IPEN NewsLetter July

IPEN Newsletter No.6:

November 2007

Welcome to the IPEN newsletter!! This newsletter is a brief of POPs chemical safety issues of interest to IPEN Participating Organizations (POs).

This month's newsletter includes the following headlines:
1. SAICM INTERNATIONAL OUTREACH CAMPAIGN UPDATE
2. AD HOC OPEN ENDED WORKING GROUP ON MERCURY
3. 3rd MEETING OF THE PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS REVIEW COMMITTEE (POPRC)
4. CHINA SKILLSHARE ON CHEMICAL SAFETY
5. REGIONAL FOCUS: This month's region: Francophone Africa
6. FUTURE NEWSLETTERS
7. CALENDAR OF EVENTS
8. FULL ARTICLES

1- SAICM INTERNATIONAL OUTREACH CAMPAIGN UPDATE

As many of you may recall, the IPEN General Assembly meeting in Budapest, September 2006, discussed SAICM (Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management) implementation and agreed that IPEN would like to initiate a global SAICM Outreach Campaign in collaboration with other international NGO networks. The outreach campaign is to take place in two phases: an initial planning phase and then an implementation phase to be completed in advance of the next International Conference on Chemicals Management (in May 2009 in Geneva).

The overall goals of the campaign are:
- to broaden the base of NGOs and CSOs around the world to which chemical safety is a concern;
- to reach out to health professionals and other stakeholders that may be under-engaged and/or represented;
- to create a database of NGOs (with the goal of 1000 NGOs) that have endorsed the common statement;
- to elevate the political and social will to implement SAICM; and
- to craft specific activities that promote SAICM understanding and implementation.

A small Planning Committee has been established to guide the work of the initial planning phase. Please note that the following Networks / persons currently comprise the Planning Committee:

Health Care Without Harm (Josh Karliner);

International Society of Doctors for the Environment (Lilian Cora);

Pesticide Action Network (Sarojeni Rengam);

Women in Europe for a Common Future (Daniela Rosche);

World Federation of Public Health Associations (Peter Orris); and

IPEN (CoChair: Mariann Lloyd-Smith & Jamidu Katima and Steering Committee Reps. Olga Speranskaya (EcoAccord, Russia) and Dr. El Banna (Day Hospital, Egypt)).

The first conference call of the Planning Committee for this Campaign took place on 5 November. It is planned that further teleconferences will take place every 3 weeks or so, and a face-to-face meeting will happen in Toronto in January. Updates from the Planning Committee about the progress in the Campaign will be shared with the listserve regularly.

Additionally, a campaign manager for the Campaign has been secured. Gunnar Lind will be overseeing the development and implementation of the Outreach Campaign. He is a seasoned NGO toxics campaigner and we are most fortunate to have secured his interest and time. Welcome, Gunnar !!

Please let me know if you have any questions jenniferfederico@ipen.org

2- ADHOC OPEN ENDED WORKING GROUP ON MERCURY

The first meeting of the ad-hoc Open Ended Working Group to review and assess measures to address the global issue of mercury was held from November 12 to 16, 2007 at the UN ESCAP facilities in Bangkok, Thailand. Attached is the final document from the IPEN Mercury Working Group (HgWG), Global Action on Mercury: IPEN Views. This position paper was drafted by the HgWG in preparation for the meeting and has been translated from English into Arabic, French, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. All translations can be found on the IPEN webpage at: http://www.ipen.org/. Please circulate it widely.

On the day before the meeting began, Zero Mercury Working Group organized a NGO meeting.

On the 13th of November IPEN hosted a side event on mercury and its side effects.

A press release was sent out on 16 November by the Zero Mercury Working Group, European Environmental Bureau, IPEN, and Healthcare Without Harm. Please let me know (jenniferfederico@ipen.org) if you would like a copy of the release.

More information about the meeting can be found here: http://www.chem.unep.ch/mercury/OEWG/Meeting.htm

3- (POPRC) 3rd MEETING OF THE PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS REVIEW COMMITTEE

The 3RD meeting of the POPRC is currently being held in Geneva, Switzerland (from the 19-23 of November). Joe Digangi (Environmental Health Fund) circulated an email over the listserve on 6 November that thoroughly outlines important topics that will be covered at the meeting. Please let me know (jenniferfederico@ipen.org) if you need a copy of that email. Additionally, two IPEN papers about POPRC: "Quick Guide to IPEN Views of Matters to be Discussed at POPRC3" and "IPEN Views of Matters to be Discussed at POPRC3" are now available. Please let me know if you need copies of these papers, or find them on the IPEN webpage here: http://www.ipen.org/

More information about the meeting can be found here: http://www.pops.int/documents/meetings/poprc_3/meetingdocs/default.htm

4- CHINA NGO SKILLSHARE ON CHEMICAL SAFETY

The IPEN PO Global Village of Beijing (GVB), in collaboration with the IPEN Secretariat and other IPEN POs, held a China NGO Skillshare in Beijing from the 16th to the 19th of October. By all accounts, the skillshare (an effort to promote the implementation of the Stockholm Convention) was very successful. Chinese NGOs from 20 of the 32 provinces, as well as national academic and government representatives and international guests, were in attendance. The skillshare covered topics related to POPs and other chemical safety issues, including waste, mercury, pesticides and chemical policy. A full report back will be circulated shortly.

5- REGIONAL FOCUS: FRANCOPHONE AFRICA

Each IPEN Newsletter includes a Regional Focus section that provides an opportunity for IPEN Participating Organizations (POs) to share their NGO's work, news, updates and/or local information as it pertains to our shared mission for a Toxic Free Future. We encourage all interested IPEN POs to share their work and information with the global IPEN network. In an effort to be inclusive and comprehensive, all articles are welcomed; however, lengthy articles are summarized for the newsletter and then added at the end in their original form.

This month the area of Francophone Africa is the Regional Focus. We encourage IPEN POs from Latin America to submit articles for next month's IPEN Newsletter (submit to jenniferfederico@ipen.org).

ANCE fights for the prohibition of the use of Endosulfan in Togo
By Ebeh Adayade Kodjo, Executive Coordinator

ANCE is an independent and network organisation which aims to promote through CSO a participatory mechanism of poverty alleviation and to ensure that development plans take into consideration human health, safety and environmental protection. Since two months, ANCE has initiated a project which aims to promote policy change and regulatory action in Togo that lead to Endosulfan phaseout and use reductions by increasing involvement of multi stakeholders such as health professionals and health-affected people, consumers and community based organisations.

Context and justification of the action

Preliminary studies carried out in 2003 by ANCE-Togo showed that more than 500 cases of intoxications related to the use of Endosulfan are registered each year in Togo according to the Division of Toxicology of the public hospital of Lomé-Tokoin.

The generalisation of the use of Endosulfan in Togo constitutes a serious preoccupation for ANCE and its 16 affiliated organisations as this pesticide presents several risks to human health and the environment. Indeed, Endosulfan is a chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticide and acaricide of the cyclodiene subgroup which acts as a poison to a wide variety of insects and mites on contact. Formulations of Endosulfan include emsulsifiable concentrate, wettable powder, ultra-low volume (ULV) liquid, and smoke tablets. Technical Endosulfan is made up of a mixture of two molecular forms (isomers) of Endosulfan, the alpha- and beta-isomers. It is currently used in Togo under several trade names: Phaser, Thiodan, Thimul, Thifor and Thionex.

Endosulfan is also highly carcinogenic and presents fate in humans and animals: Endosulfan is rapidly degraded into mainly water-soluble compounds and eliminated in mammals with very little absorption in the gastrointestinal tract. This pesticide is highly moderately toxic to bird specie and to four fish species and both of the aquatic invertebrates studied and persistent in the soil environment with a reported average field half-life of 50 days.

# See the entire article at the end of the Newsletter!!

La défense des ressources naturelles Africaines : Enjeu vital
by Mme Semia Labidi Gharbi, Prof-Chercheur en pesticides

L'utilisation des pesticides en Afrique est un mal, qui pour l'instant et faute de solution alternative rapidement mise en place, demeure nécessaire. Cependant, il faut garder continuellement en vue les risques que les pesticides font peser sur la santé des africains et l'atteinte de l'environnement et des ressources naturelles renouvelables.

Les dérèglements climatiques - conséquents à la pollution, l'effet de serre et l'élévation générale de la température terrestre - causent des mutations génétiques et créent de nouvelles espèces résistantes à l'effet pesticide. Le développement de l'activité commerciale internationale qui se traduit par un flux plus important d'échange de produits en importation et exportation favorise l'introduction et la circulation d'organismes nouveaux poussant la politique des pays à une utilisation encore plus accrue des pesticides.

L'agriculture africaine se trouve ainsi dans le tourbillon d'une utilisation accrue des pesticides qui, par l'entremise de facteurs exogènes, génère sa propre dérive. Tous les effets s'en trouvent ainsi exponentiellement amplifiés.

Cette situation affecte les ressources agricoles négativement par la dépréciation de la qualité physiologique, alimentaire et gustative de divers produits agricoles de première importance économique et alimentaire.

La gestion des pesticides dans plusieurs pays africains souffre de l'absence d'un cadre législatif, réglementaire et structurant pour l'organisation phytosanitaire. Il est nécessaire de noter haut les 120.000 tonnes de pesticides obsolètes que l'Afrique abrite. Ces produits, devenus par obsolescence des déchets toxiques dangereux, sont souvent stockés dans des conditions extrêmement précaires qui menacent l'environnement direct.

L'utilisation des pesticides se trouve aujourd'hui liée directement et indirectement à différentes composantes de la structure économique, sociale et environnementale des pays africains comme détaillé dans le tableau suivant :

# See the entire article at the end of the Newsletter!!

Bulletin IPEN Dédié à l'Afrique
By Jean Donatien Nshimirimana, Président et Représentant Légalde l'ONG "P.E.S" ("Propreté,Environnement et Santé")

6- FUTURE NEWSLETTERS

In future Newsletters, we will continue to have a section that will focus on a regional component within IPEN. The upcoming regions are as follows:

Latin America (December)
South Asia (February)
Western Europe (April)
Middle East (January)
Southeast Asia (March)
Pacific & Island States (May)

The IPEN Secretariat will invite input and contributions from IPEN POs in the featured region each month. This could include specific articles, press releases, action alerts, updates, etc. Moreover it will provide the opportunity for your NGO to share its work with the global IPEN network.

For the next Newsletter, Latin America will be the featured region for the IPEN Newsletter. Therefore IPEN POs located in Latin America are invited to submit a short article (under 500 words), press release, or other news/updates from this region for the newsletter.

Please send your emails to Jennifer at the IPEN Secretariat at: jenniferfederico@ipen.org

Website:
Please note that the Newsletter can now be found on the IPEN website: http://www.ipen.org/ipenweb/news.html

6- IPEN CALENDAR OF EVENTS

November

19th -23rd : Third meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC), Geneva, Switzerland

If there is an upcoming event that you would like to have listed here, please let me know! Jenniferfederico@ipen.org

7- FULL ARTICLES:

ANCE fights for the prohibition of the use of Endosulfan in Togo
By Ebeh Adayade Kodjo, Executive Coordinator

Context and justification of the action

This pesticide is particularly used in the treatment of cotton as an alternative to the fight against Helicoverpa. There are also some inappropriate uses of this pesticide in vegetable growing where study carried out jointly by ANCE and the Faculty of Agronomy of Lomé show that more than 20.000 market gardeners use this hazardous pesticide to treat their produce such as spinach (gboma), kerria (adémè), cabbage, carrots, lettuce, peppers, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers and beets. The generalisation of the use of Endosulfan in Togo constitutes a serious preoccupation for ANCE and its 16 affiliated organisations as this pesticide presents several risks to human health and the environment. Indeed, Endosulfan is a chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticide and acaricide of the cyclodiene subgroup which acts as a poison to a wide variety of insects and mites on contact. Formulations of Endosulfan include emsulsifiable concentrate, wettable powder, ultra-low volume (ULV) liquid, and smoke tablets. Technical Endosulfan is made up of a mixture of two molecular forms (isomers) of Endosulfan, the alpha- and beta-isomers. It is currently used in Togo under several trade names: Phaser, Thiodan, Thimul, Thifor and Thionex.

Endosulfan presents several toxicological effects on human, animals and environment. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Endosulfan is highly toxic via the oral route, with reported oral LD50 values ranging from 18 to 160 mg/kg in rats, 7.36 mg/kg in mice, and 77 mg/kg in dogs. It is also highly toxic via the dermal route, with reported dermal LD50 values in rats ranging from 78 to 359 mg/kg. Endosulfan is also slightly toxic via inhalation, with a reported inhalation LC50 of 21 mg/L for 1 hour, and 8.0 mg/L for 4 hours. Stimulation of the central nervous system is the major characteristic of Endosulfan poisoning. Symptoms noted in acutely exposed humans include those common to the other cyclodienes, e.g., incoordination, imbalance, difficulty breathing, gagging, vomiting, diarrhea, agitation, convulsions, and loss of consciousness. Endosulfan is also highly carcinogenic and presents fate in humans and animals: Endosulfan is rapidly degraded into mainly water-soluble compounds and eliminated in mammals with very little absorption in the gastrointestinal tract. This pesticide is highly moderately toxic to bird specie and to four fish species and both of the aquatic invertebrates studied and persistent in the soil environment with a reported average field half-life of 50 days.

In European countries as well as in some African countries, the use of Endosulfan is prohibited because of its harmful effects. In Togo, there is no regulation of the use of this pesticide, contrary, its use it authorized by the Ministry of Agriculture and generalised for the treatment of cotton. There is no real data on the impact of its use but several cases of intoxications were signalled during its use by farmers in four villages in the North of Togo. Some farmers associated their children and women, among which pregnant women during their activities. The analyses of residues of Endosulfan in corn and niebe in Togo show 98.79 for Niébé and 34.74 for corn when the standards of the Maximum Limit of Residues (LMR) are respectively 50 µg.kg-1 and 100 µg.kg-1 for both FAO and WHO. The LMR of Endosulfan in surface water in the Oti River (North of Togo) is µg L-1 0.32. To complete the list of available studies on Endosulfan in Togo, ANCE is now interested to evaluate the possible accumulation of Endosulfan residues in the human blood in the North of Togo by the use of the biochemical technique or the immuno-enzymologic method (please see the methodology for the description of this method). The collection of data will be carried out through the Community-based Pesticide Action Monitoring (CPAM) method and four local Pesticide Quick Response and Surveillance Teams (PQRST) will be set up. After getting the results of these studies, ANCE will then strengthen the technical capacities of stakeholders (health professional, consumers, local community groups, parliamentarians, Ministries, etc), on the negative impact of the use of Endosulfan and involve them on several lobbying and advocacy activities for the prohibition of the importation, the use and the sustainable management of the existing empty packages of Endosulfan in Togo. A draft of legislation will be elaborated by an expert and submit to the Ministry of Agriculture and to the national Parliament and several contacts will be taken for its adoption and implementation.

Methodology for the monitoring of Endosulfan in human blood

To minimize the cost of laboratory research, the biochemical technique (immuno- enzymologic method) was retained for the evaluation of the residues of Endosulfan in human blood.

The reduction of the AChE activities and serum Butyryl cholinesterase (BuChE) is the reflection of intoxication by the chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides. The determination of these enzymes in human blood could thus be proposed for the biological monitoring of the intoxications by Endosulfan in a context of professional or environmental exposure (agricultural workers in cotton medium for example) or in the case of accidental poisonings.

N.B: The degree of toxicity of organochlorinated is variable according to their affinity for the enzyme which is the aceylcholinesterase. The organochlorinated are thus classified according to their DL50 by oral route in three groups: the highly toxic organochlorinated (DL50<50mg//kg), poisons (DL50 ranging between 50 and 500 mg/kg), not very toxic (DL50>500mg/kg).

The sample

Blood taking away will be carried out at 200 individuals (100 men, 50 women and 50 children), cotton producers considered as exposed subjects to Endosulfan at permanent intervals.

Will be excluded from this study, subjects consuming alcohol or tobacco and those presenting a gamma-glutamyl transferase, transaminase, alkaline phosphatase or macrocytose (high average globular volume) hyperactivity. Taken blood undergoes in less than 4 hours during the pre-treatment (extraction of the serum, realization of hemolysate, congelation).

Analytical methods

Chemicals and reactive
The following reagents will be prepared starting from chemicals of the Sigma laboratory: Dithiobisnitrobenzoate (DTNB) 10mM; plug phosphates 100 mM pH 7,4 - Acetylthiocholine (ASCh) 28,3 mM - Butyrylthiocholine (BuSCh) 63,2 mM - Ethopropazine 6 mM - HCl 12 mM - plug phosphates 100 mM pH 7,4; Triton X 100 6% - standard human AChE Control XIII - human BuChE Control. These laboratory activities will be carried out in the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lomé in Togo.

Treatment of the samples

Blood is taken with the jugular vein and is collected in:
1. Sterile bottles without anticoagulant. To the serum, azide of sodium like conservative is added (at a rate of 10 Mg for 1 ml of serum).
2. Sterile bottles containing of the EDTA (Salt Dipotassique of the acid Ethylene Tetracetique Diamine) with 10%. Total blood thus obtained is hemolysated with plug phosphates 100 mM pH 7.4 Triton X 100 6%, for a final dilution to the 1/30 of total blood.

The hemolysate is centrifuged; to the supernatant one adds azide of sodium like conservative at a rate of 10 Mg per ml of hemolysate. The bottles of serum and hemolysate are freeze-dried and will be useful for the quality control of the activities AChE and BuChE.
The readings are made, after incubation, with the spectrophotometer with 450 nm

Expected Results at the end of the project

At the end of the project the following concrete results will be achieved:

Reliable technical data on the impact on health and the environment of the use of Endosulfan in Togo are available and are published in the Medias and within the local communities.

The systems and institutions of pesticides managements are effective in Togo

The National Designated Authorities of the Rotterdam Convention know and apply this convention, in particular transmit information on pesticides intoxications to the Secretariat of the Convention.

All the local actors of pesticides management know the dangers related to the use of Endosulfan

4000 cotton producers gave up or reduce the use of this pesticide

A local and national regulation of prohibition of Endosulfan exists and is operational

A local team of CPAM/PQRST is established in each district in the project zone.

A mechanism of follow up is set up in each district.

The sustainable alternatives to the use of the pesticides are promoted in the zone

This project is still looking for funding. For any information, please feel free to contact ance-togo@cooperation.net or visit www.ancetogo.globalink.org

La défense des ressources naturelles Africaines : Enjeu vital
By Mme semia Labidi Gharbi, Prof-Chercheur en pesticides

Composante	Effet Direct	Effet Indirect
Economique	Production agricole Commerce des produits agricoles	Sécurité alimentaire Politique économique
Environnementale	Qualité des terres agricoles Contamination Préservation de la qualité des eaux Préservation des terres	Viabilité de l'environnement
Sociale	Effet sanitaire Pérennité de l'activité agricole Situation économique de l'agriculteur	¢ Développement durable

Il est à noter que les termes employés dans ce tableau, qui semblent majoratifs pour l'utilisation des pesticides, sont en fait à prendre dans le sens neutre. L'affectation de chacun des effets dépend profondément de la manière avec laquelle les pesticides sont utilisés. Il est même à noter que des effets nuisibles sont observables.

Les industries de pesticides enregistrent des gains substantiels tout en étant conscient des impacts négatifs. Les études laissent à penser que l'accent au niveau de leur production est mis sur l'effet immédiat et visible afin de pousser à l'utilisation.

Moins d'attentions sont prêtées aux effets à moyens et longs termes. Cela est visible à l'analyse de la composition chimique de ces pesticides et particulièrement à la nature des radicaux utilisés.

L'utilisation massive des pesticides est la conséquence de l'entrée de la production agricole dans la fournaise de la production massive qui se veut garante d'une production qui ne se contente plus d'être économiquement rentable mais doit être financièrement immédiatement et fortement profitable.

Le tableau qui est ci-dessus exposé montre que l'utilisation des pesticides ne peut pas être cantonné à son simple usage agricole. Il s'agit d'un enjeu de taille qui affecte de manière visible et pernicieuse toute la structure des sociétés africaines et même mondiales. Il s'agit de la perduration de la matrice de l'environnement vital qui nous abrite :

SOL & EAU

La préservation de cette matrice qui abrite la vie doit constituer l'idée clé du concept de développement durable. Pour y parvenir, il est nécessaire de préserver avant tout et ensuite de promouvoir l'agriculture dans la durée. Il sera nécessaire de substituer la garantie de la longévité à l'exigence du profit immédiat. Vaste programme comme avait répliqué un jour le Général De Gaulle.

L'évocation des pesticides ne peut pas éviter le domaine des OGM qui se veut dans un certain sens l'alternative incontournable. L'idée sousjascente est en soi plausible. Ce qui est par contre contestable c'est de vouloir l'imposer par la force de la propagande et non celle de la preuve et l'argument. Le manque de visibilité à long terme de leur utilisation fait d'elle un élément aux effets aléatoires et difficilement prévisibles qui s'accommode mal de la nécessité de garantie et sécurité que véhicule le développement durable.

Avant de développer l'économie, il faut commencer par préserver la vie

DEVELOPPEMENT

I. Au niveau économique :
L'utilisation des pesticides se veut garante de la production agricole par la préservation des produits contre les germes nuisibles. Mais une utilisation massive peut générer une auto-immunité des germes qui conduit à trois situations :
1. Soit une utilisation massive qui peut générer le même effet négatif au point de rendre les pesticides inoffensifs
2. Soit une utilisation massive qui affecte les germes mais par la m^me la structure morphologique des terres les rendant moins propices à une production agricole saine.
3. Soit l'accentuation de leur effet par une radicalisation de la composition chimique des pesticides qui affecte et les germes et le sol.

D'un autre côté, l'exigence de la qualité nutritive et sanitaire des produits agricoles pour la consommation, particulièrement à destination des pays d'exportation, nécessite un niveau de résidu quasi nul de ces pesticides. L'utilisation des pesticides, qui se voulait préservative de la production agricole, les rend impropre à l'exportation du fait de la contamination et la rémanence.

IPEN Secretariat: 1962 University Ave., Suite 4, Berkeley, CA 94704, USA
Tel: 1 (510) 704 1962/3 " Fax: 1 (510) 883 9493
www.ipen.org

Version: 2.0 (Feb, 2008)

IPEN Newsletter No.6:November 2007