KAMPALA, Sept. 5 (Xinhuanet) -- Uganda
has continued to use globally outlawed chemicals
that endanger humans and the environment, local
press cited a report as saying on Monday.
The state-owned newspaper The New Vision
said experts had detected deadly chemicals in
water collected from Lake Victoria, the
country's largest water body.
"A number of banned agro chlorinated
pesticides such as DDT, endosulfan, dieldrin and
lindane were detected in the air showing that
they may be in use," the report said.
These chemicals, also known as persistent
organic pollutants (POP), are listed under the
Stockholm Convention as the dirty dozen because
they persist in the environment and threaten
human health.
Patrick Kamanda, an environment inspector
from Uganda's National Environment Management
Authority, was quoted as saying that global
concern had been raised because POPs move far
from the point of application.
Kamanda noted that the government in
conjunction with the United Nations Environment
Program were taking measures to eliminate or
reduce the release of POPs into the environment.
According to the report, some of the
chemicals are smuggled into Uganda while others
are disguised under pseudo names.
"Many restricted chemicals are being used
by untrained persons while adulteration is
common," the report was quoted as saying.
Some experts have blamed these chemicals
such as DDT for causing cancer. Enditem |