Common Global Pollution IssuesCommon Global Pollution IssuesBlacksmith Institute’s Experience

5 October 2011ICCL MeetingICCL MeetingRenaissance Arlington

Bret EricsonProject ManagerBlacksmith Institute2014 Fifth AvenueNew York NY 10035New York, NY 10035

+1-212-647-8330bret@blacksmithinstitute.org

Blacksmith InstituteBlacksmith InstituteBl k ith i i i b d i ti th tBlacksmith is an engineering-based organization that works collaboratively with government, business, and communities to mitigate public health risks at polluted sites. Blacksmith has carried out work at more than 50 sites in 10 years.

Examples of ProjectsExamples of ProjectsHAINA D i i R bli:: HAINA, Dominican Republic

:: ALFEREROS, México

Paraiso de Dios, Haina Paraiso de Dios, Haina ,,

2006AssessmentFormer ULAB smelter (MetaloXsa) – about 1 acre in size

The site is located on top of a hill with homes on three sides

Lead levels in areas were more than 1000 times the US limit

The average blood lead level was 60 µg / dLThe average blood lead level was 60 µg / dL

2006Stakeholder Group•MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENTJaime David Fernandez Mirabal - Minister

•INTERAMERICAN DEVELOPMENT BANKJuan Paez Zamora and Smeldy Ramirez

• AUTONOMOUS UNIVERISTY SANTO DOMINGODr. Conrado Depratt

COMMUNITYSandra Castillo

• TERRA GRAPHICS ENVIRONMENTALENGINEERING INCIan vonLindern and Margaret vonLindern

• HUNTER COLLEGEJack Caravanos

2007Education Campaigng

2008Remediation

2009Remediation

2010Offsite Remediation

2010•Lead in soil below 300 ppm

• Cost below US$500.000

•Broad representation of stakeholders

•Risk to 1000 people removed

•Blood lead levels below 10ug/dLg

Ceramics, MéxicoCeramics, México,,

2009AssessmentTraditional ceramic glaze uses lead oxide

•It is estimated that the health of 50 000It is estimated that the health of 50,000 people is affected during the ceramics production process

A bl d l d l l f 35 /dL• Average blood lead levels of 35 µg/dL

• Exposition pathways include inhalation and digestiondigestion

2010Stakeholder Group• FONART (SEDESOL)

•COFEPRIS (SALUD)•COFEPRIS (SALUD)

•NGO(Barro Sin Plomo)

•QUALITY ENVIRONMENTAL (USA)

•HUNTER COLLEGE (Dr. Jack Caravanos)

•BLACKSMITH (Local Capacity)

2010Education Campaigng

2010Remediation

2011Ongoing Activityg g y• Blood levels drop below 10 mg/dL in 3 months after remediation

• Ongoing through 2012

•Government program to increase tenfoldGovernment program to increase tenfold

Examples of ProjectsExamples of ProjectsZAMFARA Ni i:: ZAMFARA, Nigeria

:: ARTISINAL GOLD MINING, International

Global Inventory ProjectGlobal Inventory ProjectTh Gl b l I t P j t i ff t t id tif dThe Global Inventory Project is an effort to identify and assess contaminated sites with an impact on human health in low and medium income countries. The program is ongoing and began in February 2009.

Global Inventory Project (GIP) OutputsGlobal Inventory Project (GIP) OutputsGl b l I t f C t i t d Sit:: Global Inventory of Contaminated Sites

:: Analysis of Associated Health Risks

:: Cost Estimates for Remediation and Country Strategy Papersgy p

:: Implementation

Output 1Global Inventoryy

Artisanal Gold Mining

Selection of Countries for the Selection of Countries for the InventoryInventory

The final list was composed of 80 countries. Of those,

Argentina El Salvador ThailandMexico

p ,work is currently ongoing in 44.

Argentina Bangladesh Benin Bolivia Brazil

El Salvador Georgia Ghana Guatemala Guinea

Thailand UgandaUkraine Uruguay Uzbekistan

Mexico Nepal Niger Nigeria PakistanBrazil

Cambodia Chile China Colombia

Guinea Honduras India Indonesia Jamaica

Uzbekistan Venezuela Vietnam Zimbabwe

Pakistan ParaguayPapua New Guinea Peru PhilippinesColombia

Costa Rica Cote d'Ivoire Dominican Republic Ecuador

Jamaica Kazakhstan Kenya Kyrgyz RepublicLao PDR

Philippines Russian Federation Rwanda Senegal TanzaniaEcuador Lao PDR Tanzania

Financing has been inadequate to cover all 80 countries. There are particularly large gaps in Africa and the Middle East.

Selection of Sites

o The inventory was focused on point source pollution where a credible human health risk existswhere a credible human health risk exists.

o Industrial chemical rather than bacterial contamination

o Public health rather than occupational health risk

Key Pollutantsyo Well known and documented human health effects

MercuryArsenic

AsbestosDioxinsArsenic

ChromiumLeadCadmium

DioxinsPAHsPM 10 / PM 2.5PetrochemicalsCadmium

CyanidePCBs, Pesticides, POPsCoal/ Coke

PetrochemicalsFluoridesAbandoned Chemical WeaponsRadionuclidesCoal/ Coke

VOCsRadionuclides

Initial Site Assessment Protocol

o Developed by members of the Blacksmith Technical Advisory Board

o Derived from Superfund Protocol

o Pollutant, Pathway, Population

o Developed and refined over 10 years

This soil outside a kindergarten tested at over 10,000 ppm lead. It is down hill from an abandoned lead mine. (Kingston, Jamaica).

Initial Site Assessment

100 fi ld f i f ti th d• 100 fields of information gathered as part of the ISA

o Credible test results in a human exposure pathwaysexposure pathways

o Identification of human exposure pathway

o Relevant topographical and hi l i f tigeographical information

o Information about the type source and quantity of the contaminant

o Stakeholder and owner informationo Photos and GPSo Other Key data

Tanned leather in Uttar Pradesh. Chromium, utilized in the tanning process is commonly found in ground and surface waterprocess, is commonly found in ground and surface water.

Database Demonstration

• During this section we will review it i th d t ba site in the database

All SitesAll Siteso More than 2000 sites have been identified. Some 1400 of those have been assessed on site

By Pollutant Some contaminants are more common in certain regionso Some contaminants are more common in certain regions.

Others, like lead, pose a global risk.

Lead Cadmium

ChromiumPesticides

By Pollutant

RadionuclidesArsenic

National Inventories

o Joint VEA/PCD inventory of Craft Villages (Vietnam)Villages (Vietnam)

o National Summit on Health and PollutionHealth and Pollution (Philippines)

o National Toxics Action Plan (India)

o Forthcoming Workshops in Cambodia, Pakistan and Uruguay.

National Inventories

Output 2Health Assessment

Artisanal Gold Mining

Craft Village, Vietnam

Blacksmith IndexBlacksmith Indexo Blacksmith index is a modified verion

of the Hazard Ranking System (HRS) developed by MITRE corporation fordeveloped by MITRE corporation for Superfund

o Intended to faciliate rapid calculation of risk, not as comprehensive as exisiting HRS

o Sites receive a 1-10 classification

Electroplating in Uttar Pradesh, India. Smallscale operators often pose a larger public health risk than formal operatorslarger public health risk than formal operators.

Blacksmith IndexBlacksmith Index

• log(Population at risk) + log(Severity of Dose) + l (I t it F t ) S it f T i Bl k ithlog(Intensity Factor) + Severity of Toxin = Blacksmith Index

• Population at Risk = Estimated population in contact with a pathwayS it f D t t lt/ d d l l (If thi• Severity of Dose = test result/ recommended level (If this number is less than 2, the Severity of Dose is "0")

• Intensity Factor is defined by the below table.y y• Severe and Persistent Toxins (vinyl chloride, benzene, lead,

radionuclides, hexchromium, cadmium, organophosphate pesticide PCBs POPs mercury) add 1 point to overallpesticide, PCBs, POPs, mercury) add 1 point to overall scale.

Analysis of Associated Health Risksy

o Engaged Internationally recognized experts on Environmental Health from Mount Sinai Hospital

o Systematic review of sites contained in database

o Analized IQ decrement as a result of pediatric lead exposure at sites in the region

Output 3Cost Estimates

Informal ULAB Processing

Cost Estimates

o Sites are reviewed by International Experts to determine i t ti tintervention costs.

o Costs reflect an initial intervention meant to mitigateo Costs reflect an initial intervention meant to mitigate acute health risks, not the full cleanup of the site.

o Costs are estimated within five broad categories:o Up to USD 250,000o Up to USD 500,000o Up to USD 1 Milliono Up to USD 2 Milliono Above USD 2 Million

Country Strategy Papers

o Completed jointly with government agencies

y gy p

o Replicable strategies

o Inventory > Prioritization/ Financing > Implementation

Output 4Implementation

Cluster of Brick Kilns at Kodda, Gazipur

Implementation

o Up to 100 million people affected globally from the types f it id tifi d d th i t

p

of sites identified under the inventory

o Affordable and replicable interventions existo Affordable and replicable interventions exist

o A gap exists in the international response to toxinso Legacy Siteso Artisanal Industries

E i t l Di to Environmental Disasters

Implementation

o Recipient countries building frameworks for i l t ti i t

p

implementation require support• India - National cleanup program funded by World Bank• Philippines – Priority areas identified include ASGM, pp y ,

ULAB, Industrial Rivers• Vietnam – Craft Village intervention following on

inventoryy

o Donors require more research and analysis

o Need to develop national inventories and local capacity to implement projectsto implement projects

Conclusions

Tanneries

Conclusions

o Inventory of 1400 sites is a critical tool for beginning to d t d th ff t f ll ti h lthunderstand the effect of pollution on health.

o Country governments are beginning to utilize ISAo Country governments are beginning to utilize ISA protocol for national inventories, prioritization and implementation.

o Burden of disease posed by sites identified is significant. g

o Interventions for many sites are affordable and effective.

o Work will continue in LAC and Eastern Europe through 20152015

Common Global Pollution IssuesCommon Global Pollution IssuesBlacksmith Institute’s Experience

5 October 2011ICCL MeetingICCL MeetingRenaissance Arlington

Bret EricsonProject ManagerBlacksmith Institute2014 Fifth AvenueNew York NY 10035New York, NY 10035

+1-212-647-8330bret@blacksmithinstitute.org