Role of Engineering Toward a Better Environment:Global Environmental changes: challenges and opportunities
20-22 Dec 2008, Alexandria, Egypt
H.A.M. de KruijfPUM, Netherlands Senior Experts
UNITAR, United Nations Institute for Training and research
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTACKNOWLEDGEMENTThis presentation is primarily based on the brochure:
MANAGING CHEMICALS IN A CHANGING CLIMATE TO PROTECT HEALTH (April 2008), and the accompanying presentation of IFCS, The Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety
author and contributors:Katherine Shea
Lilian Corra
Jenny Pronczuk
Marie-Noel Brune
Photographs, unless otherwise indicated: by the author
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Climate change and Climate change and Chemical safetyChemical safetyintroductory remarksintroductory remarks The threat of accelerating climate change may
significantly alter global and local development, and thus may also change use, distribution and degradation of chemicals in ways that could affect human health and environment.
Little has been published up to now addressing issues of climate change and chemical safety, in short the possible risks associated with climate change and chemicals.
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Climate change and Chemical Climate change and Chemical safetysafety introductory remarks introductory remarksIn the following presentations we explore How climate change may alter human and
environmental exposure to chemicals Identify who may be particularly at risk of adverse
effects Suggest actions that can be taken now to reduce
adverse impacts on human health and environment (by chemicals); or better: questions that should be raised to identify those actions!
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Climate change and Chemical Climate change and Chemical safetysafety introductory remarksintroductory remarksClimate change is more than a warming trend: Increasing temperatures Increasing temperatures will lead to changes in many
aspects of weather, such as winds patterns, amount and type precipitation, type and frequency of severe weather events
Global sea level could riseGlobal sea level could rise, causing damage to coastal regions through flooding and erosion
Climate of Climate of various regions could change too quickly for many plants and animal species to adjust.
Harsh weather Harsh weather conditions , e.g. heat waves and droughts, could also happen more often and more severely
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Climate change and Chemical Climate change and Chemical safetysafety introductory remarksintroductory remarksClimate change could affect human health, environmental
health and well-being e.g.: Many larger cities could experience a significant rise in
the number of hot dayshot days Air pollution Air pollution problems would increase, placing
children, the elderly and people suffering from respiratory problems at greatest risks of health effects
Molds and pollens Molds and pollens may increase causing respiratory problems
The effects on human exposure will vary widely according to the properties of specific chemicals and chemical combinations
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air
water
sediment
naturalsoil
agricult.soil
industr.soil
emission Advection/dispersive diffusion degradation
Model to calculate distribution of chemicals towards an equilibrium;Where does CC intervene, have an impact? (adapted from: EUSES)
precipitation
Erosion, run-offdroughts
floods
Temperature changes
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Climate change and Climate change and Chemical safetyChemical safetyClimate change may alter human chemical exposure… by changing how chemicals move and transform in the environment
Some examples of how these interactions may affect human exposures due to:
Extreme precipitation, storms and floods threaten water Extreme precipitation, storms and floods threaten water qualityquality
Drought threatens water qualityDrought threatens water quality
Increased temperaturesIncreased temperatures
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Climate change and Chemical safetyClimate change and Chemical safetyClimate change may alter human chemical exposure… by changing how chemicals move and transform in the environment
Extreme precipitation, storms and floods threaten water qualityExtreme precipitation, storms and floods threaten water quality: By increasing urban and agricultural run-off of petrochemicals, industrial
chemicals, chemical waste, pesticides and fertilizers into surface waters or enhanced through-put of supersaturated soil into groundwater; flooding of warehouses and old stockpiles of chemicals such as paints, solvents, pesticides will lead to potentially dangerous exposure situations
Examples:
Climate change and Chemical Climate change and Chemical safetysafetyClimate change may alter human chemical exposure… by changing how chemicals move and transform in the environment
Drought threatens water quality Drought threatens water quality by concentration of non-volatile chemicals and toxic metals in drinking water resources.
When rain comes, parched and cracked soil may permit rapid transit of chemicals into
deep groundwater stores.
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Examples:
From internet
Increased temperaturesIncreased temperatures • will cause volatile chemicals to disperse more quickly in
the air and some chemicals will degrade more quickly potentially creating local hot spots of exposure.
• Evaporation will be enhanced leaving non-volatile chemicals to concentrate in water bodies.
• Global movement of persistent chemicals will be modified with changes in global water and air currents, and thus population exposures will also change.
Climate change and Chemical Climate change and Chemical safetysafetyClimate change may alter human chemical exposure… by changing how chemicals move and transform in the environment
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Examples:
Least volatile
Moderately volatile
Most volatile
Effect of the effect of volatility on transportation distance of POP’sCC will seriously and unpredictably change these patterns
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Climate change and Chemical Climate change and Chemical safetysafety
Global movement of persistent chemicals will be modified with changes in global water and air currents, and thus population exposures will also change.
Climate change and Climate change and Chemical safetyChemical safetyClimate change may alter human chemical exposure… by changing where and how chemicals are used
Chemicals can be critical tools in the global response to climate change, but
when the world warms, chemical use patterns will likely change in several sectors and affect human exposure levels as well as environmental exposure levels.
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Climate change and Chemical Climate change and Chemical safetysafetyClimate change may alter human chemical exposure… by changing where and how chemicals are used
Agricultural chemicalsAgricultural chemicals:CC may require changes in crop choice and lead to a perceived or actualneed to use more, different or new chemicals to combatpests
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Example:
Agricultural chemicals:
Pesticides may lose effectiveness
or be more rapidly broken down in
warmer temperatures which could
lead to more frequent use and more
human and environmental exposure
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Climate change and Chemical Climate change and Chemical safetysafetyClimate change may alter human chemical exposure… by changing where and how chemicals are used
Climate change and Chemical Climate change and Chemical safetysafetyClimate change may alter human chemical exposure… by changing where and how chemicals are used
Control of infectious diseaseControl of infectious disease
Increases in vector-borne diseases anticipated with climate change could stimulate more widespread use of a variety of pesticides to control insect, rodent and other disease vectors
Pharmaceutical use to treat these diseases is also likely to increase and further threaten water quality by stressing waste water treatment and downstream drinking water resources.
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Climate change and Climate change and Chemical safetyChemical safety
Bluetongue is a virus disease (reo viruses) among cows, sheep, goats, etc transmitted by Culicoidesspecies. Since a few years, due to warming of theclimate the disease does now occur above the 50th latitude. This means new regimes for vaccination, eradication , and use of chemicals
The virus: computer model of bluetongue virus
The vector: Culicoides sp. sucking blood
Example of increase in vector-borne disease and geographical movement: the case of bluetongue
From NRC Handelsblad, 01-12-2008
Climate change and Chemical Climate change and Chemical safetysafety Climate change may alter human chemical exposure… by changing where and how chemicals are used
Alternative energy sources Alternative energy sources developed and disseminated to stabilize the climate have the potential to cause large changes in chemical use patterns; for example, the change to bio-fuels and use of waste as fuels could results in new sources of chemical contamination on a largescale. (And there is the question of water versus energy!)
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Climate change and Climate change and Chemical safetyChemical safetyClimate change may make some chemicals more dangerous
Ecosystem services: : some plant and animal species are more vulnerable to heat-related harm if they have prior exposure to various chemicals or are more vulnerable to chemical
exposure when stressed by the
changing climate.
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Climate Change may give a push to invasive plants:
Due to CC more invasive plants may be seen in more temperate zones (and there are already examples)
These invasive plants appear to be more resistant to local plagues thus may more quickly turn out to be a plague themselves! And thus may well become a very serious threat to local biodiversity and water resources. This may lead to additional
use of pesticides causing risks for man and
environment.
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Climate change and Chemical Climate change and Chemical safetysafetyClimate change may make some chemicals more dangerous
Ecosystem services;
It is possible that the adverse impact of CC on
the ecosystems that provide us with food,
fiber and useful chemicals could
be greater in a warmer global
environment!
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Climate change and Chemical Climate change and Chemical safetysafetyClimate change may make some chemicals more dangerous
Climate change and Chemical Climate change and Chemical safetysafetyClimate change may make some chemicals more dangerous
Increased toxicityIncreased toxicity
Increased ambient temperatures may have direct impact on toxicity levels in exposed humans Evidence from medicine (chemicals and fever), drugs
and temperature) Impact on developmental toxicity
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Well described increased toxicity of chemicals in higher ambient temperatures under experimental conditions
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Climate change and Chemical Climate change and Chemical safetysafetyClimate change may make some chemicals more dangerous
It is not clear that this relationship will dominate in the complex world of multiple stressors, but it does support the arguments to minimize all chemical exposures as we seek to meet the challenges of a warming world.
Climate change and Chemical Climate change and Chemical safetysafety
Some groups are more vulnerableSome groups are more vulnerableBecause of inherent characteristics…..Age and general health affect any
individual’s ability to withstand harm
from a variety of chemical exposures.
some groups at increased risks are:
Foetuses
Children
Elderly people
Medical illness
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Climate change and Chemical Climate change and Chemical safetysafety Some groups are more vulnerableSome groups are more vulnerableBecause of inherent characteristics…..Foetuses: are susceptible to permanent harms from even brief exposures in utero as might happen after a water Contamination event such as a flood, or a high dose exposureFrom pesticide spraying
High risk children: In developing countries where water and food scarcity
cause wide spread malnutrition Where CC will cause increased vector-borne diseases
(e.g. malaria) Where agriculture will require high chemical inputs Where children working at jobs with potential high
exposures: agriculture, rag
picking, recycling (batteries,
waste etc)
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Climate change and Chemical Climate change and Chemical safetysafety Some groups are more vulnerable Some groups are more vulnerableBecause of inherent characteristics…..
Elderly people may have lost the physical ability to avoid exposure and/or the physiologic capacity to withstand exposures that
may have been in younger
years relatively non-toxic.
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Climate change and Chemical Climate change and Chemical safetysafety Some groups are more vulnerableSome groups are more vulnerableBecause of inherent characteristics…..
Climate change and Chemical Climate change and Chemical safetysafetySome groups are more vulnerable ………………….because of circumstances
PovertyPoverty limits adaptive responses
to both climate change and chemical
exposures.
MalnutritionMalnutrition, particularly in the very
young, may compound and worsen
effects from any toxic chemical
exposure
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Climate change and Climate change and Chemical safetyChemical safety
Some groups are more vulnerable
…………because of circumstances
GeographyGeography is a major determinant of which health threats from climate change are most likely, and places entire populations at increased risk.
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Example:
low lying coastal communities are more susceptible to floods and storms which may be
complicated by chemical contamination of drinking water, fields, food crops, and living spaces
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Climate change and Climate change and Chemical safetyChemical safety
Climate change and Climate change and Chemical safetyChemical safetySome groups are more vulnerable
………………..because of circumstances
OccupationsOccupations that involve the use of chemicals, such as agricultural work, may be increasingly risky because of increased chemical use,
change in chemicals used
and rapid development
of new chemicals
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Some groups are more vulnerable
………………..because of circumstances
Public Health infrastructurePublic Health infrastructure, including the health care systems, as well s chemical safety laws, regulations, surveillance and enforcement, are critical to minimizing injury and illness related to CC and chemical exposures.
In those areas where these basic services are lacking, whole populations are at increased risk.
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Climate change and Climate change and Chemical safetyChemical safety
THE FUTURE:
Lots of questions but answers????
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Climate change and Climate change and Chemical safetyChemical safety
Role of Engineering Toward a Better Environment:Global Environmental changes: challenges and
opportunities20-22 Dec 2008, Alexandria, Egypt
H.A.M. de KruijfPUM, UNITAR
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Climate change and Climate change and Chemical safetyChemical safetyStarting statements: We need all tools to respond to Climate Change; this
includes existing and new chemicals as well as non-chemical alternatives
Protecting human health and particularly the health of those who are most vulnerable, must be central part of all climate adaptive strategies including chemical use and management
As climate change accelerates and we feel the urgent need to both reduce emissions and respond to public health threats, it is critical that we do not loose sight of the need to strengthen and improve systems to ensure chemical safety.
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Climate change and Climate change and Chemical safetyChemical safety
When considering any climate-related problem, a number of questions relevant to the use of an additional chemicalhemical for any reasonfor any reason should be answered :
Will using a chemical solve this problem? What is known about the toxicity and exposure to the most
vulnerable humans? What is known about the potential harm to ecosystem
services? Are there non-chemical solutions for this problem? Are there multiple chemicals that could be used to solve the
problem?
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QUESTIONS!!!! (1)
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UNESCO-IHE module on Aquatic toxicology
DiscussionBetween the
Risk assessorAnd
Risk manager(Planning)
Ecological Risk Assessment
PROBLEM FORMULATION
Characterizationof
exposure
Characterization of
ecological effects
AN
AL
YS
IS
RISK CHARACTERIZATION
Discussion between the Risk assessor and
Risk Manager (Results)
Risk Management
Data A
cqu
isition
; verification
and
mo
nito
ring
A systematic approachis necessary to studythis sort of problems, such the ecological riskassessment systemSuter, 2007
Climate change and Climate change and Chemical safetyChemical safety
Is there equivalent information on toxicity and exposure for each alternative?
Which is least toxic? What are relative toxicities and efficacies of the viable
solutions? What is unique about the location, geography,
topography, level of development, or population characteristics which will affect movement and breakdown of the chemical under consideration?
What are critical human exposures likely to be?
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QUESTIONS!!!! (2)
Can chemical use be minimized or eliminated over time through alternative management strategies?
Will use of this chemical create new or persistent problems for human health or ecosystem integrity?
Do we have adequate chemical safety and management systems in place?
Will the changing climate increase or decrease human exposure, or make this chemical more or less effective or toxic over time?
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Climate change and Climate change and Chemical safetyChemical safety
QUESTIONS!!!! (3)
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Climate change and Climate change and Chemical safetyChemical safety
We can not say :
or:
What could be your role in the prevention of such hazards? Develop, work on…..Measures to decrease or lower the rate of
climate change!Measures to adapt to the new and predicted
changes: water resources management, waste management, chemicals management (industry, agriculture, pharmaceuticals) etc!
Measures to prevent negative health effects on humans, on the environment!
Measures that develop innovative new constructions where necessary !
Techniques for a better balance between use of limited water resources and energy production!
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Climate change and Climate change and Chemical safetyChemical safety
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Climate change and Chemical Climate change and Chemical safetysafety
IIdentify theproblem
VIImplement and evaluate
IIDevelop risk reductiongoals
IIIIdentify andevaluate options
IVSelect risk reduction strategy
VDouble check
Involve interested and affectedparties
To develop strategies to solveor at least try to solve theseProblems, one could use a so-called Risk Reduction Strategy Modelas developed and applied by UNITAR
Although the relation between climate change and chemical safety has received little attention, developing ideas and working on these issues are part of an international agreement: Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM).
SAICM is a global policy framework to support efforts to achieve the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation goal that, by 2020, chemicals should be produced and used in ways that lead to the minimization of significant adverse effects on human health and the environment. (and that includes of course CC and chemical safety!)
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Climate change and Chemical Climate change and Chemical safetysafety
Climate change and Chemical Climate change and Chemical safetysafety
The Dubai declaration on International Chemicals Management and the accompanying Over Arching Policy Strategy (Feb 2006) identify key elements of chemical safety which will be increasingly important within the context of global climate change.
The declaration stresses the need to protect vulnerable populations (including children and unborn children), promote green chemistry, and operate within a context of transparency, partnership, and accountability among all sectors of society.
In particular there is a call for public access to appropriate information and knowledge on chemicals throughout their life cycle, including the risks that they pose to human health and the environment.
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Climate change and Chemical Climate change and Chemical safetysafety Risk reduction to minimize significant adverse effects on
human health and the environment is the first strategic objective; How? By pollution prevention, precaution, life cycle analysis, and promotion of environmentally sound and safer chemical and non-chemical alternatives are all enumerated as strategies. (using e.g. Life Cycle Analysis, LCA)
Additional areas of action include optimization of knowledge and information, governance, capacity building and technical cooperation.
As work progresses to improve chemical management from the local to the international level, the changes in chemical risk associated with accelerating global climate change must be placed permanently on the agenda.
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Processing on site
Processing on site
Processingprocessing aid
Processingprocessing aid
Processingoff site
Processingoff site
Use of product,articles
Use of product,articles
Recovery Recovery Waste Waste
Processingproduct
Processingproduct
Industrialuse
Industrialuse
Use of product,articles
Use of product,articles
Processingin product
Processingin product
Processingprocessing aid
Processingprocessing aid
Private usePrivate use
Formulation Formulation
Isolation Isolation
Production Production intermediates SUBSTANCE 1
SUBSTANCE 2
RAW MATERIALS
Life cycle of a chemicalsubstance. Emissions tothe environment can occur at any point in this cycle. Hum. Ecol. Risk Assess.9 (1) 292, 2004
non-isolated
isolated
LIFE CYCLE OF A CHEMICAL
Climate change and Chemical Climate change and Chemical safetysafety In the past many chemicals have been used without
sufficient knowledge and consideration of the cost to human health and ecosystem function.
Even now, capacities and capabilities of many countries to protect their citizens from the potential adverse effects of chemicals and soundly manage the use of chemicals, are inadequate; facing the new and expanded problems posed by climate change, these countries most certainly will be additionally challenged.
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Information and training will be needed to ensure the sound management and use of newly developed chemicals, or existing chemicals in new locations and applications specifically under the new uncertain circumstances (CC).
Targeted research and application of a precautionary approach are essential to protect human health and ecosystem integrity from harm as we strive for a sustainable world; especially considering the challenges by the Climate Change
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Climate change and Climate change and Chemical safetyChemical safety
Climate change and Chemical Climate change and Chemical safetysafety
THANK YOU!!THANK YOU!!References can be found in the
indicated brochure as well as on
the website of IFCS:
www.ifcs.ch
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Source of life startshere: beginning of the NILE
The future
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