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Help Taking Care Always. Help Forming Clean Cities. Help Creating Thailand Attraction

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Help Taking Care Always. Help Forming Clean Cities. Help Creating Thailand Attraction STATE OF HARZARDOUS CHEMICALS Help taking care always. Help forming clean cities. Help creating Thailand attraction. With love and non-toxic heart. THAILAND STATE OF POLLUTION REPORT 2004 63 Hazardous Chemicals The statistic data (recorded by the Customs Department regarding the import of organic and inorganic hazardous chemicals in 2004) and the total production amount (registered with the Department of Industrial Works and the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand in Number 42 (1) (2) categorized by industries operating chemical products, chemical substances, or hazardous materials) revealed that about 4.81 million tons of hazardous chemicals have been imported while 24.68 million tons have been produced locally. The total amount of imported and locally produced hazardous chemicals was 29.49 million tons, increase of 9.63% if compared to the year 2003 (Table 1 and Figure 1). Table 1 : The Amount of Imported and Produced Hazardous Chemicals in Thailand from 1995 to 2004 Unit : million tons Year 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Import amount* 3.23 3.40 3.22 3.11 3.37 3.54 4.59 5.38 4.60 4.81 Production amount** 6.61 8.89 9.70 9.80 9.87 14.23 24.74 28.00 22.30 24.68 Total 9.84 12.29 12.92 12.91 13.24 17.77 29.33 33.38 26.90 29.49 Remark : * Import data from The Customs Department ** Production amount refers to the highest production capacity registered with the Department of Industrial Works and the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand Amount (million tons) 30 25 20 Production Amount 15 Import Amount 10 5 0 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Year Figure 1 : The Trends of Imported and Produced Hazardous Chemicals in Thailand from 1995 to 2004 THAILAND STATE OF 64 POLLUTION REPORT 2004 Health Impacts from Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals Hazardous chemicals utilized in various activities evidently gave the impact to the public health, workers in factories, as well as farmers. The report prepared by the Department of Disease Control, the Ministry of Public Health Affairs indicated that, in 2004, there were totally 2,717 patients due to hazardous chemical exposure, which were categorized into 853 patients due to industrial hazardous chemicals, and the other 1,864 patients due to herbicides and pesticides. In addition, there were 10 dead persons : 1 due to toxicity of industrial hazardous chemicals and the other 9 due to toxicity of herbicides and pesticides. Toxicity from Industrial Hazardous Chemicals The statistic data of the number of illness and death cases, collected by the Department of Disease Control, the Ministry of Public Health Affairs revealed that, in 2004, there were 854 patients and deal persons due to industrial hazardous chemicals: 853 patients and 1 dead person (Table 2 and Figure 2), which was 5 times higher than the total number recorded in 2003. The reasons might be because of the contamination of cadmium in the environment and agricultural crops, especially at Huay Mae Tao wastershed, Mae Sod District, Tak Province, and the continual expansion of industry sector. Table 2 : A Number of Patients and Death due to Hazardous Chemical Exposure between 1995 - 2004 Unit : person Hazardous Chemicals Year 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Agricultural Hazardous Illness 3,398 3,175 2,844 4,305 4,171 3,109 2,653 2,571 2,342 1,864 Chemicals Death 21 32 29 18 33 21 15 11 9 9 Industrial Hazardous Illness 162 201 211 287 365 1,177 280 180 157 853 Chemicals Death 2 - 1114- --1 Total Illness 3,560 3,376 3,055 4,592 4,536 4,286 2,933 2,751 2,499 2,717 Death 23 32 30 19 34 25 15 11 9 10 Source : The Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health Affairs Number (person) 5,000 4,000 Toxicity by agricultural 3,000 hazardous chemicals 2,000 Toxicity by industrial 1,000 hazardous chemicals 0 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Year Figure 2 : The Number of Patients and Death due to Hazardous Chemical Exposure between 1995 - 2004 THAILAND STATE OF POLLUTION REPORT 2004 65 Hazardous chemicals affected to humanûs health proportionally, 131 patients from petro substances 118 patients from toxic gases and vapors, 556 patients from heavy metals (in groups of manganese, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium), and 48 patients from lead. One dead person was caused by the toxicity of petro substances. The North region had the highest number of patients; the second highest number of patients were Northeastern, Southern, Eastern, and Central regions respectively. (Figure 3) South : 85 persons (10%) Northeast : 118 persons (14%) Central : 43 persons (5%) East : 47 persons (6%) North : 560 persons (65%) Figure 3 : Statistic Data of Patients Exposed to Industrial Hazardous Chemicals in 2004 Source : The Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health Affairs THAILAND STATE OF 66 POLLUTION REPORT 2004 Toxicity from Agricultural Hazardous Chemicals The statistic data of the number of illness and death cases due to the toxicity of agricultural hazardous chemicals, collected by the Department of Disease Control, the Ministry of Public Health Affairs, revealed that, in 2004, there were 1,873 patients and deal persons : 1,864 patients and 9 dead persons, 20% lower than the rate in 2003. Most patients were found in the Northern region, and the second rank were found in the Northeastern, Central, Eastern, and Southern regions respectively (Figure 4). Top ten provinces with the highest number of patients were Nakhon Ratchasima (159 cases), Nakhon Sawan (146 cases), Kamphaeng Phet (110 cases), Phetchabun (108 cases), Phichit (104 cases), Si Sa Ket (94 cases), Phitsanulok (90 cases), Udon Thani (90 cases), Sukhothai (76 cases), and Uthai Thani (73 cases) proportionally (Table 2). East : 88 persons (5%) Central : 195 persons (10%) South : 47 persons (3%) Northeast : 642 persons (34%) North : 892 persons (48%) Figure 4 : Statistic Data of Patients Exposed to Agricultural Hazardous Chemicals in 2004 Source : Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health Throughout the year 2004, relevant agencies have taken actions to reduce the impact of agricultural hazardous chemicals. For example, the Department of Agricultural Extension has promoted and developed organic agricultural and non-toxic products, the management of quality and standard of agricultural products, pest bio-control, and integrated pest management (IPM) under the process of farmersû school. THAILAND STATE OF POLLUTION REPORT 2004 67 Hazardous Chemical Accidents Hazardous chemical accidents are severe and have the huge impact to peopleûs lives and properties, including the environment. Although both government and private sectors have issued preventive measures and the preparation to tackle accidents, caused by hazardous chemicals. The statistic data, collected by the Pollution Control Department pursuant to the general peopleûs complaints to the Department and other governmental agencies, revealed that, in 2004, 24 hazardous chemical accidents occurred (excluding 4 cases of illegal waste or hazardous chemical dumping and 1 case of naturally rising gas), which could be categorized as 5 accidents from the transportation of hazardous chemicals, 13 accidents from industrial factories, and 6 accidents from hazardous chemical storage (Figure 1). Those accidents resulted to 140 injured persons and 27 dead persons with the damage costs at 200 million Baht (the overall amount, in some cases, the damage costs were not assessed). Hazardous Chemical Hazardous Chemical Storage 25% Transportation 21% Industrial Factories 54% Figure 1 : Hazardous Chemical Accidents of Various Locations in 2004 Source : The Pollution Control Department, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Most accidents came from unawareness of facts, carelessness and negligence and unawareness of toxicity caused by hazardous chemicals. However, handling accidents occurred last year proved that solutions by local rescue crews were done rapidly with efficiency coordination and incidents were halted correctly pursuant to academic principles. In part of the Pollution Control Department, it has continuously taken actions to strengthen the potential of local agencies starting from preparing the chemical emergency action plan for the provincial level, and encouraging the establishment of provincial accident facing units to rescue and weaken the pollution due to hazardous chemicals by providing proper devices and equipment for related operations by agencies under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. The organization had arrarged training courses to offer related personnel knowledge and skill for correctly and safely handling emergency accidents due to hazardous chemicals, so that these agencies became the network enabling to support local units to handle hazardous chemical accidents. THAILAND STATE OF 68 POLLUTION REPORT 2004 A truck loading nitric acid was capsized on Bang Na - Trad Street, Km. 1, inward bound, Khwaeng/ Khet Bang Na, Bangkok on 24 February 2004. This made nitric acid in the tank flowing to the road, generated toxic smoke spread out, which resulted to the irritation of the respiratory system. The cause of this accident was the truck driver changed the driving lane suddenly, so the truck lost its balance and overturned. The Pollution Control Department in cooperation with the Police Fire Station, Bang Na Unit, and other related agencies salvaged that chemical leak from the street by scattering sand and lime to cover the road face to restrain the acid vapor and to stabilize the chemical to the neutral condition before spurting
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