Large stockpiles of obsolete pesticides have been accumulated in virtually all developing countries over periods sometimes extending back for more than four decades. The accumulation of these stocks results from a variety of causes that will be described in more detail later in this report. Current estimates suggest that up to 500 000 tonnes of obsolete pesticides are held in countries not belonging to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The condition of these pesticides varies from extremely good, potentially usable products, to unidentifiable mounds of mixed products and heavily contaminated soils into which pesticides have leaked from their containers.
The common feature binding these stocks of obsolete pesticides, regardless of their condition or location, is the serious threat that they pose to health and the environment while they remain inadequately managed. Although the most acute hazards are close to the stockpiles, many of the products can be transported through the global environment to contaminate ecological zones and organisms far away.
The scale and nature of the obsolete pesticides problem demand that urgent action be taken to remove the stockpiles and prevent their recurrence. Such action is technically complex and costly and requires the support of the international community.
This baseline study provides an overview of the current global situation in relation to obsolete pesticides and reviews the perspective of the various organizations with an interest in the issue. It has been prepared as the basis for a collaborative plan of action to be carried out by the interagency working group on obsolete pesticide stocks. The interagency group includes the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Chemicals Programme, the UNEP Secretariat for the Basel Convention, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Programme for Prevention and Disposal of Obsolete Pesticide Stocks, the World Health Organization (WHO) Programme for Chemical Safety, and the OECD Pesticide Programme. The study was also provided as background for the OECD-FAO-UNEP Workshop on Obsolete Pesticide Stocks (September 2000, United States) and the Inter-Organization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC) meeting in Brazil in October 2000.
There are a number of similarities between the ways in which obsolete pesticides are or should be managed, and the management of other hazardous materials such as industrial chemicals, chemical weapons and clinical waste. However, the problem of obsolete pesticides is unique in many respects, for example, in the reasons for accumulation, the location of stockpiles and the way in which pesticides are provided and used. The scope of this study is therefore limited to cover only obsolete pesticides and not stocks of industrial chemicals, weapons or other materials.
Reference to obsolete pesticides for the purposes of this study includes all pesticide products not in current use because they have been banned, have deteriorated or are damaged, have passed their expiry date, cannot be used for any other reason or are not wanted by the current owner. Some obsolete pesticides may be in use despite their legal or physical/chemical status, and these are included as obsolete where appropriate. Similarly, some pesticides classed as obsolete by their owners may be deemed usable in terms of their physical, chemical and biological properties. These products are also classed as obsolete and in need of action which may include transfer of ownership for use elsewhere.
