Environmental Stakeholders Training Workshop on Hazardous Chemical

By Riziki Abraham

Environmental Stakeholders meeting in the country have been urged to take measures in order to eliminate or restrict the production, of Furans and Dioxins. Thus, through the use of Best Available Techniques (BATs) and Best Environmental Practices (BEPs) this objective can be achieved and as step to implement the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic pollutant by 2025.

The Acting Regional Administrative Secretary, Mr Twariel Mchome, said that today during the opening of the two days training workshop of awareness capacity building on management of Persistent Organic Pollutants POPs particularly dioxins and Furans.

Notably, “dioxins” and “furans” are chemicals known for their toxicity and resistance to degradation through natural ecological processes. Furthermore, these chemicals bio-magnify and bio-accumulate along the food chain and are semi-volatile, thus they can be transported long distance regionally and globally by wind and water currents”, RAS said that.

Mr Mchome added that the dioxins and furans are unintentionally produced or by-products from various industrial and combustion processes such as waste incineration, iron and steel production foundries, biomass power plants, household heating and cooking, cement production, lime production, brick production, glass production, transport and uncontrolled combustion.

On his side the facilitator of the workshop Prof. Jamidu Katima from University of Dares Salaam revealed about the effects which might occur to a person who is exposed to dioxins and furans both occupationally or accidentally. Thus such exposure can be associated with carcinogenic effects, tumors at multiple sites, changes in the immune system, reproductive defects of exposed individuals and their offspring, neuro-behavioural and neurological impairment including learning disorders.

At the sometime, Director of Environment in Vice Presidents office, Dr. Julius Ningu said that, in order to implement the Stockholm convention, his office decided to take some concrete actions in collaborating with various stakeholders to curb the present problems of management of POPs, including developing of capacities for management and control of dioxins and furans; establishment of cleanup and remediation schemes of contaminated sites; development of programmes for raising awareness on BATs and BEPs; establishment of legislation and enforcement regimes on POPs; establishment of schemes for monitoring, control and management of releases of dioxins and furans; enhancing information generation, access and dissemination; and strengthening local research capacity on BATs and BEPs.

The two days capacity building training workshop, organised by Vice President’s Office including participants from Dar es Salaam, Tanga, Kilimanjaro and Arusha which is the second training after the first one which took place in Mwanza last week..