Risk Assessment and Monitoring for Environmental Chemicals

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Risk Assessment and Monitoring for Environmental
Chemicals

• By
• Abdullah Al- Darmaki
• Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Oman
• E-mail darmaki2a_at_yahoo.com

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Introduction to Oman

• The Sultanate of Oman occupies the southeastern
  part of the Arabian Peninsula.
• Oman extends between latitude 26 20 and 16 40
  North and between longitude 59 40 and 51 50 East
  , along the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea,
  from the Straits of Hormuz in the north to the
  Yemeni border in the south.

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• HEAD OF STATE His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said
  (since 1970)
• AREA 300,500 sq. km.
• NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIESYemen Arab Republic,
  Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab
  Emirates.
• POPULATION 2,331,391 (2003 Census)
• The official language is Arabic. Islam is the
  official religion, but other religions are
  tolerated.
• CAPITAL Muscat
• CURRENCY Rial Omani (OR) of 1,000 baizas
  US2.58
• NATIONAL DAY 18th November
• TIME DIFFERENCE GMT 4 hours

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Topographic of Oman

• The topographic of Oman is varies between plains
  which occupied 3 of the total land ( Batinah
  and Dhofar ),mountains which occupied 15 of the
  total land ( Muscat , Dhaklya and Musandam ) and
  sand dunes which occupied 82 of the total land
  ( Wasta , Sharqiya and Daherah ) .
• Oman divided into 8 regions which are Muscat ,
  Musandam , Wasta , Dhofar,Batinah, Sharqiya ,
  Daherah , and Dhaklya.

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Climate of Oman

• The climate differs from one area to another. It
  is hot and humid in the coastal areas in summer
  while it is hot and dry in the Interior.
• Rainfall is generally light and irregular
  although heavy rains and thunderstorms can cause
  severe flooding
• Average temperatures in the south, Dhofar region
  has a moderate climate and the pattern of
  rainfall is more predictable with heavy monsoon
  rains occurring regularly between May and
  September.
• the north of Oman are 32 - 48 0C from May to
  September 26 - 36 0C from October to April.

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Monitoring Activities on Chemicals

• The registration and monitoring activities on
  chemicals including pesticides is a sharing
  process between many concerned department in the
  government which there is a cooperation between
  them in order to maintain the complete monitoring
  activities.
• Monitoring activities on chemicals
•  
• Ministry Ministry of Ministry of
  Royal Ministry of
• of Health Regional Commerce and
  Oman Agriculture
  
• Municipalities Industry
  Police and Fisheries
• Environment

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Ministry of Agricultural and Fisheries

• Directorate General of Agriculture
• Department of Plant Protection

Seedling and Seeds Health Section
Locust Control Unit
Plant Quarantine Section
Plant Protection section
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Pesticides in Agriculture

• It is clear that the pesticides is required in
  the modern agriculture , so that it is occupied
  an important part in the ministry of agriculture
  and fisheries activities.
• Department of plant protection in the directorate
  general of agriculture is the department in the
  ministry of agriculture which are responsible
  providing and using the pesticides for plant
  protection and caring out the national
  controlling programs and issuing pesticides
  permit.

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Pesticides and Environment Doubs BugOmmatissus
Lybicus(Tropiduchidae Homoptera)

• Date Palm tree is one of an important economic
  tree in Oman .There are 8 mullion trees
• Yearly there is a national aerial spray program
  on the date palm trees to control the doubs bug
  which is done tow time / year.
• The reason for spraying this bug twice a year is
  the presence of two generations. One started in
  April and called spring generation and the other
  started in October and called winter generation.

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• In this process large quantity of pesticides are
  used to cover large area of date palm trees in
  most regions of Oman
• ( villages ).
• Target area is a very large area more than 30,000
  acres sprayed using more than 40,000 liters of
  pesticides per each generation
• This infestation is an historical problem, which
  in our days now have already more than 25 years
  in Oman

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Table ( 1 ) represents the amount of pesticide
used and sprayed area in many regions of Oman in
the winter generation 2004 against doubs bug in
date palm trees .
Area sprayed ( acre ) Amount of Pesticide ( liter ) Regions
7158 8495 Batinah
4385 6345 Dhaklya
3649 5925 Daherah
8708 13040 Sharqiya
800 800 Musandam
24700 34605 Total
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Table (2) type of pesticides used in aerial spray
Dosage Years of use Group Type of Pesticides
1.5L/ acre 1990 - 1993 Organo phosphorus Dichlorophose
1 L / acre 1993 - 1997 Organo phosphorus Malathion 96 ULV
0.8 L/ acre 1997 - 2002 Organo phosphorus Fenitrothion 96 ULV
0.8 L/ acre 2003 until now Organo Phosphorus pyrethroid Sumi combi alpha 49ULV
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Pesticides Lap

• There is no study for the effect and side effect
  of the pesticides on human ( staffs who are
  responsible of the spray and the farmers ) ,
  useful wild organism in the agriculture fields
  product , example the polluted insects , birds
  etc , soil, water and environment .
• From this training course I am looking forward to
  learn , see and gain techniques which are used
  to measure and monitor the environmental
  chemicals and the risk assessment of monitoring
  it in the plants , soil, water, etc.

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Ministry of Regional Municipalities Environment

• Due to the rapid industrial and agricultural
  developments regulation was set up to control
  pesticides and chemicals imported and used in the
  Sultanate.

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Department of Chemical Substances

• According to Article (6) of the Royal Decree the
  Department of Chemicals substances was
  established.
• Department Functions
• 1- Conducting Chemical analysis to determine the
  level of toxicity and hazardousness.
• 2- Granting permits for the use ,import,
  manufacturing and handling of hazardous
  chemicals.
• 3- Keeping a record of the hazardous chemicals in
  order to establish a hazardous chemicals databank
  .
• 4- Classifying chemicals in accordance with the
  national and international classifications.
• 5- Providing technical consulation on chemicals.
• 6- Assigning inspectors who make sure that all
  the legal conditions are being met, checking on
  the chemical records and any violation to the law
  on chemicals .

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Sections of the Department

• A) Monitoring and Assessment Section
• - Inspecting every one who deal with hazardous
• chemicals .
• - Evaluating factories and establishment who
  manufacture and handle such substances .
  
• - Detecting violation and samples to the Central
  Lab for analysis.
• B) Permits and Record Section
• - Reviewing hazardous chemicals registration
  forms .
• - Issuing permits for handling such substances
  together with adding information on the hazardous
  chemicals used in Oman to the database.

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Laws and Regulations

• - The low of handling and use of chemicals was
  issued by Royal Decree No. 46/95.
• - The regulation for Registration of Chemicals
  and the relevant permits was issued by
  Ministerial Decision No. (248/97).
• - The regulation for the packing, packaging,
  tagging and labeling of hazardous chemicals
  issued by the ministerial decision no.(317/2001).
• -The regulation for banning of handling or use of
  some hazardous chemicals issued by the
  ministerial decision no.(316/2001).
• -The low on conservation of the environment and
  prevention of pollution issued by the royal
  decree no. ( 114/2001 ).
• - The regulation for wastewater re-use and
  discharge by the ministerial decision no.
  (145/93).

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Conventions

• 1-Rotterdam Convention.
• 2-Stockholm Convention

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Rotterdam Convention (PIC)

• - The Sultanate Joined the Convention in October
  1999 by the Royal Decree No.(81/99)
• - The Convention is based on the Prior Informed
  Consent (PIC) procedure.
• This procedure
• - Prevents export of certain harmful chemicals
  that have been banned or severely restricted or
  can cause problems under conditions of use in
  developing countries, unless the importing
  country agrees to accept them.
• Prior Informed Consent ( PIC )
• - When a country exports a chemical subject to a
  ban or severely restriction in its own territory,
  it must inform the importing country before the
  first shipment and then annually.

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Stockholm Convention (POPs)

• - In May 2001, 127 government adopted this
  convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
  (POPs).
• Oman signed the convention in March 4th , 2002.
• Purpose of the Convention
• - The convention seeks the elimination or
  restriction of production and use of all
  intentionally produced POPs (i.e., industrial
  chemicals and pesticides)
• Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).
• POPs are chemicals that are persistent,
  bio-accumulate in fatty tissues, bio-magnify
  through the food chain and adversely affect
  health and environment

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Thank you