rotation, magnets,
  Breaking up mounds and queen removal.

• Use of chlordane in Mexico is currently illegal.
• Its phase-out is now complete, as the only
  company holding a chlordane active ingredient
  registration stopped importing it in 1997 and had
  no stocks by 1999.

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RESULTS FROM IMPLEMENTATION

• DDT
• DDT was introduced in Mexico in the early 1950s
  for its use in agriculture.
• In the 1970s, DDT use in agriculture production
  began to decline as result of environmental
  concerns and the introduction of stricter limits
  on foods.
• By 1997, DDT was registered in Mexico only for
  use in government-sponsored public health
  campaigns against malaria transmission was
  restricted to selective applications in
  dwellings.
• There was only one private company producing DDT
  in Mexico, and its production was subject to
  government approval.

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RESULTS FROM IMPLEMENTATION

• In the 1940s and 1950s, malaria was one of the
  main causes of mortality, responsible for an
  average of 24,000 deaths annually and afflicting
  an estimated 2.4 million others.
• In recent years, the incidences of malaria have
  declined to less than 5,000 cases. Since 1982
  there have been no deaths from malaria.
• The reduction programme included
• community participation in the environmental
  management of mosquitoes
• the use of bacilli and nematodes to control the
  insects
• improving the Mexican Health Secretariats
  surveillance, diagnosis and treatment system.
• Through the NARAP, Mexico had committed to a
  declination on DDT production to 600 tonnes by
  1999 and finally stopping its use by 2002.

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RESULTS FROM IMPLEMENTATION
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RESULTS FROM IMPLEMENTATION
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RESULTS FROM IMPLEMENTATION

• Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)
• Most of the PCBs present in Mexico were
  manufactured in The U.S., Europe and Japan, and
  were being imported by Mexico even during the
  1980s.
• It is estimated that Mexico imported about 13,000
  metric tonnes of liquid PCBs.
• Although they are no longer manufactured in North
  America, and their use is highly restricted in
  Canada, Mexico and the United States, large
  quantities of PCBs are still in use in electrical
  equipment.

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RESULTS FROM IMPLEMENTATION

• Since 1994, six companies were authorized for
  PCBs destruction via incineration and five were
  still authorized by the end of 2000. Nowadays, 22
  companies are authorized for treatment of
  oil/materials polluted with PCBs.
• 8569 tonnes of PCBs were authorized for
  exportation and incineration by the second
  semester of year 2000, but only 6,909 tonnes were
  sent to the Netherlands (48), Finland (29) and
  in small percentage to France, England Spain.
• Almost 500 tonnes of PCBs were exported to the
  U.S. until 1997.

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RESULTS FROM IMPLEMENTATION

• 3000 tonnes of the PCBs exported were property of
  Luz y Fuerza del Centro, Petróleos Mexicanos
  Comisión Federal de Electricidad all of them
  companies that belong to the Mexican Government.
• Almost 300 tonnes of PCBs were treated in Mexico.
• In December, 2001 a Mexican regulation for PCBs
  management NOM-133-ECOL-2000 was published. It
  establishes that PCB materials have to be
  disposed of, as maximum, in a period of nine
  months after being stored as hazardous wastes.

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CONCLUSIONS
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CONCLUSIONS

• As a result of NARAP activities, chlordane and
  DDT are not longer used or manufactured in
  Canada, Mexico or the United States.
• PCBs wastes are currently being disposed
  according to specific regulations and will be
  substituted in the remaining electric equipment
  for safer substances.
• Mexicos institutional capacities for monitoring
  and analyzing chemicals in the environment have
  been strengthened in terms of information systems
  and actions to reduce the risks of toxic
  substances.
• The design and implementation of a chlordane and
  DDT sampling and analysis plan for Mexico is
  included under the Regional Action Plan on
  Monitoring and Assessment, currently under
  development.

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CONCLUSIONS

• This experience has demonstrated the great
  benefits of regional cooperation when priority is
  given to the management and control of toxic
  substances of mutual concern.
• Mexico has eliminated chlordane and DDT use
  completely.
• Current field studies at selected sites in Mexico
  are being coordinated by INE. These studies are
  geared towards measuring a number of POPs
  including chlordane, DDT and PCBs.
• Furthermore, and in compliance with international
  initiatives such as the Basel and Stockholm
  Conventions, Mexico has had the opportunity to
  take advantage of this regional cooperation and
  share the experience and expertise gained.

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Thank you for your attention!myarto_at_ine.gob.mx