'Toxic pollutants must be phased out'

BANDUNG (JP): The use of chemicals containing persistent organic pollutants in the agricultural and industrial sectors must be phased out before they cause irreparable damage to the country's marine resources, a government official said Saturday.

"Persistent organic pollutants need a very long time to decompose. They should no longer be used in our industrial and agricultural sectors," said Soeriaatmadja, the minister of environment's assistant for global environment affairs.

He cited as an example the widespread use of Dichloro Diphenyl Trichloro-ethanes (DDT) as an agricultural insecticide.

It takes an average of 11 years for the substance to decompose and not be harmful to human beings and other organisms, he told reporters.

Soeriaatmadja was in town to address a seminar on how to improve the environment at the Bandung Institute of Technology.

He reminded decision makers in the government that toxic pollutants are easily spread by water. "Make sure that the pollution levels do not exceed the tolerable limit in our rivers."

He said the Center for Oceanography Research at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) is currently researching organic pollutants.

Soeriaatmadja said that those in the fields of industry and agriculture should begin using materials which pose less threat to the environment for economic reasons as well.

"It will be very difficult for our industrial and agricultural products to compete with similar products from other countries that have turned to environmentally friendly materials," he said.

He added that Indonesia is a signatory to the international agreement on protecting the marine environment from land-based activities.

The agreement was signed by 133 countries in Washington last November.(17/imn)