Abu Dhabi: Lack of awareness about the dangers of a pesticide popularly known as “bomb” leads to its illegal use that risks poisoning and death, a senior official told Gulf News on Sunday.
Many people still are not aware of the dangers of banned “aluminium phosphide” [known as bomb for its severity] and accept offers from illegal pest control operators to use it in residential units, Engineer Othaibah Alqaydi, Director of Chemicals Department at the Ministry of Environment and Water, said.
“People should be careful as some illegal operators convince ignorant people that it [aluminium phosphide] is the cheapest and best solution to eradicate all insects and pests from residential and commercial buildings. If people are aware of its dangers, its misuse can be stopped,” she said.
As part of raising the awareness, the ministry reissued a general warning against aluminium phosphide on Sunday. “We have to continuously educate the people about this,” Alqaydi said.
Moreover, its legal use for agricultural purposes rises during summer and the ministry wants to prevent its misuse, she said.
Aluminium phosphide is classified as a severely restricted agricultural pesticide for indoor fumigation of raw agricultural commodities in silos and grain warehouses only.
“But this use is on a very small scale and only a few companies are allowed to import this chemical to the UAE under strict supervision,” Alqaydi said. Its use is restricted under the supervision of qualified specialists and agricultural engineers. The authorised pest control companies should submit a monthly report to the ministry about the used pesticides.
Although currently there are no internationally declared alternatives for its agricultural use, the ministry is working on finding safer alternatives. “It is under study,” the official said.
The ministry’s warning said that aluminium phosphide turns from solid state to gas once the package is opened, spreading the deadly phosphine (PH3) that causes poisoning and death.
Those who use it could face prosecution.
Under the provisions of the federal law No 41 for the year 1992 regarding pest control insecticides and pesticides, violators shall be punished by imprisonment up to six months or a fine from Dh20,000 to Dh100,000 or both. Penalties prescribed in Articles 342 and 343 of the Penal Code are applied, if the offense results in the death of individuals or a detrimental effect on their health.
The ministry, Customs, local governments and the police have been working together to enforce the regulations on pesticides. The Ministry of Environment and Water is working closely with the Ministry of Health to share a database of all registered pesticides in the UAE to provide the correct antidote in case of an emergency.
The ministry has advised people to check the directory of authorised pest control companies on the website of the local municipalities. The ministry is working with its partners to launch a new awareness campaign to specifically target residential areas and buildings with central air conditioning.
