1ST TECHNICAL WORKSHOP
ON SOURCES AND LEVELS OF PERSISTENT TOXIC
SUBSTANCES (PTS)
March 10-12
Venue
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES DEPARTMENT
KUWAIT INSTITUTE FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, KUWAIT
AGENDA
DAY 1
Saturday,
March 9, 2002
Arrival, Accomodation
DAY 2
Sunday,
March 10, 2002
Opening Ceremony
9:00-10:15 AM
Welcome 10 min
KISR authorities
Presentation on Stockholm Convention
Dr. Paul Whylie
and RBA PTS Project
UNEP-Chemicals
An Overview of the Region Indian
Dr. P.K. Seth
Ocean
Regional Coordinator,
Indian Ocean
Workshop scope
Dr. Abdul Nabi Al-Ghadban
Workshop Coordinator
10:15-10:30
Tea Break
10:30- 12:30
Discussion Papers
10:30- 11:00
Background Document I: Sources
RT Member
11:00- 11:30
Background Document II :
RT Member
Environmental Concentration
11:30-12:30
Country Reports
Bahrain: Dr. Afaf Syed Ali Al-Shoala
Saudi Arabia: Dr. Suliman M. Al-Zaben
Qatar: Dr. Khalid Ghanim Al-Ali
Oman: Dr. Saeed Bin Ali Al-Zadjali
Iran: Dr. Tagi Ebadi
Bhutan: Dr. Tenzin Khorlo
12:30- 14:00
Lunch Break
14:00-15:30
Country Reports
15:30-16:00
Working Group Formation: Two
WG Strategy (WG 1:
Groups
Sources; WG 2: Levels
DAY 3
Monday,
Simultaneous Sessions: Group Assessment
March 11, 2002
9:00-10:15
WG 1 Sources
WG 2 Levels
Background information
Overview of levels
Data collection & QC
Levels and trends
10:15-10:30
Tea Break
10:30-12:30
Pesticides
Air
Industrial Chemicals
Surface waters
Unintended by-products
Ground waters
Other PTS
Soils
Hot spots
Aquatic biota
Terrestrial biota
Hot spots
12:30-14:00
Lunch Break
14:00-16:00
Data gaps
Data gaps
Summary-significant country source
Summary-significant
environmental levels
Literature
Literature
DAY 4
Tuesday,
March 12, 2002
9:00-10:15
Plenary Session
The presentation of WG 1 Report
The presentation of WG 2 Report
10:15-10:30
Tea Break
10:30-12:30
Discussion on Group Reports
12:30-14:00
Prayer & Lunch Break
14:00-16:00
The Meeting of Regional Team
DAY 5
Wednesday
March 13, 2002
9:00-10:15
The Meeting of Regional Team
10:15-10:30
Tea Break
10:30-12:30
The Meeting of Regional Team
Dear Sir,
Its our pleasure to inform you that KISR is organizing the 'First Technical Workshop
on Sources and Concentration of Potentially Toxic Substances (PTS)' in Kuwait on
March 10-12, 2002 under the aegis of UNEP-Regional Committee for Indian Ocean.
The 1st TW is a part of a global program initiated by UNEP/GEF on "Regionally Based
Assessment of PTS". The introduction of PTS into the environment and resulting effects
is a major issue that gives rise to concerns at local, national, regional and global scales.
This workshop would provide a rapid evaluation of the priorities within countries of the
region Indian Ocean viz., Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, IR Iran, Kuwait,
Myanamer, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Srilanka, UAE, & Yemen.
We extend invitation to you to present a report on the available information's on sources
and environmental levels of PTS in your country. The organization committee will pay
your boarding and lodging and travel.
Looking forward for your active participation to address this important issue threatening
environmental and human health and assess the seriousness of the problem in our region.
Kindly confirm your participation at your earliest.
Sincerely,
(Dr. Abdul Nabi Al-Ghadban)
Coordinator 1st Technical Workshop
Manager
Environmental Sciences Department
UNEP/GEF PROJECT
REGIONALLY BASED ASSESSMENT OF PERSISTENT TOXIC
SUBSTANCES (PTS)
1ST TECHNICAL WORKSHOP
ON SOURCES AND LEVELS OF PERSISTENT TOXIC SUBSTANCES (PTS)
ON
March 10-12
AT
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES DEPARTMENT
KUWAIT INSTITUTE FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, KUWAIT
WORKSHOP COORDINATOR
Dr, Abdul-Nabi Al-Ghadban
Manager
Environmental Sciences Department
Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research,
POBox 24885, Safat-13109, Kuwait
REGIONAL COORDINATOR (INDIAN OCEAN)
Dr. P.K. Seth
Director
Industrial Toxicology research Centre,
POBox 80, Lucknow India
INDIAN OCEAN REGION
Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, IR Iran, Kuwait, Myanamer, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan,
Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Srilanka, UAE, & Yemen
GLOBAL COORDINATOR
Dr. Paul Whylie
UNEP-Chemicals
Geneva, Switzerland
BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT
UNEP/GEF has initiated a global program on Regionally Based Assessment of
Persistent Toxic Substances (PTS)
The introduction of xenobiotic chemicals that are generally referred to as PTS into the
environment and resulting effects is a major issue that gives rise to concerns at local,
national, regional and global scales. Many of the substances of greatest concern are
organic compounds characterised by persistence in the environment, resistance to
degradation, and acute and chronic toxicity.
In addition many are subject to atmospheric, aquatic or biological transport over long
distances and are thus globally distributed, detectable even in areas where they have
never been used. The lipophilic character of these substances causes them to be
incorporated and accumulated in the tissues of living organisms leading to body burdens
that pose potential risks of adverse health effects. Toxic chemicals, which are less
persistent but for which there are continuous releases resulting in essentially persistent
exposure of biota, raise similar concerns. The persistence and bioaccumulation of PTS
may also result in increase over time of concentrations in consumers at higher trophic
levels, including humans.
A sub-group of the persistent toxic substances are the "persistent organic pollutants"
(POPs) identified by the international community for immediate international action1.
These chemicals have serious health and environmental effects, which may include
carcinogenicity, reproductive impairment, developmental and immune system changes,
and endocrine disruption thus posing a threat of lowered reproductive success and in
extreme cases possible loss of biological diversity.
PERSISTENT TOXIC SUBSTANCES (PTS)
The list of the dirty dozen (POP)* has now been revised and several other substances of
similar characteriastics have been included under PTS.
·Aldrin*, Chlordane*, DDT* Dieldrin*, Endrin*, Heptachlor*, HCB*, Mirex*,
Toxaphene*, PCBs*, Dioxins*, Furans*
·Chlorodecone, Hexabromobiphenyl, HCH, PAHs, PBDE, Chlorinated Paraffins,
Endosulphan, Atrazine, Pentachlorophenols, Organic mercury compounds, Organic Tin
compounds, Organic Lead compounds, Pthalates, Octylphenols, Nonylphenols
·And Others
* The initial twelve
EXPECTED OUTPUT OF THE WORKSHOP
This workshop would provide a rapid evaluation of the priorities within countries of the
focussed region "INDIAN OCEAN".
The actual priorities for action within each region may not be the same, reflecting
differences between regions in terms of economic development, agricultural and
industrial production, and climatic, geographic and social and cultural conditions.
Therefore, the assessment will be based on an analysis of conditions in each region, using
information available from a variety of sources and following common methods and
approaches.