Hazardous Chemicals Transferred from Developed Nation to Third World Locals

Washing hands with Trichloroethylene

I start off this month's blog with this image as it symbolizes a major international issue that is spoken about infrequently yet should be one of the main topics of discussion in all international commercial discussions.

An example of this issue is a local 'recycling facility', aka junkyard, that has provided the French military with an exclusive location to dispose of all of it unwanted material (trash).  This material includes jeeps, generators, furniture, ammunition boxes (empty), ammunition clips, washers, refrigerators, trucks, tires, barrels, and drums.

There does not seem to be any controls placed on the 'waste' material that is given (or sold) to this local recycler.  I was told this man has been in business for over 30 years and been exclusive with the French military for all of that time.
As you see in the above photograph of drums of 'acid' it does not appear that the containers have been properly drained and cleaned prior to be 'transferred'.  There were a number of drums that were full, of what I don't know, but I would not be interested in doing any taste test.

I watched a laborer who was painting a drum wash his hands using Trichloroethyene (TCE).  I tried to explain to him that this was not a good idea, but I was not able to properly communicate this to him=French does not translate well to English or versa.  Which is just as difficult when we are speaking with people in our own country.  

TCE has been used for years as a solvent by both private and government industrial sectors that includes the military.  It has been used as an anesthetic, in food processing, dry cleaning solvent, industrial cleaner, and in refrigerant manufacturing.

When talking with long time TCE users, who usually look like long time TCE users, it was always difficult to explain to them the hazards associated with the improper use and disposal of this solvent.  It is not uncommon to hear statements such as; "I've been using this stuff for years and nothing has happened to me", "It is great, so what do you have that will replace it", "You environmental people are all nancy boys", etc.  

So trying to speak with someone in a third world country is that much more difficult as they have the same opinion.  This is a parts cleaner product that comes from France so it has to be good, never mind being safe or not.  The man actually did say to me "no problem, good".  

Something as simple as a parts cleaner that is dangerous at best when used properly, is associated (according to the CDC) with depressed brain function, kidney/liver toxicity, associated with the development of Parkinson's Disease, reproductive toxin, and of course cancer whose impacts are magnified when used improperly; i.e. hand washing.

The improper use of hazardous chemicals is a norm in third world countries where a combination of a high illiteracy rate, and general understanding of health is common.  If someone can't read a label how can they understand the dangers or how to protect themselves?  If that same person has no basic health science back ground how can they understand the risks?  Answer to both questions is they can't.  


This is not an isolated incident.  As I have seen large US firms supporting the same type of activity, especially when operating in these third world countries.  One temporary energy firm I worked for had a plant in Ecuador.  The diesel engine mechanics had a local deaf/mute janitor wash parts using gasoline.  When I told them to immediately stop they complained to 'senior' management that I was impacting the operation.  They had used gasoline for parts washing for years, and there is no other alternative.  Of course I identified an alternative within a few days, that was cost effective and safe.  Old ways of doing things are always hard to change.

According to UNESCO the majority of illiterate people in the world are located in the sub-sahara, arabic countries, and south Asia.  The sub-sahara of Africa is where hazardous waste/chemicals has been disposed of or stored legally (as in the case of the French military mentioned about) and illegally.  

The Basel Convention agreement was designed to stop the illegal transboundary movement of these substances.  In the case of the US military it has caused an increase in the price that is paid to dispose of hazardous wastes.  This increased price can put pressure on other country governments to identify other means of disposal as was identified at this one location, either intentional or inadvertent.