Toxic chemical leak will have intl repercussions: expert

[KLT]

Toxic chemical leak will have intl repercussions: expert

By CAROLINE J. HOWARD
ABS-CBN News Channel

One cargo in the sunken M/V Princess of the Stars off Romblon can very
well be a ticking time-bomb.

Dr. Romeo Quijano, a technical expert from the UP Department of
Pharmacology and Toxicology at the UP Manila, who has done extensive
study on the highly-toxic pesticide endosulfan, says the chemical
belongs with the likes of other Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
like DDT and has been the subject of attempts at global banning.

"We have been pushing for a complete ban since 1990. There's also a
push by the European Union to include it in its official list of POPs
for global banning."

Endosulfan is highly toxic in whatever state.

Quijano rejects claims endosulfan in its raw form poses no immediate
threat of contamination.

"The technical grade 92% (in the sunken ferry) endosulfan is a highly-
concentrated form of the pesticide, so it doesn't need activation
before it can be toxic. It is toxic by itself, and as soon as it gets
out of the compartment, animals and humans are exposed to immediate
and long-term danger of toxicity even in very small amounts," he said.
"The level toxic to fish is .03 parts per billion. Assuming the
container broke and all 10 tons spread, there can be sufficient
concentration to kill fish within a 100 kilometer radius, even humans
exposed to acute toxicity."


Current can spread toxic chemical
Quijano admits containing the highly-toxic endosulfan and preventing a
possible contamination is no easy task.

Unlike a possible oil leak, where efforts can be taken to separate oil
from water, Quijano says endosulfan dissolves in water and spreads
easily.

Looking at the worst-case scenario involving the toxic cargo, Quijano
warns a leak of the highly-toxic chemical endosulfan could have far
reaching consequences, polluting not just Philippine waters but the
entire globe.

"If the chemical spreads, given underwater pressure, there's a
potential for it to become an international incident. It can go to
international waters and the other parts of the globe because of ocean
currents, or join atmospheric currents. In one month's time, it can
reach colder areas in North America or Canada."


Need to contain immediately
Quijano says this risk makes it all the more urgent to know the
integrity of the container and whether packing regulations had been
complied with.

He adds the area should be closely watched for possible fishkills that
would indicate a leakage of chemicals. Nearby communities must be
warned to stay away from the water if this happens.

Quijano says the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority, companies like
Del Monte and Dole, which insist of using the toxic chemical,
manufacturers of the chemical, and Sulpicio Lines, which carried the
toxic cargo onboard a passenger vessel, are to blame for the potential
danger posed by toxic contamination.

Quijano laments this threat could have been prevented had government
listened to their advice to ban the chemical's use in the country.

"These potential disasters are preventable, and there's very little
awareness on the concept of precaution, specially if we know the
dangers of this pesticide... We hope regulatory officials won't put
the burden of proof on us, to wait for dead bodies to show up before
they are convinced these things are potentially disastrous."

In a study entitled "Risk Assessment in a Third World Reality: An
Endosulfan Case History," sometime in 1990, the FPA ordered a ban on
endosulfan 35%, allowing only 5% formulation and severely restricted
its use.

Companies like Del Monte were given a 2-year phase out period, but
Quijano says this was followed by several extensions, approved against
the recommendation of technical experts.

According to the study: "Real world experience... reveals that the
risk assessment process has failed to protect public health and the
environment, especially in Third World countries where financial,
technical, human and other resources are sorely lacking and where
socio-political circumstances are conducive for powerful chemical
companies to exert influence and manipulate the market."

"In fact, risk assessments have been used to legitimize the sale of
largely unnecessary pesticides and facilitated public misinformation
regarding the real risks people face when exposed to these toxic
chemicals. The case history of endosulfan in the Philippines, a
developing country, is an illustrative example of the reality that
risk assessment, as currently practiced, is not workable and is easily
distorted and manipulated by powerful chemical manufacturers," the
study said.

Today, in light of the M/V Princess of the Stars incident, things are
no different.

The toxic cargo virtually ticking away beneath the ferry's hull only
points to the urgent need for change yet again, and a lesson hopefully
learned before its too late.