The disposal of unsuitable pesticides is planned to be eliminated in the Vitebsk region

October 26, Minsk / Olga Belyavskaya - BELTA /. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection is seeking investors for the implementation of the project to eliminate the Gorodok burial site of obsolete pesticides (Vitebsk region), Alexander Rachevsky, head of the ministry's department for international cooperation and information, told BELTA correspondent. Scientists have already prepared a project proposal for the project. Environmentalists plan to find a partner for its implementation during negotiations with representatives of international organizations. The need to eliminate the Gorodok burial site is due to the danger of groundwater contamination with harmful substances. "According to the latest data, scientists during research detect traces of the burial site in natural ecosystems, so our task is to find partners in order to eliminate it," the source said. Alexander Rachevsky recalled that in the near future, a project to eliminate the Slonim burial site of obsolete pesticides will be implemented in Belarus, which will significantly improve the environmental situation in the region. The work will be carried out with the support of the World Bank. The Gorodok burial site of obsolete pesticides was built in 1973. Pesticides are placed in trenches 2 m deep. The total mass of buried toxic chemicals is estimated at 411.4 tons, including 1st class - 43.6 tons, 3rd class - 130.1 tons, 4th class - 237.7 tons. The share of low-hazard pesticides is 58%, and high-hazard pesticides is 10%. About half of the substances stored in the burial site are organochlorine pesticides. Burial sites of obsolete pesticides contain persistent organic pollutants - primary and by-product industrial chemicals. They are low-volatility, chemically stable compounds that can remain in the environment for a long time without decomposing. Such substances accumulate in the fatty tissues of animals and humans. At the same time, even small concentrations of some persistent organic pollutants can cause significant harm, leading to the development of diseases of the human immune and reproductive systems, and cancer. The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants has entered into force to protect the environment and human health from the impact of POPs. The list of POPs of this convention, in addition to pesticides, dioxins and furans, includes polychlorinated biphenyls, which have been produced and used for a long time in many countries around the world with virtually no restrictions or controls on their handling. Belarus officially joined the convention in 2004. -0-