In 2001, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants was signed - the Convention required to ban use, terminate production and eliminate already accumulated stockpiles of certain chemicals, recognised as particularly dangerous for life on the Earth. The Convention covered 12 chemicals, namely:

Eight initial chemicals of the list belong to the group of banned and obsolete pesticides. All of them (except DDT) were already banned in Russia long ago, moreover, associated production facilities were closed. Now, only already accumulated stockpiles of these pesticides exist, plus some diffuse pollution spots (e.g. contaminated soils). DDT is still applied in many countries to kill dangerous insects - vectors of such dangerous infections as malaria (India, some Central/Latin America countries) or encephalitis (Russia).

Pesticides act as a potent and steadily acting environmental factor. In the course of pesticide application at fields and plantations, only 0.1-1% of the overall pesticide loads reach their targets, while the rest (99.9-99%) infiltrate to soils, air, water bodies, and - eventually - to agricultural products. As a result, contaminated food and drinking water become key sources of human pesticide intake.

In 1986-1990, health studies were carried out in 259 agricultural regions of 9 former USSR republics, where pesticides were applied with different intensity.

Morbidity rates among children of the age group from 0 to 14 years in regions with intensive application of pesticides were found to exceed relevant morbidity rates in regions with minimal pesticide loads more than twice.

The above findings, as well as many other facts suggest high importance of regular pesticide inventories, including inventories of obsolete, unusable and banned chemicals. Besides that, inventories of obsolete pesticides allow to identify contaminated spots and pesticide stockpiles, to propose environmentally sound methods for elimination of such stockpiles.

According to Federal Law on Safe Management of Pesticides and Agrochemicals, the Plant Protection Service of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation is directly responsible for pesticide inventories and pesticide management. At the same time, functions of state supervisions and control of pesticides are delegated to the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Control Service of RF Public Health Ministry (health protection issues) and the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation (environmental protection and ensuring environmental safety of management of hazardous chemicals). The above agencies mainly collect information on pesticide stockpiles in specialised storage facilities and sites, in agriculture facilities (besides that, they take into account information in registered cases of illegal pesticide storages and pesticide transportation operations).

However, it is also important to account for pesticides that were illegally disposed in forests and gullies, were accumulated in fruit co-operatives and by households. It would be fairly difficult or even impossible to identify such unofficial dumps and stockpiles unless we engage local communities and NGOs dealing with health and environment issues.

Unfortunately enough, many people in Russia do not understand adequately the real threat of plant protection chemicals. Many rural residents still consider application of pesticides as the only guarantee of a good harvest. However, high prices of these chemicals make their purchase in official shops hardly affordable. As a result, many people try to switch to obsolete (and often unusable or banned) pesticides, e.g. by stealing these chemicals from dilapidated storage facilities. Such cases endanger health of direct users of chemicals, moreover, they are associated with health impacts on consumers of food products, that were produced with their application. Trying to kill household insects and mosquitoes, many consumers buy excessive amounts of insecticides or buy them from dubious organisations or individuals. Insecticides are often used after expiration of their shelf life, consumers often store them and dispose the chemicals and packaging, endangering their own health, health of their family members, home pets and the environment.

There are several methods to combat illegal use of obsolete and banned chemicals, including broad public information on associated health hazards, as well as public participation in the process of pesticide inventorying for improvement of their storage, further removal and liquidation by specialised public agencies.

This publication is an awareness material only. It is not aimed at providing the public with testing methods and tools for working with pesticides. Those who would like to occupy with inventory of obsolete pesticides in a professional manner are adviced to consult the Governmental Resoluion of 23 May 2002 N340, which approved the Regulations on Licenses for Activities with Hazardous Wastes. These Regulations determine the management of hazardous wastes, including pesticides. The applicant for a license for actvivities with hazardous wastes (including inventories), among other requirements, should have professional training to work with hazardous wastes.

The Recommendations are intended to raise public awareness of methods of identification of obsolete, unusable and banned pesticides; to provide information on assessment of pesticide storage facilities; on primary inventories of local pesticide stockpiles, where and how to submit information. We hope, that these methodological materials will allow members of the general public to take a more responsible approach to use of plant protection chemicals and to participate more actively in the nation-wide pesticide inventories. We will succeed in cleaning our land from hazardous chemicals only if we manage to involve the whole population of Russia - from expects and governmental officials to schoolchildren and housewives. Partnerships of different social sectors for chemical security would make a real step towards achievement of tangible specific results.

We express our gratitude to all persons, who assisted us in development of the Recommendations, especially E.Ladeistchikova (the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia); V.Kuzmich (REFIA); S. Tikhonov (the Centre of International Projects); M.Blinov and B.Shenfeld (Urals Ecologia R&D Institute); M.Lunev (Central Institute of Agrochemical Service); E.Babkina (Typhoon R&D and Production Association); S.Yufit (Zelinskiy Institute of Organic Chemistry, the Russian Academy of Sciences); N.Stchitova (the State Control Department of the RF Ministry of Natural Resources in the Southern Federal District); E.Basarygina. M.Avdeev and G.Lestchenko (Chelyabinsk State Agro-industrial University), Ya.Zhakov (Chelyabinsk State Medical Academy); G.Tyunina (Chelyabinsk Municipal Culture Department); O.Tsyguleva (MAMA-86-Kharkov NGO); N.Stchur (Ecologia - Chelyabinsk Oblast non-governmental fund).

Besides that, information materials for the Recommendations were submitted by UNEP Chemicals, RF Public Health Ministry, RF Ministry of Natural Resources, the Russian Academy of Sciences, the International POPs Elimination Network, the Pesticide Action Network.

The Recommendations also incorporate some sections from reports, published by Eco-Accord Centre for Environment and Sustainable Development, including brochure "Persistent Organic Pollutants and Human Health" (Moscow, 2001), and monograph “POPs: Our Future is under Threat" (UNEP Chemicals, Eco-Accord Centre, Moscow, 2003).

The publication was developed within the framework of Eco-Accord Centre project: "Capacity Building of the Russian Public for Inventory of Stockpiles of Obsolete Pesticides".

The project was implemented in co-operation with Russian and international organisations, in partnership and at finance support of the International POPs Elimination Network. The project stipulates a broad exchange of views on health impacts of pesticides, international/national decisions on liquidation of stockpiles of obsolete pesticides; activities of different organisations in the sphere of pesticide inventories and opportunities for public participation in these activities.

Participants of the project express their gratitude to the International POPs Elimination Network that made the current publication possible.

O.Yu.Tsitser, the Expert of the Environmental Committee of the State Duma of the Russian Federation

O.A.Speranskaya, the Deputy Director of Eco-Accord Centre