Chemical time bomb in the CIS

The members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) have vast quantities of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) which are obsolete and redundant. None of the States knows how much of these chemicals it has to deal with, or what should be done with them. But a recent meeting in Moscow of CIS delegates provided the sketchy outlines of a very disturbing picture with global implications.

Now that the communist regime has been replaced, and the Soviet Union dissolved, one of the most worrying results of the mismatch between supply and demand of pesticides is emerging. Supply exceeded demand many times over, for many years. The result is an accumulation of unused pesticides.
    The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Chemicals section, based in Switzerland hosted the Moscow meeting, and is taking the lead in addressing the need to safely dispose of and find replacements for Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs); those chemicals which threaten the global environment by virtue of their persistence, mobility and toxic properties. Most POPs are pesticides but they also include industrial chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), widely used in electrical equipment such as transformers and capacitors.

CIS reports
Reports given by the CIS States demonstrated a profound lack of knowledge about the scale and condition of obsolete pesticide stocks. The little information that was available indicated the existence of vast stocks of chemicals, much in very poor conditions and inappropriately managed. At the same time a high level of technical and scientific knowledge has been applied to the development of potentially creative ways of dealing with the waste. The ongoing economic crisis in the region has already led to quick, easy and very dangerous solutions being implemented. These include burial and incineration in cement kilns with no safeguards and no emission controls. More of this may well take place in the months and years to come, unless radical programmes are developed.
    In Russia there are an estimated 40,000 tonnes of pesticides and between 500-700,000 tonnes of PCB.  There is no detailed inventory of stockpiles, but funds have recently been allocated via UNEP for an inventory to be carried out.
    No large-scale facilities for the destruction of hazardous waste exist in Russia. A plasma arc system has been developed which is a form of very high temperature, rapid incineration of chemicals.  A larger facility is planned but is currently being opposed by the local authority where it is to be sited. 
    Kazakhstan has between 56-70,000 tonnes of obsolete pesticides. A detailed inventory is needed. They are interested in using cement kilns for destroying old pesticides, or in collaborating with the space agency based in Baikanur in Kazakhstan to deal with the waste.
    Tajikistan has no stocks of obsolete pesticides because they have all been used up by desperate farmers locked into chemical-intensive agriculture. But they are interested in carrying out environmental and health monitoring of the effects of pesticides since environmental contamination and human exposure are widespread.
    Armenia does not know how much it has. The best it can hope for at present is temporary storage of its obsolete chemicals.  A detailed inventory is needed and it has asked for UNEP and FAO support in this.
    Turkmenistan needs an inventory and is interested in using the molten salt destruction method based on technology used in the paper industry, to destroy its synthetic organic chemicals.
    Belarus has about 4,000 tonnes of pesticides of 53 types buried in seven uncontrolled landfills, and an additional 2,000 tonnes. It acknowledges that landfills are a bad idea, but needs help in finding appropriate solutions for their cocktail of pesticides.
    Uzbekistan has an estimated 10-12,000 tonnes of obsolete pesticides in poor storage. A detailed inventory is needed. Sprayer airstrips are a significant point source of pesticide contamination and need to be dealt with. The local production of many (but not all) pesticides has been stopped.
    Georgia cannot afford expensive technology to deal with obsolete pesticides. Legislation is proposed in compliance with international guidelines and a national committee for coordinating action on pesticides has been established, but there is conflict between some participating ministries.
    Moldova wants to use cement kilns to destroy PCBs and pesticides, and wants advice on how to do it.

Various management options
Examples were presented to the CIS delegates of systems applied in Western Europe, the US and Australia for the management and destruction of POPs.
    Professor Ian Rae of Australia explained the development of its PCB and POPs management strategy which specifically excludes incineration due to public opposition. Development of the strategy included public interest groups, government and industry in a three way process which gained the support of all stakeholders.
    Australia is currently the only large scale user of the Eco Logic Gas Phase Hydrogenation system. It has had to be adapted in various ways but in general is successful at reducing complex organic compounds to methane, carbon dioxide, water and hydrochloric acid. This type of chemical reduction process is considered inherently safer than incineration or oxidising processes since the risk of hazardous emissions is much smaller.
    Australia also has a plasma arc system which is used to destroy HCH and dilute PCB. Plasma arc is a modified incineration process operating at much higher temperatures and requiring similar emission controls to conventional incinerators.
    The chemical industry in Germany (Bayer) and Switzerland (Novartis) operate state of the art dedicated hazardous waste high temperature incinerators. These are located very close to residential areas (<500 m) and development of the incinerators and their ongoing operation is in consultation with the local community. There has been no opposition to the siting and operation of the incinerators in these places.

Atom bomb and rocket science
There is a great deal of scientific and technical know-how in CIS government and research institutions, but resources are scarce. Bearing in mind the vast quantities of chemicals which need to be disposed of and the lack of relevant facilities and resources, there is a potential for the development and use of inappropriate solutions for the destruction of PCB and obsolete pesticides.
    A development which generated some interest came from a rocket research institution. The proposed system uses rocket based technology to incinerate PCB and other organic chemicals at very high temperatures extremely rapidly.  The system still generates potentially harmful emissions which need to be dealt with in the same way as emissions from conventional incinerators. Nevertheless, the high capacity and versatility of the system, its low operation costs, its portability and the efficiency of the emission control systems developed with it sound appealing.

Conclusion
What became very clear during the course of the meeting is that the problem of POPs and obsolete pesticides in the CIS region is massive. A very conservative estimate suggests that there are at least 150,000 tonnes of pesticides and much larger quantities of PCB to be disposed of. With no appropriate facilities and no funds available the potential threat to the local and global environment from inaction and inappropriate action should be worrying us all.  (MD)

Delegates came from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrghykistan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan to attend a UNEP hosted workshop in Moscow in July.

[This article first appeared in Pesticides News No.45, September 2000, page 8]