On September 24, 2019, at the Aram Khachaturian House-Museum, the “Armenian Women for Health and Healthy Environment” NGO celebrated the 20th anniversary of its foundation. Representatives of the Ministries of the Republic of Armenia, international organizations in Armenia, NGOs and foreign guests attended the event. During the event, Aram Asatryan (violin), Yana Daryan (viola), Hasmik Ter-Antonyan (piano) and Gohar Nersisyan (vocal) performed the works of world-famous composers.
http://old.awhhe.am/anniversary20/anniversary20-eng.pptx
http://old.awhhe.am/anniversary20/anniversary20-outcome-eng.pptx
The 24th World Water Week was held from 25 to 30 August 2019 in Stockholm, organized by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI). This year’s World Water Week addressed the topic: Water for society, including all.
GWP, SIWI, UNICEF and UNECE organized the session “How to increase impact of WASH sector diagnosis tools” This event presented a unique opportunity to bring together practitioners, designers, and donors to co-explore solutions for enhanced implementation of WASH services. In a live chat show style debate, speakers presented approaches and processes needed to ensure WASH sector tools achieve success in planning, inclusive access, increased water governance, and enhanced climate resilience from their country perspectives.
The Armenian experience in drafting legislative changes on equitable access to water and sanitation supported by EU funded EUWI+ programme was showcased! The presentation was made by Ms. Emma Anakhasyan, Armenian Women for Health and Healthy Environment” NGO. In the meantime, more information on the event is available via this link: https://programme.worldwaterweek.org/event/8482-how-to-increase-the-impact-of-wash-sector-diagnosis-tools
Представитель AWHHE приняла участие в двухдневом семинаре Международной сети НПО по ликвидации загрязнителей ( IPEN), который завершился в Волгограде 20августа 2019 года. Семинар проводили IPEN, “Эко-Согласие” – координационный центр IPEN в регионе Восточной Европы, Кавказа и Центральной Азии (ВЕКЦА) и Информационный центр “Волгоград-Экопресс”.
Обсуждалась работа организаций – членов IPEN и общественных организаций Волгограда, Волжского, Ростова, Саратова, Краснодара, занимающихся решением сложных задач безопасного обращения с отходами, доступом к экологической информации, участием общественности в принятии экологически значимых решений. Была представлена работа IPEN на международном уровне, а также конкретные проекты организаций – членов сети в разных странах и их участие в глобальных кампаниях IPEN.
Участники встречи рассмотрели новые тенденции в работе общественных организаций ВЕКЦА, общие и специфические проблемы, с которыми сталкиваются НПО региона. В частности, внимание было уделено важности совместной работы общественных организаций для решения проблем безопасной утилизации отходов, включая пластиковые отходы и отходы 1-2 классов опасности.
Особое внимание было уделено участию НПО в выполнении четырех химических конвенций, а именно: Стокгольмской, Базельской, Роттердамской и Минаматской. Обсуждались проблемы реализации Конвенций в странах ВЕКЦА, а именно, в Армении, Украине, Кыргызстане и России. Представители НПО рассказали об итогах выполнения проектов, направленных на мониторинг содержания ртути в организме человека и в рыбе. Подчеркивалась актуальность мониторинга источников ртутного загрязнения и последствий воздействия ртути на здоровье людей.
Участники семинара обсудили также вопросы воздействия токсичных химических веществ на здоровье женщин и причины, по которым эта проблема становится все более актуальной. Большой интерес вызывала презентация “Гендерная экспертиза проектов нормативных правовых актов в области химической безопасности”, с которой выступила представитель НПО Кыргызстана “Независимая экологическая экспертиза”. Впервые был поднят вопрос о важности проведения такой экспертизы, даны советы по ее выполнению силами общественных организаций.
Во второй день семинара была проведена экскурсия в Центр Экологического контроля, действующего в Волгограде. Центр помогает осуществлять общественный контроль экологической ситуации в Волгограде и других городах России, оказывает экологические консультации, ведет экспертную работу. Практически ежедневно в Центр обращаются жители Волгограда, которые жалуются на загрязнение воздуха, вызванного работой нефтехимических предприятий Лукойл и Каустик. Благодаря данным, полученным в лаборатории Центра, жители могут аргументировать свои жалобы и обращаться в администрацию компаний и города с требованиями принять срочные меры по недопущению токсичных выбросов.
По результатам дискуссии на семинаре принято решение подготовить Платформу для создания безопасной окружающей среды, представляющую собой рекомендации НПО по ключевым вопросам обеспечения химической безопасности. По мнению участников семинара, в действующем химическом законодательстве стран ВЕКЦА необходима фундаментальная реформа для защиты людей и, в первую очередь, наиболее уязвимых групп населения, а именно, детей, женщин, пожилых, инвалидов, рабочих. В качестве первоочередной задачи следует принять меры по поэтапному отказу от наиболее опасных химических веществ, разработке безопасных альтернатив, защите сообществ с высокой степенью риска и обеспечению того, чтобы лица, ответственные за создание и использование опасных химических веществ, несли полную финансовую ответственность за устранение ущерба здоровью людей и окружающей среде.
Кроме того, участники семинара решили подготовить Заявление НПО о необходимости принятия срочных мер по прекращению производства, импорта и использования глифосата. В частности, НПО рекомендуют:
1. Разработать поэтапный план полного отказа от глифосата в странах ВЕКЦА,как на бытовом уровне, так и для сельского хозяйства.
2. Запретить в странах региона импорт и продажу глифосата и содержащих его препаратов;
3. Проводить мониторинг импортируемых подобных химических препаратов; Запретить производство глифосата на территории стран ВЕКЦА, как опаснейшего химического яда, который может вызвать изменения в организме человека, не совместимые с жизнью;
4. Продолжать дальнейшее исследование вредного воздействия глифосата – в частности, на эндокринную систему человека;
5. Использовать другие меры для уничтожения сорняков на основе менее токсичных препаратов, а также агроэкологии и традиционных знаний, включая косьбу, вспашку и чередование культур;
6. Проводить информационный кампании и акции, направленные на снижение применения глифосата и глифосат содержащих препаратов в регионе.
Все презентации, сделанные во время семинара, размещены на сайте “Эко-Согласия” по адресу:
http://www.ecoaccord.org/pop/
Dear Dr.Manvelyan,
On behalf of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland
and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Geneva,
Switzerland, we would like to express our appreciation for the work
your Organization did for the International Lead Poisoning Prevention
Week in 2018.
It is gratifying to see that we are all working towards one goal:
eliminating lead from paint. Awareness is increasing, which is also
thanks to your work.
Please accept the attached Certificate of Gratitude signed by high-level
officials in both our Organizations.
Keep up the good work.
With kind regards.
Dr Evelyn Kortum – Technical Officer – Chemical Safety Team Department
of Public Health, Environment and other Determinants of Health (PHE)
Cluster for Climate, Environment and other Determinants of Health (CED)
(Prague, Brussels, February 21st): The European Parliament and Council decision on the reform of the Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Regulation announced this week, hailed as protective for health, will keep children exposed to hazardous flame-retardant chemicals associated with thyroid disruption and neurological deficits. Under the reformed Regulation, high levels of hazardous brominated flame retardants that are present in electronics waste, including those already banned by the Stockholm Convention, will be allowed in recycled plastics.
The new rules allow 500 mg/kg of brominated flame retardants listed for global elimination under the Stockholm Convention in mixtures and articles. Environmental health researchers from Arnika, HEAL, and IPEN have demonstrated that toxic brominated flame retardants are entering the waste stream from discarded electronics. These chemicals, known to disrupt the thyroid function and cause neurological and attention deficits in children, were found in a concerning number of children’s products and other consumer products made from recycled plastics across Europe. With this limit, the European Parliament and Council accept to leave our children at risk of exposure to persistent organic pollutants – chemicals that the Stockholm Convention aims to eliminate globally due to health and environmental concerns.
The recent report Toxic Loophole: Recycling Hazardous Waste into New Products found that 92 % of laboratory tested consumer products, including toys, purchased in 19 European countries are contaminated with flame retardants known as BDEs (which primarily come from recycled electronic waste). Ironically, this decision means that 64 % of the tested products will be legal because of the unreasonably high limit set by the EU.
“The EU’s agreed limit of 500 mg/kg for these substances in mixtures and articles is a permission slip to contaminate children’s toys with toxic flame retardants. Do members of the European Parliament and Council find it acceptable that our children play with persistent organic pollutants designated for global elimination?” asked study lead author Jitka Strakova, a researcher from Arnika who specializes in POPs.
The limits set in the European Parliament and Council agreement constitute a loophole, say researchers, that will allow a set of toxic chemicals to persist and harm health.
“Recycling toxic chemicals into new products undermines the entire concept of a circular economy. This calls for strong action from European decision-makers to eliminate them once and for all. BDEs are nothing to play with. Those endocrine disruptors are responsible for attention and neurological deficits in children,” said Genon Jensen, co-author of the study and Executive Director of the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL).
“The new EU rules conflict with obligations under the Stockholm Convention which prohibit the recycling of articles containing DecaBDE, “said Joe DiGangi, Senior Science and Technical Advisor at IPEN. “This sets the stage for a conflict at the upcoming Conference of the Parties by positioning the EU as advocates for toxic recycling.”
Dioxins, another group of highly hazardous substances, can form unintentionally when plastics containing flame retardant chemicals are heated and remolded in the recycling process. The study Toxic Soup: Dioxins in Plastic Toys demonstrates that contamination through the recycling of BDEs also introduces dioxins into recycled plastics products, which is an additional reason to keep BDEs out of waste.
“Dioxin content in a toy tested from Germany contained levels similar to those found in waste incineration fly ash. Brominated dioxins are highly hazardous chemicals that are known to affect brain development, damage the immune system and unborn children, increase the risk of cancer and risk disruption of thyroid function,” explains Jindrich Petrlik, the lead author of the study, Executive Director of Arnika – Toxics and Waste Programme, and Co-Chair of IPEN’s Dioxin, PCBs, and Waste Working Group. “POPs wastes are highly hazardous and need to be strictly controlled. The EU has failed to do that.”
Contact:
Jitka Strakova, Arnika Association, jitka.strakova@arnika.org, tel.: +420 777 266 386
Laura Weide, IPEN, lauravyda@ipen.org, tel: +1 510 387 1739
Elke Zander, Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL), elke@env-health.org, tel.: +32 (0)2 234 36 47
Notes to editor:
Arnika Association is a Czech non-governmental organisation established in 2001. Its mission is to protect nature and a healthy environment for future generations both at home and abroad. Since its beginnings, Arnika has worked on protection of consumers from chemically hazardous products. Lately, Arnika has been conducting its own research focusing on toxic chemicals in consumer products; mainly toys and childcare products. Arnika serves as the Regional Hub for Central and Eastern Europe for IPEN.
The Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) is the leading not-for-profit organisation addressing how the environment affects human health in the European Union (EU) and beyond. HEAL works to shape laws and policies that promote planetary and human health and protect those most affected by pollution, and raise awareness on the benefits of environmental action for health. HEAL’s EU Transparency Register Number: 00723343929-96
IPEN is a global network of more than 500 health and environmental public interest organizations in over 100 countries, working to eliminate the world’s most harmful chemicals to create a toxics-free future. IPEN’s EU Transparency Register Number: 157269723532-97
2019-Enabling Women to Participate in Sustainable Water Management in Armenia
The project was highlighted in the latest UNDEF Newsletter. Please click below for the UNDEF latest newsletter, including the Board’s green light for new project proposals, UNDEF’s event with the UN Deputy Secretary-General during the High-level Political Forum, and stories from UNDEF’s work in the field (including AWHHE project).
https://www.un.org/democracyfund/sites/www.un.org.democracyfund/files/Newsletter/uu42_july_2019.pdf
In August 2021, UNDEF conducted an external evaluation of the implemented project. The report highlighting the successful project implementation is published in the evaluation section of UNDEF’s website (https://www.un.org/democracyfund/content/europe). To read the report, follow the link:
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EcoLur
On 10 December, Czech scientists presented in Yerevan the findings of the research they carried out in Akhtala, Alaverdi and Shnogh communities in Lori Region in the frames of ‘Industrial Pollution in Lori Region’ conference.
Still in the summer, the Czech specialists took samples from community land areas, riverbed, residents’ hair, as well as eggs from households during their visit to Akhtala, Alaverdi and Shnogh communities. The samples were researched at University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague.
The research has been carried out in the frames of ‘Involvement of Civil Society in Armenia in Decision-making in Mining’ project funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic and implemented by Czech ‘Arnika’ organization, ‘Armenian Women for Health and Healthy Environment’ and ‘EcoLur’ Information NGOs.
Under the findings, the pollution with heavy metals is rather high, it impacts the environment and human health. The Czech scientists discovered a new risk – a carcinogenic chemical substance, dioxin, in the eggs of the hens kept by the residents.
The Head of Consular Service of the Czech Republic to Armenia, First Secretary Ani Shaginyanova said that the mission of ‘Arnika’ organization is to monitor the situation in Armenia, to support the residents who live near the mines and the tailing dumps. The experts can submit their proposals on the solution to the problems to the Armenian Government (video).
President of ‘Armenian Women for Health and Healthy Environment’ NGO Yelena Manvelyan outlined, ‘Unfortunately, there is monitoring carried out in our country on the pollution of soil, animal products, human hair with heavy metals. The information received as a result of this project gives a new impulse. The availability of high concentration of dioxin in the eggs shall attract the attention of the competent bodies,’ Yelena Manvelyan said (video).
Inga Zarafyan, President of ‘EcoLur’ Informational NGO stress out that a political will is needed to solve the problems. ‘From now on we have a new parliament and we will soon have a new government. The solution to these problems requires a political will.’
Alaverdi plant has been operated with the equipment dating back to the 17th century: nothing has been changed there for a long time except for the location of the chimney. Here we deal with cheap and dangerous technologies. In this regard, both the business and the government shall be held liable, as the alarm signals have always been beaten, but there has been no relevant response. Now we have a new challenge – the availability of dioxin and the intoxication reaches an unacceptable state.
Teghout mine resulted in having newly polluted land areas and newly polluted rivers. Now the mine has a new owner, a new operator has been appointed, a Russian company, which doesn’t mention anything about Teghout on its official website. It’s unclear what kind of relationships and obligations they have towards the community. In this regard as well, we should receive clarifications from the government.’ (video).
19:26 December 10, 2018
Source: https://www.ecolur.org/en/news/mining/–/10651/
Press release from December 10, 2018
Toxic heavy metals were found near people’s houses in Northern Armenia.
The local industry is to blame, Czech scientists say
ALAVERDI/YEREVAN – The vicinity of mining and metallurgical enterprises in Lori Province, Armenia, is likely to be contaminated with dangerous chemicals, mainly copper, exceeding legal standards and hygienic norms. Local hotspots having direct impact on environmental pollution are located either in close proximity to, or directly within the urban areas. The samples from Debed River contained the highest levels of toxic metals, potentially affecting the people farming alongside the riverbank, experts from the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague alert. Local and foreign organizations call for rigorous action of governmental bodies.
Copper smelter in Alaverdi, mine and tailing pond in Teghut and several tailing ponds around the town of Akhtala – those are the largest industrial sites of the Lori region and according to latest research, also the cause of copper, zinc, molybdenum, lead and arsenic presence in the neighbouring environment.
The copper levels found in sediments extracted from the river of Debed show rapid increase in samples extracted just below the industrial sites exceeding the background levels even hundred times. (1)
“The sudden elevation of those values proves the forthright influence of the local mining or metallurgical activities on the environmental pollution by heavy metals,” explains Ing. Marek Šír, PhD., co-author of the research funded by the Transition Promotion Program of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.
“However, even less contaminated water may cause health problems to anyone who gets exposed for longer period of time, for example by showering or through farming. Copper in such cases affects negatively mainly liver and kidneys,” an expert from the University of Chemistry and TechnologyWest Bohemia in Pilsen, the lead author of the research
Toxic eggs and playgrounds
The impact on human health was analysed also through sampling human hair of local inhabitants, free-range chicken eggs or children’s sandpits. Half of the examined playgrounds showed considerable heavy metal pollution while children are noticeably highly sensitive and vulnerable to such chemicals. Disturbing concentration of copper was also found in few samples of hair from the people living in the area famous for the UNESCO-listed monasteries.
Speaking about the eggs, Jitka Straková, an expert on toxic chemicals from the Czech NGO Arnika, notes: “In Alaverdi, the detected levels of dioxins exceed both European and Armenian standards, in some cases even over five times.” As the egg samples suggest, the industrial pollution affects also the food-chain and causes considerable danger from dioxin-like compounds. “Just by eating average amount of eggs typical for Armenian population, people already break the tolerable daily dose of dioxins as it was set by European Food Safety Authority,” Straková adds.
The research results were highly anticipated by the locals, Armenian environmentalists say. “We finally have hard scientific data to prove that people’s health is being harmed by the industry due to insufficient protection by the legislation and local authorities,” summarizes Dr. Elena Manvelyan, the Head of Armenian Women for Health and Healthy Environment NGO. “The responsible authorities have to take immediate and appropriate steps to stop this poisoning,” Manvelyan appeals.
However, the solution might be hard to draw since operations in both Alaverdi and Teghut were recently shut down for business, Ecolur’s president Inga Zarafyan points out. The Russian VTB Bank launched ‘Property vs Debt’ process in September-October in two companies of Vallex Group – ‘Teghout’ CJSC and ‘Armenian Copper Program’ CJSC, owner of Alaverdi Copper Smelter.
The research was carried out by the laboratories of the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague as part of a project of environmental organizations Arnika from the Czech Republic and Yerevan based Armenian Women for Health and Healthy Environment with support from Ecolur informational portal and the Transition Promotion Program of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.
Remarks for editors:
Read the quoted reports:
See the gallery from the sampling: https://english.arnika.org/photogallery/in-armenia-among-ancient-monasteries-and-dangerous-mining
- The copper level found in sediments extracted from the river of Debed under the Alaverdi factory are thirty-one-times higher (2,200 mg/kg) than the ones detected above the town. The slowly decreasing figures further down the stream are then being interrupted by the confluenting creeks running from the mining areas – the Shnogh River polluted by the waste of Teghut mine exploitation and the Akhtala River polluted by the waste of Akhtala ore dressing combine, in which the highest measured levels were found – over 7,000 mg/kg – exceeding the pre-Alaverdi numbers even hundred times. The river of Debed flows through the whole region from South-West and over the borders to Georgia. Alongside the 152 kilometres in Armenia, it is being used by local farmers for gardens and orchards.
AWHHE representative participated in the second meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (COP2), which took place from 19 to 23 November 2018 in Geneva, Switzerland. The Conference was preceded on 17-18 November by preparatory meetings, including regional and NGO meetings. A series of regional meetings was held in preparation for COP2, including the meeting of the Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia region (16-17 October 2018 in Chisinau, Moldova).
The Minamata Convention bans new and phases out existing mercury mines, contains measures to control trade, releases, and air emissions, and regulates the informal sector of artisanal and small-scale gold mining. Delegates engaged with technical issues to further the implementation of the Convention. Delegates were able to agree on permanent arrangements for a stand-alone Secretariat, based in Geneva. COP2 also adopted decisions on, among others: cooperation with the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions; rules of procedure for the Implementation and Compliance Committee; mercury waste thresholds; harmonized customs codes; contaminated sites; interim storage; capacity building, technical assistance, and technology transfer; and effectiveness evaluation.
The chemical chlorpyrifos has serious negative effects on our health — especially for children.
Exposure to it, even in small doses, can impact children’s brain development and hormonal systems. Scientists have linked it to developmental delays in children, working memory loss, and increased risk of autism.
So why is it all over our fruits and vegetables?
Chlorpyrifos is still widely used as a pesticide throughout Europe. In fact, it’s one of the pesticides most commonly detected in fruits and vegetables across the continent. It’s been found in soil and, in Spain, even water.
Now the governments of the European Union are deciding whether to relicense this dangerous chemical. An important meeting will take place on October 23 and we’re determined not to let that happen — and we’re not the only ones. We’re joining an all-star coalition with the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL), Générations Futures, Ecologistas en Acción and the European and German branch of the Pesticides Action Network to launch an emergency campaign to ban chlorpyrifos. Will you help stop this terrible pesticide?
Tell the EU to ban chlorpyrifos and work towards a toxic-free future for our kids and our environment.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are supposed to be good for us.
But too much of our food now sold in Europe is laced with chlorpyrifos, which can cause brain damage and developmental delays in children – even in very small amounts.
Scientists say these neurological effects “appear to be permanent, irreversible, and lifelong.”
Chlorpyrifos’ current EU license expires in January 2019. Right now, European authorities are reviewing the industry’s renewal request for the pesticide. But key research is missing in this reviewing process — especially the pesticide’s link to brain damage.
This is our chance to stop a new license from being issued — but we need your support today to do it.
We’re up against some serious lobbying power from the pesticide megacorps. Dow, the main corporation behind the renewal request, reportedly spent over 3 million euros to lobby European politicians on pesticide-related issues in 2017 alone.
That same year, Dow’s influence convinced the Trump administration to reverse a ban on agricultural use of chlorpyrifos in the United States, against the warnings of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) own scientists — and the US Court of Appeals has since ordered the EPA to uphold the ban.
We can win against their million-euro lobbying, as we’ve done time and time again, and get rid of chlorpyrifos for good. But it will take all of us.
Tell the EU to listen to science over pesticide lobbyists and ban this toxic chemical from Europe.
Incredible members like you have taken on the pesticide industry before and won.
In France, your donations helped our partner Générations Futures win the suspension of Dow’s bee-killing pesticide. We’ll never match the industry’s cash, but we can fight back with the overwhelming numbers of parents who want to keep their kids safe and the environment clean — and the many others who just want our governments to put human well-being over corporate greed. Are you one of them?
Campaign launched by:
https://actions.sumofus.org/a/chlorpyrifos