‘Proper disposal of pesticides vital’

Lazarus Sauti

Silas Mutara (not real name) was searching for items to make his plastic ball at an outdoor bin used by his neighbour in Kuwadzana 5, a high density suburb in Harare.

While looking through the black bin, the 11 year-old boy picked small white tablets and put them in his pocket.

Out of curiosity, Silas later chewed on them only to be found by his mother, some hours later, frothing from the mouth.

Silas’ mother rushed him to Kuwadzana 5 Council, but he died upon arrival.

After postmortem, doctors identified the mysterious tablets as Lindane, an antiquated and toxic pesticide banned on its agricultural use, but still illegally used to control headlice and scabies not only in Zimbabwe, but in most developed countries.

Despite government control, some banned pesticides, usually not labelled, are still used in the country putting human beings and the environment in great danger.

For instance, some tobacco farmers still use outlawed tobacco chemicals in the production of the crop.

“Chemicals used in tobacco are highly toxic, mostly in the purple label, and inexperienced new tobacco farmers are using them without proper protection,” said tobacco expert Cephas Mukandi.

He added: “Some of the farmers borrow chemicals from fellow farmers and they are given the chemicals in unlabeled containers.

“That alone poses serious health dangers to the farmers because, at times, they do not even know the names of the chemicals and what to do in the event of accidental poisoning.”

Mukandi said most people improperly dispose outlawed and even legal pesticides as well as their containers and this is dangerous as illustrated by Silas’ tragic death.

Speaking during a workshop recently held in Harare by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate which discussed the need to move away from the use of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), national project coordinator on POPs, Farirai Magadzire, said:

“POPs are not locally manufactured, but are present in imported chemicals mostly used as pesticides. Their improper disposal can lead to the death of humans or animals,” she said.

International health institution, the World Health Organisation (WHO), in its Global Strategic framework for integrated vector management, also notes that pesticides are toxic compounds and their improper use as well as disposal may pose a risk to human health and the environment.

The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), an agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger, says poisoning of people or animals can occur through direct contact with the product, inhalation of vapours, drinking of contaminated water, or eating of contaminated food.

Environment wise, the FAO added that contamination of groundwater or soil can occur through seepage of leaked pesticides into the ground or runoff during heavy rains.

To save humans and animals as well as to protect the environment from pesticides, Magadzire says every household or farm pesticide must be disposed of with caution and concern for others, particularly small children.

“Proper disposal of pesticides is vital. It is of paramount importance to you, your family, the community, and the environment.

“Whenever you have excess or unwanted pesticides, please take the extra time to dispose of them properly with caution and concern for others, particularly small children,” Magadzire said.

She warned that pesticides and their containers should never be stored near animal feed, which could become contaminated by vapors or be accidentally mixed with the pesticide.

Magadzire said the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate is in the process of enforcing the National Implementation Plan (NIP), a guiding document to enable the country to implement its obligation under the Stockholm Convention on POPs – a global treaty that aims to protect human health and the environment from toxic chemicals.

“Zimbabwe signed the Stockholm Convention in order to enable urgent global actions to reduce and eliminate releases of these chemicals, because they are harmful to the environment and human health,” said Magadzire.

She warns that the continued use of POPs can destroy the future of Zimbabwe as the nature of these substances affects plant as well as animal development.

“Continued use of POPs would be costly for the nation since these chemicals can cause reduced reproductive success, birth defects, behavioural changes and death.

“They are suspected human hazards that include disruption of the immune and endocrine systems,” she said. 

Pesticides are potentially toxic to organisms, including humans as illustrated by tragic loss of Silas. Accordingly, the government as well as key stakeholders must ensure that pesticides are used safely and disposed of properly.