The United States has vehemently accused Russia of using chemical weapons recently against Ukraine in violation of the existing global ban. In point of fact, the US State department reiterates categorically that Russia has used chloropicrin, an extremely poisonous gas in the war. The State department also emphasized that the US would impose sanctions on three state entities linked to Russia’s chemical and biological weapons programmes and four companies that support these illegal activities.

Russia on the other hand, denied the allegations as odious and unsubstantiated, stating that the nation remains committed to its obligations under international law. Ukraine however said that for the last several weeks Russian forces have used chloropicrin and other tear gases continuously in violation of international law, and sought its condemnation in the strongest terms. It bears recall that the decision taken by the US to dispose of its last chemical weapon stockpile some time back is commendable.

Stockpiling of chemical weapons (CW) and its disposal is a major threat to this planet. Chemical weapons including blister agents like chloropicrin, phosgene, nerve agents sarin, VX, soman etc, blood agents cyanogens chloride, hydrogen cyanide and biological weapons are handled by many belligerent countries of the world. International law has prohibited the use of chemical weapons under The Hague Convention.

The Organization of Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW ), based in the Hague, works relentlessly towards disposal of chemical weapons of the country possessing the same, but a lot still needs to be done. As of 2021, 98.39 per cent of the world’s declared chemicals weapons stockpiles have been destroyed. But there still exist a substantial number of countries with declared stockpiles of CW. Non-signatory nations with suspected stockpiles of CW include Israel and North Korea. Disposal and mass destruction of chemical weapons is absolutely imperative to save our planet. Chemical weapons are one part of the story of the hazards faced by mankind.

The international conference on waste management and recycling concluded in Sofia, Bulgaria a few years back with particular focus on chemical waste disposal and recycling technology transfer. Chemical waste disposal and its sustainable management assume alarming proportions in India. The huge chemical pollution in Ganga river for decades is a matter of grave concern. Waste discharge from a large number of factories, including pharmaceuticals, chemicals, paper, leather, sugar and cotton, incredibly aggravated the situation. It is extremely unfortunate that the sacred river is being used as a substitute for a drain. Almost all developing countries are confronting chemical waste disposal problems formidably, including storage of chemical weapons.

A large legacy of abandoned hazardous sites, unregulated waste dumping and a low priority given to environmental issues are part of the history of our world. Owing to more sensitive general public and health concerns, all countries must take the chemical waste disposal issues very seriously and develop more cogent ideas for underground disposal, considering its technical barriers, legal basis, waste characterization and conditioning. This includes assessment of isolation of chemical waste safely from the environment and the development of sophisticated eco-friendly technologies. Even waste chemicals of the laboratories of schools, colleges, universities, research institutions and hospitals have to be handled very carefully and need to be disposed of with great care.

In formal educational institutions little or no education and training is imparted about chemical safety. There are different ways to achieve disposal, especially for chemical waste from pharmaceutical factories and processing plants. They encompass incineration, chemical waste recycling, and chemical neutralization and land disposal. Landfills are considered to be safe, because they are deep in the ground and non-biodegradable. Adequate measures should be taken to ensure recycling and safety of chemical waste. The waste should not be allowed to contaminate oceans, rivers and ambient air. Although millions of chemical compounds are known, only a small number have been tested as far as their toxicity is concerned.

Chemical hazards may occur during the storage of ingredients, transportation, manufacture, handling, experimentation or even during the disposal of waste products. Toxic chemicals may be present in gaseous state, liquids, solid or dust. The chemicals often find their entry into the body of human beings during breathing, swallowing or when in contact with the skin. Inhalation or breathing process is perhaps the most common route through which toxic chemical substances enter our body and mix with the blood stream. Some corrosive chemical ingredients may be responsible for acute skin disease or prolonged exposure to certain carcinogenic chemicals may lead to cancer.

Bhopal city in India experienced the worst disaster in the world resulting from the leakage of a highly toxic chemical gas, methyl isocyanate commonly known as MIC. MIC is an ingredient necessary for the preparation of pesticides. The massive tragic incident caused thousands to die, while several thousand became blind. Methyl isocyanate is a colourless liquid, which is used extensively in the preparation of polyurethane foams, and in the production of plastics and some pesticides. Occupational health hazards are not necessarily confined within the four walls of factories.

It has been reported that occupational chemical hazards can often lead to abortion, low fertility or even impotence. Some chemicals are responsible for birth defects in newborn babies. Prolonged exposure to lead, mercury, organic lead compound and radiation from x-rays, carbon monoxide, chloroprene used in the manufacture of rubber, cadmium, chromates, fiberglass, silica, pesticides etc. can cause occupational hazards to workers of chemical and pharmaceutical industries. The chemical substances and their toxic effects are usually perceived. The nature of nuclear waste produced in nuclear power plants are different in nature and may raise specific problems of disposal.

Their toxic effects on living organisms are imperceptible; slowly but steadily they pollute the environment if no precautionary measures are adopted right from the beginning. Eco-friendly, regulated chemical and radioactive waste disposal is imperative with the use of sophisticated technology. As the mechanism of handling, storing and management of radioactive wastes are extremely intricate, it transpires that setting up of underground laboratories for carrying out measurement, experiments and grading of radioactive wastes is indispensable. Chemical weapons should be banned.

We should try to keep our earth free from chemical, radioactive and other pollution and maintain ecological balance to provide a decent sustainable habitat not only for future generations of humans but also for all living creatures.

(The writer, a former Reader in Chemistry, Presidency College, Kolkata, was associated with UGF and UNICEF)