Introduction
Without exception, the present world depends on
chemical products to increase the production of
foodstuffs, protect health and facilitate our daily
lives. Many of these chemical products are hazardous
and the direct or indirect health risks in their
use, storage or disposal must be evaluated. Intentional
or not, their discharge to the environment can cause
serious consequences.
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Background
The potential risk or harm to human health inherent
in the management and disposal of toxic substances led
the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), through
its Division of Health and Environment (HEP), to develop
a regional action plan directed toward the evaluation
and management of toxic substances in surface waters
that benefits the countries of Latin America and the
Caribbean. The Pan American Center for Sanitary Engineering
and Environmental Sciences (CEPIS, Spanish acronym)
has been given the mission to coordinate the regional
plan of action for the development and dissemination
of methodologies for the evaluation and management of
toxic substances in surface waters, with special attention
to public water supply sources.
Objectives
- The action plan has the following
objectives:
Identify the principal potential toxic substance problems
in the Region.
- Identify those institutions
with adequate infrastructure and sufficient human
resources to absorb, adapt and apply the technologies
of this subject area; and disseminate these through
a cooperative network.
- Operate a technical steering
committee and network with the orientation and backing
of international experts of developed countries.
The goal is to increase the number of Latin American
and Caribbean countries that have specific programs
for the management of toxic substances as components
of their national water quality pollution control programs.
The intended final product of this cooperative effort
is that the Member Countries achieve self-sufficiency
in the adequate evaluation of the fate of toxic substances
in surface waters and the risks related to them; and
establish chemical discharge allocations that protect
public health and reduce adverse ecological impacts.
Strategy
The mechanism used to reach a harmonious work program
is the technical steering committee, composed of experts
from countries technically more advanced and the professionals
of national/regional institutions with an awareness
of the problems and national necessities as well as
the knowledge of the technical and economic capacity
to confront these problems. This technical steering
committee, which convened for the first time in 1985,
provides knowledge and experience and establishes guidelines
for the work plan at the regional level.
Results
A manual for the evaluation and management of toxic
substances in surface waters encompasses four principal
areas:
• Risk evaluation and
management.
• Fate of toxic substances:
- Mathematical water quality
models.
- Sampling programs.
• Industrial wastewater
treatment.
• Control policies.
The methodologies described in
the Manual have been applied to case studies of problems
representatives of the Region to assure its adaptation
to the socio-economic context of Latin America and the
Caribbean. In 1995, the action plan had completed two
case studies; one in Brazil (Paraíba River) and
another in Argentina (Negro River). Case studies were
also initiated in México (Lerma/Chapala System),
Ecuador (Machángara River), Colombia (pretreatment),
Cuba (Moa Area), Peru (Rímac River), and Venezuela
(Tuy River).
These methodologies have been disseminated through courses/workshops
with the participation of the steering committee member
consultants and are directed toward key national professionals,
who commit themselves to repeat the same course in their
respective countries and to utilize the manuals as basic
texts. To date, three basic regional courses have been
held in Lima, Peru (1988), Mexico City, Mexico (1989)
and Sao Paulo, Brazil (1990). At the national level,
courses/workshops have been held in Venezuela and Colombia.
Products
The Manual on Evaluation and Management of Toxic Substances
in Surface Waters consists of the following sections
that can be downloaded in full text:
- SALAS, H. et al. (1988). Section
1 - Perspective. Lima, CEPIS. Updated in 1992. (Spanish
only).
- THOMANN, R. & LOBOS, J.
(1988). Section 3 - Preliminary Rapid Evaluation.
Lima, CEPIS. (Spanish only).
- THOMANN, R. & SALAS, H.
(1988). Section 4 - Toxic Substances Fate Models.
Lima, CEPIS. (Spanish only).
- THOMANN, R. (1988). Section
5 – Guidelines for Sampling, Monitoring and
Data Analysis. Lima, CEPIS. (Spanish only).
- ECKENFELDER, W. et al. (1988).
Section 6 – Control of Toxic Substances. Lima,
CEPIS. (Spanish only).
- SALAS, H. et al. (1988). Section
7 - Development of Regional/National/Local Programs.
Preliminary version. Lima, CEPIS. (Spanish only).
- GARCIA AGUDO, E. et al. (1994).
Annex 1: Case Study Paraíba do Sul, River,
Brazil. Lima, CEPIS. (Spanish only).
- NATALE, O. et al. (1995).
Annex 2: Case Study Pesticides in the Black River,
Argentina. Lima, CEPIS. (Spanish only).
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