Policy Brief : Sustainable Chemicals Management

SUMMARY
Overview
• Sound management of
chemicals is essential for the
countries to achieve sustainable The South-east and East Asian Region has many rapidly industrializing
development, including the countries, where an increasing number and volume of chemicals are used in
eradication of poverty and disease, mining, forestry, fishery, manufacturing, energy and construction industries, as
the improvement of human health
and the environment and the well as in shops, offices and households. While most are beneficial to economic
elevation and maintenance of the development, their inadequate management often results in adverse impacts
standard of living. The health and on human health and ecosystems.
environment sectors have
substantive roles and responsibilities Unnecessary and unexpected exposure to toxic chemicals can cause
in chemicals management.
disease, disability and death. For children, chronic exposure is linked to damage
• Special efforts to protect those to the nervous and immune systems and to ill effects on reproductive function
groups in society that are and development. Evidences of the multiple adverse health impacts derived
particularly vulnerable to risks from from chemicals used in agriculture, industry, commerce and in household call
hazardous chemicals or are highly
exposed to them needed. Many for urgent action to improve the quality of their management.
member countries are facing this
and need more capacity building Legislative and regulatory control of chemicals may include the
supports to move towards registration and inventory of chemicals, risk assessment and notification,
sustainable chemicals safety labelling and information on chemicals, tracking systems, treatment and
management.
disposal of chemical waste, and occupational health and safety requirements
• Improvement of government for production, use, storage, transport, safe disposal and treatment. Many
policy for better control of chemicals developing countries in the regions lack adequate legislative and institutional
management including legislation infrastructure and the capacity to manage chemicals effectively.
and management is crucial, but
many member countries still do not
have adequate legislative and
institutional infrastructure and the
capacity to manage chemicals
effectively and need more capacity
building supports towards
sustainable chemicals safety
management.
 The Thematic Working Group on Toxic Chemicals and Hazardous Substances
The first meeting of the TWG on Toxic
Chemicals and Hazardous Substances
was held on 5 July 2007, in Thailand
where the meeting agreed to divided
into three subgroups including (1)
Prevention and reduction of pesticide
poisoning; (2) Reduction of exposure
to heavy metals (e.g. mercury, lead,
cadmium, arsenic, persistence
organic pollutants- POPs);
The TWG on Toxic Chemicals and
Hazardous Substances has launched
the 2007-2010 regional work plan,
important outcomes with respect to
the 3 objectives of the plan are:
1. Sharing of information and
data on the chemicals and their
health and environmental impacts
and good practices to reduce the
health and environmental impacts
among member countries :
Since a group of toxic
chemicals is the persistent organic
pollutants (POPs), it was agreed to
use existing Stockholm Convention
mechanism for information and
technological exchange such as
information warehouse on POPs, and
the East and South-east Asia Regional
Forum on BAT and BEP which serves
as a platform for information
dissemination and exchange of
experiences between countries on
difference aspects of implementation
of BAT and BEP. For Thailand, the
POPs national website
(http://.www.pop.pcd.or.th)has been
(3) Control of food related chemicals
(food preservatives, antibiotics,
hormones).
The work plan of TWG on Toxic
Chemicals and Hazardous
Substances has three objectives : (1)
share information and data on the
chemicals and their health and
environmental impacts and good
practices including infrastructure
model and innovative approach to
to reduce the health and environmental impacts among
member countries , (2) improve the
technical knowledge and skill among
personnel of member countries on
risk assessment and risk
management of the chemicals , (3)
strengthen regional institutions
networking and collaboration on
toxic chemicals management.
Results
used to disseminate and of WHO. The Webpage
exchange of data and information on :http://chemhelpdesk.cri.or.th/ , is
mercury, and those related to opened for the member countries
SAICM, as well. and the public to facilitate better
understanding of chemical safety
2. Improving the
management.
technical knowledge and skill among
personnel of member countries on Department of Health, and National
risk assessment and risk Health Commission of Thailand co-
management of the chemical : organised two International Training
Workshops on HIA for Local
Chulabhorn Research Institute Authorities and for interested
(CRI) has been developing distant persons, together with an
learning modules on health risk International Conference on HIA in
assessment to serve all member April 2009. HIA can be used as a tool
countries in 2009 and the training for chemical management, especially
will be held in 2011 with supports in terms of public policy
from SAICM QSP Trust Fund. CRI development. One outcome of the
International Training Course on conference was the Chiang Mai
Environmental and Health Risk Declaration on Health Impact
Assessment and Management of Assessment for the Development of
Toxic Chemicals has also been Healthy Societies in Asia Pacific
provided annually. CRI has also set Region. The Declaration was
up the “Chem. Helpdesk” public
submitted to ASEAN with a
internet webpage with the support
recommendation to develop a
regional mechanism for HIA
collaboration among the member
countries. The recommendation will
be considered in the next ASEAN
Health Ministers Meeting. This will in
turn support the regional chemical
management of south-east and East
Asian Regions.
Department of Health, Thailand
conducted the regional meeting,
financially supported by WHO,
entitled “Regional Technical
Environmental Health Seminar on
Toxic Chemicals and Hazardous
Substances : South-East and East
Asian countries” in November
2009.The meeting was also attended
by representatives of member
countries : Cambodia, China,
Indonesia, Korea, Lao PDR, Mongolia,
The Philippines, Vietnam, and
Thailand.
The objective was to provide
update on the progress done based
on the activities agreed upon on the
work plan. The summary report of
this meeting was presented at the
SAICM Regional Meeting in Beijing in
November 2009 to create awareness
• Sound management of
chemicals is essential for the
countries to achieve sustainable
development. The health and
environment sectors have
substantive roles and responsibilities
in chemicals management.
of a regional collaboration and The possibility of
cooperation mechanism on collaboration between TWG 4 and
Chemicals Management. TWG 6 was discussed in November
2009, and it was agreed that areas for
collaboration between TWG6 and
TWG4 following the objectives of
both TWGs are 1) Sharing of
information and data which are
needed to develop an inventory of
experts and resources, 2) Training
and Seminar on chemical safety
management, and 3) Chemical
emergency management in which
3. Strengthening
preparedness and response to
regional institutions networking and
chemical emergency.
collaboration on toxic chemicals :
Department of Health of
Thailand, endorsed by Department of
Health of the Philippines and the
Pacific Basin Consortium for
Environment and Health, has
submitted a proposal on an
international training course on
health risk assessment focusing on
development of databases,
information and collaborating
mechanism on hazardous substances
and toxic chemicals among member
to SAICM QSP Trust Fund, but the
proposal was not approved for
funding.
Conclusions
• Improvement of government • Reduction in the use of
policy has resulted in better control hazardous chemicals is one of the
of chemicals management including key challenges in achieving
legislation and management, but sustainable consumption and
many member countries still do not production.
have adequate legislative and
institutional infrastructure and the
capacity to manage chemicals
effectively.
• Improvement of legal
enforcement mechanism and
capacity building for more effective
chemicals management to cover the
life cycle of chemical is needed.

1. Several member countries do
not have sufficient databases and
information system on the
hazardous chemicals which
populations are exposed, in
particular those that have special
vulnerability. Health surveillance
system designed to protect people
health from chemical exposures is
needed.
2. There is a need to identifying
more effective interventions on
chemicals management of major
public health concern for each
member country, and enhancing the
country’s arrangements for the
environmental and public health
management of hazardous
chemicals.
3. Capacity building at all levels
to recognize monitor and mitigate
the impacts of chemicals on human
Members of the Thematic Working Group on Toxic Chemicals and Hazardous Substances
Chair :
• Department of Health, Thailand
Members :
• Department of Environment,
Parks and Recreation, Ministry of
Development; and Ports
Department, Ministry of
Communications. Brunei
Darussalam
• Ministry of Health. Cambodia
• Taiyuan Medicine Institute, Shan
Xi Province; and Institute for
Occupational Health and Poison
Control, Chinese Centre for
Disease Control and Prevention.
PR. China
• Administration of Hazardous
Waste Control, Ministry of
Environment. Indonesia
• Environmental Health
Department, Ministry of the
Environment. Japan
• Environment Research Institute
(ERI), Lao PDR
For further information, please visit: http://www.environment-health.asia/
Recommendations
health and environment, especially
in hot spot areas where stringent
preventive and control measures are
needed.
4. Creation of awareness and
strengthening public education on
the danger of toxic chemicals and
hazardous substances, together with
provision of knowledge on chemical
safe uses are essentials for
chemicals safety management. But
in some member countries this issue
does not received adequate
attention, especially on the control
of misled chemicals advertisements
and sale strategy.
5. Development or
strengthening expertise to share
information and experience gained
by countries that have successfully
promoted effective actions.
• Ministry of Nature and
Environment, Mongolia
• National Commission for
Environmental Affairs, Myanmar
• Environmental Management
Bureau, Department of
Environment and Natural
Resources. Philippines
• Korean Society of Environmental
Health, Korea
• Pollution Control Department,
Ministry of Natural Resources and
Environment, Thailand
• Pollution Control Division and
Center for Environmental
Consulting, Training and
Technology Transfer, VEPA.
Vietnam.
Regional and International Partners :
• WHO CC for Environmental
Health Impact Assessment,
Curtin University, Perth. Western
Australia
6. Enhance activities in the
sound management of chemicals at
both country and regional levels and
including the strengthening or
establishment of information
networks. The possibility go gain
ASEAN supports for the Forum
should be examine since ASEAN has
adopted the Chiang Mai Declaration
on Health Impact Assessment
for the Development of Healthy
Societies in Asia Pacific Region.
7. Engage fully the health
sector in national, regional and
international Strategic Approach
forums and in particular in the
national inter ministerial processes,
and also emphasizes the essential
cross-sectoral responsibilities of
national focal points.
 New Zealand National Poisons
Centre
 National Poison Management &
Control Center
 National Poison Centre of
Malaysia
 Chulabhorn Research Institute,
Thailand
 Community Environmental and
Toxicological Risk Assessment
Research and Development
Center at Chamchuri Square,
Bangkok,Thailand
 World Health Organization,
South-East Asia Regional Office
(SEARO), and Western Pacific
Regional Office (WPRO)
 Strategic Approach to
International Chemicals
Management (SAICM
Secretariat); and UNEP Regional
Office for Asia and Pacific (ROAP)
and UNEP Regional Resource
Centre for Asia Pacific (RRCAP)