Beatriz Cardenas, Director of Air Pollution Monitoring and Characterization, National Institute of Ecology (INE-Semarnat) and co-Chair of the Dioxins, Furans and Hexachlorobenzene Task Force of the SMOC project spoke at the CEC Chemicals Management Forum in San Antonio, Texas, on May 15, 2012. More info: http://www.cec.org/chemicals2012

1. Reducing Risk to Dioxins, Furans
and Hexachlorobenzene Through
Trilateral Cooperation
Chemicals Management Forum
San Antonio, Texas
May 15-16, 2012
Commission for Environmental Cooperation
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2. Dioxins, Furans and Hexachlorobenzene Task Force
 Established in 2000, by the Sound Management of Chemicals
(SMOC) Working Group of the North American Commission for
Environmental Cooperation (NACEC).
 The mandate of the Task Force, comprised of delegates from
the U.S., Mexico and Canada, is to work collaboratively toward
effective management to reduce risk associated to dioxins,
furans and hexachlorobenzene in North America, which are in
line with the strategic objectives of the SMOC.
 The Task Force has developed a North American Strategy for
Catalyzing Cooperation on Dioxins and Furans, and
Hexachlorobenzene which highlights a range of activities in
keeping with this mandate.
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3. North American Strategy for Catalyzing Cooperation on
Dioxins and Furans, and Hexachlorobenzene
 The ultimate goal of this work within the North American
context, is that this will lead to a reduction in the risk to
human and environmental health posed by dioxins, furans
and hexachlorobenzene.
 This work also has the potential to minimize cross-border
movement of these substances either as waste materials or as
contaminants in the atmosphere.
 Capacity building is a key aspect of this trilateral undertaking
and this should minimize resources required by individual
countries to achieve their management goals for dioxins,
furans and hexachlorobenzene.
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4. Monitoring and Assessment
Monitoring Dioxins & Furans in Air to Assess Baseline and
Effectiveness of Implementing Actions
 Air Monitoring Networks first established in U.S. (National Dioxins Air Monitoring
Network -NDAMN) and Canada (National Air Pollution Surveillance Network - NAPS)
and in Mexico (the Mexican Dioxin and Furans Monitoring Network - MDFAMN) in
2007 (Task Force project).
 Levels of dioxins in background and semi-urban sites similar in the three countries.
 Levels at urban sites in Mexico are as high as those measured in the U. S. and Canada in
the late 1990s when fewer risk management actions were in place
than today.
 Continue operation
 MDFAMN in two sentinel sites for trends
 NAPS in different sites
 Assessment and tri-country comparison of air
monitoring data currently underway; report available
by end of July 2012.
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5. Monitoring and Assessment
Freshwater Sediment Cores
 Significant data on lake sediments for U.S. and Canada, especially those
from the Great Lakes Basin.
 Data collection for Mexican sediments to evaluate deposition over time
initiated and ongoing.
Soil
 In collaboration with Stockholm Convention Group
of experts, dioxins, furans and hexachlorobenzene
measured in soils near Mexican brick kilns (Kenya
and South Africa data as well).
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6. Monitoring and Assessment
Human Biomonitoring
 Tri-country compilation of dioxin, furan and hexachlorobenzene levels in
mothers published October 2011.
 Comparison of Mexican and Canadian data to be published at later date.
 Canada-wide maternal and infant monitoring for dioxins underway.
 Canadian Health Measures Survey (2007-2009) to be published in the
spring of 2012
• Preliminary results show dioxin concentrations are positively
correlated with age, with the exception of a spike in the 6-11 year
age group, and levels and patterns are similar to those in the U.S.
and Europe.
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7. Monitoring and Assessment
Human Biomonitoring cont.
 On-going U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
(NHANES) monitoring and data compilation for dioxins.
 Recent data shows elevated levels of hexachlorobenzene and other toxic
substances in Mexican children living near brick kilns.
 Human biomonitoring program focused on most exposed populations
underway for Mexico, which would support compilation of a preliminary
North American databank on human exposure to these substances.
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8. Monitoring and Assessment
Food Pathways Analysis
 On-going U.S. and Canadian programs for food analysis, food
consumption patterns, monitoring of animal feeds and products and
trace-back programs to identify origin of contamination.
 Recent acquisition of food analysis capacity by Mexico and other on-
going studies to determine dioxins and furans in foods.
 Study underway to examine exposure pathways unique to Mexico, to
include food production, distribution and consumption patterns, as part
of a tri-national program to determine potential for contamination.
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9. Monitoring and Assessment
Technical Training and Workshops on Source Characterization
and Analytical Issues
Workshops held annually in Mexico over the last years (2007, 2008, 2009,
2010, and 2011) on:
 Source characterization steel manufacturing, base metals smelting,
cement manufacturing, brick manufacturing, waste incineration.
 Emissions inventory activities, environmental monitoring, food and
biomonitoring, survey and analysis in foods and fertilizers, regulatory
updates, and public communications strategies.
 Technical training sessions held on quality assurance/quality control
for air sampling analysis and foods analysis in Canada.
 Outcome: A regional forum for sharing experiences within the
region, critical mass and capacity building.
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10. Technical Training and Workshops on Source
Characterization and Analytical Issues (2011)
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11. Monitoring and Assessment
Fate and Transport Modelling
Capacity building for Mexican technicians and scientists on atmospheric
modelling
 Workshops and training held in Mexico in 2009, 2010 and 2012 on
short and long range atmospheric modelling.
 Development of regional modelling capacity in Mexico toward
development of a North American air modelling project for dioxins
and furans.
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12. Monitoring and Assessment
Risk Assessment Training
 Series of four human health and environmental risk assessment
workshop series provided to Mexico by Canada, completed in
February, 2011.
 Capacity building on risk assessment for dioxins and furans
 Risk assessments for exposure to emissions from wood in
open fires when used for cooking and during artisanal
brick production underway.
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13. Inventories
 Revisions ongoing for Mexico domestic release inventories to improve
quality and comparability of North American inventory data
 Experimental determination of emission factors in one source in Mexico
to reduce uncertainty and improve comparability among the region.
 U.S. and Canada have mandatory reporting programs for point sources of
dioxins and furans.
 Mexico´s National Pollutant Release and Transfer Registry also includes
point sources of dioxin and furans.
 Canada has reduced dioxin and furan releases by 85.5% since 1990´s.
 In 2011, Mexico updated its dioxin and furan release inventory year base
2004 (including artisanal brick production, use of wood for cooking, open
burning of garbage).
 Canada and the U.S. maintain emissions inventories for hexachlorobenzene
and preliminary inventory of hexachlorobenzene emissions in Mexico was
done in 2010.
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14. Pollution Prevention and Control
Industrial and Other Sources
 Canada promotes best available techniques and best environmental practices (BAT/BEP)
as a part of Canada’s National Implementation Plan under the Stockholm Convention.
 U.S. applies Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) Standards and effluent
guidelines toward release control.
 Mexico applies emission standards limits for cement production and waste incineration.
Small-Scale Waste Disposal
• U.S. and Canada inventoried formation of dioxins from small-scale incineration
specifically residential burning practices.
• Mexico in collaboration with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) chemicals
and other institutions determined emission factors for open waste burning which were
later considered to determine contribution from this source.
Pesticides/Fertilizers
• Canada and U.S. regulate dioxins, furans and hexachlorobenzene as microcontaminants in
pesticides, and development of tri-national fertilizer standard underway.
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15. Pollution Prevention and Control
Potential Co-benefits
 Identification of uncertainties in dioxins, furans, and hexachlorobenzene releases
and experimental determination of emission factors of one source.
 Mexican study on replacement of indoor fires with outside-vented stoves, indicated
significant improvement in respiratory health of resident women and would also
include a reduction in exposure to dioxins.
Public Information Materials
 Canada and the U.S. publish information on regulatory activities, policies and health
issues related to dioxins, furans and hexachlorobenzene, and Mexico recently
developed general public and sector-specific (artisanal brick making, open waste
burning) material.
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16. MEETING OUR GOALS
 Trilateral cooperation on dioxins, furans and hexachlorobenzene
since 2000 constitutes a success in the ongoing work of the
Commission for Environmental Cooperation on the Sound
Management of Chemicals.
 Mexico is acquiring significant technical capacity in dioxin
management, particularly with respect to food, ambient
monitoring, and emissions inventories.
 Capacity-building has been the focus of the Task Force in its
technical training exercises over the past years as part of its Task
Force activities, and this substantiates success toward this goal.
 Continued work of the three countries under the Strategy for
Catalyzing Cooperation can be expected to facilitate the
betterment of their domestic risk management programs for
dioxins, furans and hexachlorobenzene.
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17. MERCI THANK YOU GRACIAS
Co-chairs
Beatriz Cardenas, National Institute of Ecology, Mexico
(bcardena@ine.gob.mx)
Lorraine Seed, Safe Environments Directorate, Health Canada
(Lorraine_Seed@hc-sc.gc.ca)
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18. Current Task Force representatives
Canada
• Lorraine Seed, Health Canada (Co-chair)
• Anita Wong, Environment Canada
Mexico
• Beatriz Cardenas, INE (Co-chair)
• Roberto Basaldud, INE
• Jose Luis Lara, SEMARNAT
• Maria Teresa Lopez Rocha, SEMARNAT
USA
• Paul Almodovar, EPA
• Dale Evarts, EPA
Three countries.
CEC Secretariat One environment.
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