A panel of experts and citizens convened to review recent studies on the link between DDT and human health expressed concern that the current practice of spraying the pesticide indoors to fight malaria is leading to unprecedented and insufficiently monitored levels of exposure to it. Although DDT has been largely abandoned as an agricultural pesticide worldwide, its use to combat malaria was endorsed in 2006 by the World Health Organization (WHO). According to WHO, in 2006 alone there were 247 million cases of and 880,000 deaths from malaria, most of which were of young children in Africa.

In regions where malaria is endemic, DDT is now sprayed inside buildings and homes to repel and kill the mosquitoes that spread the disease. This is being done despite a paucity of data on the human health impacts of exposure to the chemical at such high levels, according to the experts from fields ranging from environmental health to cancer biology. Following a review of nearly 500 epidemiological studies, the researchers developed a consensus statement calling for increased efforts to reduce exposure to DDT, to understand the health effects of exposure to DDT, and to develop alternatives to using DDT so that other methods could ultimately be relied upon for malaria control.

Lead author Dr. Brenda Eskenazi, Professor of Epidemiology at the University of California Berkeley, the United States, said: We know DDT can save lives by repelling and killing disease-spreading mosquitoes. But evidence suggests that people living in areas where DDT is used are exposed to very high levels of the pesticide. The only published studies on health effects conducted in these populations have shown profound effects on male fertility. While calling for more research on the health of populations where indoor residual spraying is occurring, she emphasized that DDT should be the last resort against malaria rather than the first line of defence.
Source: www.sciencedaily.com

The Netherlands-based Greenpeace an international non-governmental organization well known for its work on protection and conservation of the environment has released its Guide to Greener Electronics that focuses on e-waste. According to the Guide, Nokia and Samsung rank at the top positions internationally, while Wipro Infotech are among the top five green brands in the world and named the top Green Brand of India.

The Guide recognized Sony as the greenest console brands, because Sony consoles are more friendly to environment than that of Microsoft and Nintendo Sony products are 40 per cent more environmentally friendly than Microsofts, while 50 per cent greener that Nintendos products. However, the Guide commended Nintendo for banning the use of phthalates, and monitoring its use of antimony and beryllium.

Greenpeace has praised Apple for reducing the use of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in its products, but Philips, according to Greenpeace, has been very impressive in the war against e-waste. The Guide has accorded a star to Philips and the 47,000 people who sent e-mails to the company, as the company jumped from 15th to 4th place in one go. However, companies such as HP, Lenovo and Dell have been named in the Guide for their failure to keep up their promises to eliminate PVC and BFRs from their products by the end of the year.
Source: www.topnews.in

Nine persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were identified under the Stockholm Convention, during the recent Conference of the Parties (COP) in which over 160 governments took practical decisions that will strengthen the global effort to eradicate some of the most toxic chemicals known. For the first time, COP was amended to include nine new chemicals. Many of these are still widely in use as pesticides, flame retardants and in many other commercial uses.

The Conference also unanimously adopted a decision for collaboration between the Stockholm Convention and its sister treaties on hazardous chemicals and wastes, the Rotterdam and Basel Conventions. This will gather pace during the Special Session of the United Nations Environment Programmes Governing Council/Global Ministers Environment Forum in February 2010, which will be followed immediately by an Extraordinary COP. For the first time, the expanded Working Group will comprise the three chemicals and wastes treaties in sequential COPs.

A landmark decision reached was the endorsement of the DDT global partnership. While DDT is targeted for eventual elimination, the Convention recognizes that some countries will continue to use this pesticide to protect their citizens from diseases such as malaria. The PCB Elimination Network was also endorsed. Countries have intensified efforts to phase out polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) through a cooperative framework that supports the environmentally sound management and disposal of these harmful substances. The Network will be tasked with establishing key data as well as evaluating whether the use of PCBs is indeed declining.
Source: chm.pops.int

Having decided to join the race for a US$3 billion project to clean a huge oil spill in Kuwait from the 1991 Gulf War, Indias ONGC-TERI Biotech Ltd. (OTBL) has a plan to clock a top line of Rs 100 billion (US$2.1 billion) in the next three to four years. This would make it the largest bioremediation company in Asia engaged in the oil industry. OTBL is a joint venture between Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd. (ONGC) and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).

OTBL is talking with Indian and overseas oil companies to sell two of its main cleaning technologies bioremediation and anti-paraffin degrading bacterial consortium. The first technology is the one on the basis of which it has bid for the Kuwait contract. OTBL decided to participate in the bid after its bioremediation technology was successfully tested in a water body at Mehsana, the largest onshore asset of ONGC, to eliminate an oil spill.
Source: www.business-standard.com

The first batch of bottles made of recyclable plastics is expected to be launched in China soon, as the material passes the review of the relevant quality departments. Mr. Zou Zuye, the Deputy Director of China Packaging Federation, says that China produces about three million tonnes of plastic bottles each year, consuming about 18 million tonnes of oil. Mr. Zou adds that if all these plastic bottles were recycled after use, it would help to save a great deal of oil.

The production line of Beijing Incom Resources Recovery Company, the only company in China that has been approved to produce renewable plastic for food and beverage packages and been listed by the National Development and Reform Commission as a pilot enterprise for the recycling economy, is said to be able to process 50,000 tonnes of waste PET bottles each year. This accounts for one-third of Beijings total waste plastic bottles, and will yield 25,000 tonnes of recyclable plastic from these bottles.
Source: www.chinacsr.com

A recent research by Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) shows that the pollution level in the Buriganga, Balu and Shitalakshya, and most parts of the Turag rivers are so high that no living organism can survive in their waters. The three-year study found that some invertebrates and small organisms come to life in these rivers when water flow increases with the rains, but these life forms totally disappear in the dry season.

The researchers say the waters in these rivers are affected by industrial effluents, municipal sewage disposal, agro-chemicals and large amount of suspended sediments carried by upstream flow. The oxygen levels in Buriganga, the Tongi canal of Turag and a part of Norai is less than one per microgram. All species of local fish need the oxygen levels to be at least 4-6 per microgram to survive, affirms the study conducted by BUETs Water Resources Department.

During water quality assessment using bio-indicators method, the researchers collected samples thrice from the Chadnighat point of the Buriganga but twice failed to find any life form. Bio-indicators respond to the quality deterioration from multiple and varied pollution sources and thus provide an overall picture of water quality. The researchers collected samples those during the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons and found that in the post-monsoon season, oxygen level increases slightly but not enough.
Source: www.thedailystar.net

Starting 1 June 2009, each household in Kuala Lumpur will be provided with two rubbish bins one for organic waste and the other for inorganic refuse by waste collection concessionaire Alam Flora. It will be compulsory for people to segregate their waste and deposit into appropriate bins. Failure to do show will result in their garbage being left uncollected.

The new ruling is part of the steps taken by the federal government to have a more orderly and effective management of waste and to encourage people to recycle. With the passing of the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007, the local by-laws on garbage collection are being streamlined.

While the by-laws are apparently silent regarding the penalty aspect, it is still mandatory for the people to sort out their rubbish into the two categories. We have the right not to pick up the garbage when people dont separate their waste, but we are not out to punish but to educate them, Alam Floras CEO Mr. Zahri Abdul Ghani said. Educating people to separate their waste at source is the key to proper waste management, he said. All organic waste will be sent to a centre to be turned into fertilizer, while the inorganic waste would be sent to a recycling centre.
Source: thestar.com.my

According to statistics on Indonesias handling of solid wastes, compiled by the State Ministry for the Environment in 2008, around 13.6 million tonnes of waste is disposed of each year into landfill sites (TPAs) using open dumping systems. About 47 per cent of the TPAs do not have leachate treatment facilities; 52 per cent do not have leachate monitoring systems; and more than 60 per cent lack gas monitoring systems. That is, up to now Indonesia has left much of its harmful wastes in the nature.

With the passage of Law No. 18/2008 on Waste Management, however, improvements could be on the way. Under the regulation, municipal waste management activities are divided into two broad categories: waste reduction and handling/treatment. Waste reduction includes limiting waste production, reducing waste production at producer levels, and implementing reduce, reuse and recycle at consumer levels. Waste handling includes sorting, collection, transportation, treatment and final processing of wastes.

With some exceptions, the handling of specific waste types is carried out by the central government. Under the new waste regulation, every regency and municipality is required by 2009 to submit plans for the closure of TPAs, which must be implemented by 2013. However, not all regencies and municipalities have submitted these plans. Familiarizing the 450 administrations with the new regulation will be a large and expensive task, as many of these do not have the required technical or human resources.
Source: www.thejakartapost.com

The Ministry of Natural Resources & Environment (MNRE) of Viet Nam wants all new factories to meet environmental standards and possess waste treatment facilities by 2010. The Environment Minister Mr. Pham Khoi Nguyen said the move would help alleviate the nations chronic development-linked pollution issues.

The Ministry expects more than half of the businesses to meet higher environmental standards. In 2008, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) launched a road map for environmental protection up to 2020. Under the plan, enterprises in the fields of environmental services, technology products and natural resource management would be expanded, said Mr. Nguyen Van Tai, Director of the Viet Nam Institute for Industry Policy and Strategy. According to the Institutes survey, there are 2,000 environmental enterprises in 20 cities. Besides urban waste collection, these companies also specialize in pollution reduction.

Viet Nams environmental protection regulations are unclear, said Mr. Tai. Many of the industries use low-cost dirty technology, he said. Not only are environmental protection laws inadequate, penalties for violators are too light, said Mr. Phan Dang Tuat, a former director of the Institute. Government incentives are insufficient to encourage firms to be more environmentally aware, said Mr. Tuat.
Source: vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn

Hewlett-Packard (HP) in India has extended its recycling programme to include consumers as well as the small and medium-sized businesses. Customers will now be able to drop off HP-branded technology equipment at HP service centres in 17 locations in 9 cities in India. Any HP printer, scanner, fax machine, notebook or PC, monitor, handheld devices or camera, and associated components such as cables, mice and keyboards will be accepted. After collection, the products will be consolidated, sorted and recycled in India.

In its subsequent phases, the programme will increase the number of drop-off points in those cities and include additional cities. Product take-back and recycling programmes form part of HPs end-of-life asset recovery services.

This year marks the 22^nd anniversary of HPs reuse and recycling programme, which now serves customers in more than 50 countries, regions and territories. HP says it exceeded its objective to recycle 1 billion pounds (450,000 tonnes) of electronic products and supplies by the end of 2007. It has now set a new goal to recover an additional 450,000 tonnes for reuse and recycling by the end of 2010.
Source: www.recyclingtoday.com