Hotspot report for a contaminated site: Old Korogwe DDT site in Tanzania.
This activity reviewed the inventory of obsolete pesticide stockpiles in Tanzania and selected one of the highly contaminated ones as a case study. The Old Korogwe DDT site contains 50 metric tons of DDT stored in an open shed close to one of the tributaries of the Pangani River. Intensive study of the site was carried out to identify and predict the effects that could arise due to the existence of the obsolete stockpiles of DDT in the site. The study revealed that 60% of the people complained of an irritating smell of the DDT at a distance beyond 100 meters, and, on windy days, the smell could reach as far as 600 meters. The main source of water for Old Korogwe community is located within 50 meters of the contaminated site. The study identified information and public awareness gaps that need to be addressed and noted that there are neither remediation strategies nor the capacity (both technical and resource) in place in Tanzania to decontaminate the site.