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The 10 tons of the toxic insecticide, endosulfan, in the MV Princess of the Stars’ hull is still in a not-so-soluble “solid flake” form, which explains why a chemical disaster hasn’t happened in Romblon, a government chemist said.

In an interview with abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak, Dr. Dario Sabularse, deputy executive director of the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA), said the endosulfan in the capsized ferry has not caused a chemical disaster since it’s not yet in a “ready-to-mix” form.

“It’s good that it’s not yet ready-to-mix. It’s still a raw material,” Sabularse said. “We’re lucky it’s still intact.”

He said this could explain why the divers have not tested positive for chemical poisoning and why there are yet no reports of fish kills near the sunken ferry.

Sabularse said endosulfan is usually imported in a solid form that looks something like the “tawas” deodorant crystal.

Speaking on Vice-President Noli de Castro’s Saturday program, Para sa ‘yo, Bayan, Dr. Lynn R. Panganiban, head of the National Poison Management & Control Center of the UP College of Medicine, said there has been no significant release of the chemical to the environment enough to affect public health.

She based this observation on the fact that there are no reports of fish kills. She said a fish that eats endosulfan will die within 24 hours.

“It’s really highly-toxic to marine life,” Panganiban said.

Another good sign is that none of the divers has shown symptoms of “possible endosulfan exposure.”

If there has already been some leak from the container, Panganiban said “it would not have been significant enough to affect the environment and health of the people.”

Sabularse said he found it alright for environmental groups like Greenpeace to be alarmed by the potential damage the cargo may have on the environment, but he asked that these groups see the “reality” concerning the chemical.

“I’m a chemist so I’m trying to interpret it also based on the data available,” he said.

Sabularse said a “chemical disaster” would already have happened if the endosulfan was in its ready-to-mix form.

Before the shipment’s owner, Del Monte Philippines, uses the endosulfan raw material, Sabularse said it will still have to mix it with other chemicals like emulsifiers to make it in a ready-to-mix form.

It’s in this form that the endosulfan becomes more soluble, he said. In its solid flake form, its solubility is at a low 0.32 parts per million, the chemist added.

He also noted that the imported chemical is well-packed with fiberboards and other materials, although he added that these will soften and break over time.

Sabularse said it would be best if the endosulfan is taken out from the water by next week so that it will not pose a threat to the environment and the communities around Sibuyan island and Romblon.

“After two weeks, it can leak if the solid is dissolved,” he said, adding that he has not calculated yet how long it would take for the solid endosulfan to be dissolved in sea water.

Endosulfan is a severely-restricted pesticide that can only be used by Del Monte and Dole for their pineapple plantations. Only these two institutional users are allowed to handle the chemical, according to Dr. Norlito Gicana, FPA executive director.

Pineapple growers in other parts of the country are not allowed to use endosulfan. It’s also banned for use in other crops.

Sabularse said Del Monte and Dole only uses small amounts of endosulfan on the pineapples they grow, and by the time the pineapple is ready for harvest, the chemical is no longer detectable.

He said endosulfan is only supposed to be transported in cargo vessels and not in passenger vessels.

Meanwhile, an alliance of individuals from the health sector on Saturday strongly condemned the late announcement by government officials that the ferry M/V Princess of the Stars was carrying 10,000 kilos of highly-lethal pesticide that endangered the lives of the people.

“Endosulfan is a highly-toxic substance that should be banned and not only strictly regulated. If it can go through government inspectors despite its enormous amount, there is either an outright collusion or a gross negligence between Sulpicio, Del Monte Philippines, Inc. (as owners), and government maritime regulatory bodies,” said Dr. Geneve Rivera, Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD) secretary-general.

“All of these parties should be held criminally-liable. They have not only unduly exposed rescuers and volunteers by their late admission but they have also placed entire communities at risk,” she said.

She expressed concern that the ongoing investigations are just for show and that no one will be penalized or held accountable in the end.

“The Arroyo government should act decisively and resolutely, even if the ax falls on its own agencies. Sulpicio Lines has been involved in three previous sea disasters that victimized thousands but it continues to operate,” Rivera said.

“Now we might have a double tragedy: the sinking of a passenger ship and the possible massive exposure to endosulfan.”

The group reiterated that under Philippine laws, endosulfan is prohibited from being used near aquatic ecosystems since it is also highly toxic to fish.

“Government regulatory bodies such as the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority, and even the Department of Health, should be aware of how these substances are used, transported, and stored because these are public health concerns,” said Rivera.

Aside from acute poisoning, chronic exposure to endosulfan even in small amounts is just as dangerous and lethal.

“Endosulfan is an endocrine disruptor that has an adverse effect on growth, development, and reproduction. Women and children are especially vulnerable. It can also cause nervous system disorders as well as cancer,” Rivera said.

The National Disaster Coordinating Council and a government task force on Friday stopped diving and retrieval operations at the sunken ferry in Romblon province after receiving information that the ill-fated vessel was carrying a shipment of pesticide that is dangerous to both man and marine life.

Radio dzMM reported that the vessel was carrying a 40-foot container van containing endosulfan. The shipment is owned by Del Monte Philippines, a pineapple grower in Mindanao.

The vessel which was carrying over 800 passengers and crew sank June 21 after it was battered by typhoon Frank.

On Friday, Del Monte Philippines said the shipment was still enroute for delivery to Del Monte and “therefore outside its control at the time of the accident.”

“The endosulfan cargo originated from a supplier in Israel and it was packed and shipped in accordance with strict international shipping standards for cargoes of this type,” Del Monte Philippines said. “In addition, Sulpicio LInes was fully apprised of the nature of the cargo as all documents were furnished to them including the material safety data sheet from the supplier.”

Greenpeace Philippines, in a statement Friday, said it was “outrageous that a shipment of a highly toxic substance was allowed on board a passenger vessel.”

“We demand that Del Monte and the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority be made fully accountable for this unfolding chemical disaster, the former for continuing the use of such highly toxic chemical and the latter for allowing multinational companies to use them despite the national prohibition and the scientific evidence of their toxicity,” said Beau Baconguis, Greenpeace Campaign Manager.

“This pesticide has also been found to be highly toxic to birds, fish and other aquatic organisms. This is the reason why the Philippines has severe restrictions on the use of Endosulfan especially near or around bodies of water. The M/V Princess of the Stars disaster has now exposed that a multinational corporation like Del Monte is using tons of banned pesticides on their pineapples meant for export. That it took a tragic disaster to expose another ongoing disaster is infuriating,” she added.

Greenpeace said Endosulfan is being considered today for global elimination under the United Nations Convention on Persistent Organic Polllutants (Stockholm Convention) to which the Philippines is a signatory.

Initial tests of the waters around the ship Friday so far showed no traces of contamination of endosulfan, but authorities are taking extra measures to avoid people coming into contact with the chemical. All four samples collected from the waters surrounding Sibuyan island in Romblon have tested negative for the chemical endosulfan.

68 divers involved in the search and retrieval operations in Romblon were flown to Manila Friday for a series of medical tests to determine if they have been exposed to the highly dangerous chemical endosulfan.

Doctors checked the divers’ eyes, heart, muscles and reflexes to see if any part of the neural and circulatory systems has been impaired.

Most of the divers were feeling well and did not exhibit any symptoms of endosulfan poisoning.

Blood samples were also taken to determine if their blood count is normal and if the kidney and liver are functioning well. The samples will be brought to Malaysia for the tests which will confirm if the highly-toxic pesticide have entered their bloodstream.

Authorities however have placed safety as paramount as they declared an 800-meter radius “no-entry zone” around the ill-fated ferry.

Health authorities Friday also banned the consumption of fish harvested from the area.