Fact Sheet - Pesticide Manufacturing and Storage and Pesticide Pollution
Estimated Population at Risk at Identified Sites: 730,000 People*
Estimated Global Impact: 1.4 to 3 Million People*
What Is Pesticide Manufacturing and Storage?
Pesticides are widely used in agricultural processes throughout the world, but many have been banned and are considered Highly Hazardous under the Basel Convention. While the international community has taken important steps to protect people and the environment from hazardous pesticides, many of these products continue to be produced, used, and stored. Some of the types of banned pesticides that can still be found in storage facilities include carbamates, persistent organic pollutants, organophosphates, and organochlorines, which include DDT and chlordane.
How Can these Practices Create Pesticide Pollution?
Many storage facilities that currently house large stockpiles of hazardous pesticides are old and do not have proper infrastructure and upkeep to support safe storage of the chemicals. In many of these facilities, old and deteriorating drums of toxins are stored in the open where they can leak into the surrounding environment. As cities expand, many older storage facilities end up in the middle newly built residential neighborhoods, threatening local populations.
What Are the Human Exposure Pathways for Pesticide Manufacturing and Storage?
Exposure to pesticides from manufacturing and storage is typically the result of leakage from deteriorated containers and neglected facilities. These leaks can carry toxins from the facilities directly into nearby soil and water that may be used for bathing, drinking, or agriculture. Once toxins from pesticides enter the soil, they can also easily travel as dust on shoes or clothing, and can be inhaled or ingested.
What Are the Health Risks Associated with Pesticide Exposure?
Health risks from pesticides vary depending on the type of pesticide and the degree of exposure. Exposure to DDT, for example, can cause damage to the kidneys, liver, intestines, stomach, and central nervous system, and can also cause cancer. If children or pregnant women are exposed, DDT can cause reproductive and developmental problems.
*Population estimates are preliminary and based on an ongoing global assessment of polluted sites.
