Water Sanitation Health

Reducing and eliminating the use of persistent organic pesticides: Guidance on alternative strategies for sustainable pest and vector management

Prepared by Johan Mörner, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Robert Bos , WHO and Marjon Fredrix, Wageningen University

Reducing POPs cover

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are chemicals that persist in the environment, accumulate in high concentrations in fatty tissues and are bio-magnified through the food-chain. Hence they constitute a serious environmental hazard that comes to expression as important long-term risks to individual species, to ecosystems and to human health. POPs chemicals may cause cancer and disorders in the reproductive and immune systems as well as in the developmental process. They constitute a particular risk to infants and children who may be exposed to high levels through breast-milk and food.

This document is a guide for the onset of national efforts to assess, select and develop alternative strategies to POPs pesticides in line with the basic principles for more sustainable practices in pest and vector control. It takes into account various aspects of public health, the environment and agriculture with the objective of fostering holistic and integrated approaches while ensuring that strategies of different sectors are compatible, coordinated and mutually reinforcing. Implementation of such strategies will also be promoted through regional training workshops, pilot studies and support to develop and implement national action plans.

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© 2002 UNEP, FAO, WHO
Electronic access to English version only.

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