Obsolete Pesticides in Saudi Arabia: Problems, Prevention and Disposal

Abstract

Expired and deteriorated stocks of pesticides are present in most developing countries. Those products no longer can be used to control the intended target pests as recommended on the label. The existence of obsolete pesticides can be due to many reasons such as inadequate storage facilities or storage containers, in addition to poor stock management and record keeping. Banning the pesticides while in storage and poor assessment of pesticide requirements, such as inability to forecast pest outbreaks, may cause prolonged storage of products with short shelf lives. Furthermore, marketing systems with aggressive profit motive by vendors may lead to accumulation of expired pesticides. These stocks are often stored in poor conditions, which may cause damage and leaking of the containers with obsolete and dangerous pesticides that may pose a threat to human health and the environment. Disposal of obsolete pesticides in a safe and environmentally sound manner are only available in a few newly industrialized countries, but the developing countries do not have such facilities. Therefore, the recommended disposal method for stockpiles of obsolete pesticides in developing countries should systematically undergo various steps. These would include inventory, repackaging, safe guarding of the pesticides and then shipment of the pesticides to a country that has appropriate hazardous waste incineration facilities. This global environmental issue is a result of decades of mishandling. It is most dramatic in the developing world which lack the resources and funding for remediation of the hazardous waste sites and obsolete pesticides. Conservative estimates find well over 500,000 tons of obsolete pesticides in developing countries, with 50,000 to 100,000 tons just in Africa alone. The collaborative Programme on the Prevention and Disposal of Obsolete Pesticides, established by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in 1994, underlines the urgency and importance of a concerted international effort to solve this problem.