30% of Pesticides Marketed in Developing Countries

Pose a Serious Threat to Health and the Environment

FAO/WHO   1feb01

Thirty percent of pesticides marketed in developing countries, with an estimated market value of $900 million annually, do not meet internationally accepted quality standards and pose a serious threat to health and the environment, according to a UN Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization statement released today.

"These poor-quality pesticides frequently contain hazardous substances and impurities that have already been banned or severely restricted elsewhere," said Gero Vaagt of the FAO pesticide management group.

Pesticides in developing countries are chiefly used for agriculture, although they can also be used to control malaria-spreading insects. Possible causes of use of low-quality pesticides can include poor production and formulation or inadequate selection of chemicals.

"In many pesticide products, for example, the active ingredient concentrations are outside internationally accepted tolerance limits," said Dr. David Heymann, executive director of the WHO's communicable disease activities. "In addition, poor-quality pesticides may be contaminated with toxic substances or impurities."

The agencies said the problem is particularly acute in sub-Saharan Africa, where quality control is generally weak, and they urged governments and international and regional organizations to adopt the worldwide accepted FAO/WHO pesticide guidelines to ensure production and trade of quality products

Rana Jawad Asghar, MD, MPH Research Associate, Stanford University