“Why regulate safe practices for a sustainable tomorrow?” is the theme under which the Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Board (PTCCB) will host Chemical Awareness Week 2025 to highlight the critical importance of proper chemical management for public health and environmental protection.
During an interview on state media, Chairman of the PTCCB, Dr Linroy Christian, and the Registrar for Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals within the Ministry of Agriculture, Jonah Osmond outlined their approach to chemical regulation and public safety.
“The week is really to bring awareness, public awareness to the effect of chemicals — how we regulate chemicals, how you should go about using and disposing of them. It’s just bringing awareness to that life cycle approach to the management of chemicals,” Osmond explained.
“Most of the chemicals affecting human health and the environment are industrial chemicals – they’re in the very fabric you wear, in your cookware, in everyday items,” Dr Christian explained.
The week’s highlights include two major stakeholder events: a General Stakeholders Forum on January 8 which will bring together importers, industry representatives, dealers, and hoteliers to discuss current regulations and future plans.
This will be followed by a Health Forum on January 9, featuring representatives from the Ministry of Health, the medical sector, and academia to explore the links between chemical exposure and public health.
A key focus of the health forum will be emerging concerns about endocrine disruptors and long-term health effects of chemical exposure.
Dr Christian highlighted the example of plastic products, noting that while many products advertise being “BPA-free”, substitute chemicals like BPS may pose similar health risks.
BPS stands for Bisphenol S (BPS), an alternative for Bisphenol A (BPA), however some studies have indicated that the alternative may not be safer.
Meanwhile, the PTCCB continues to emphasise a cooperative rather than punitive approach to enforcement, though challenges remain with unregistered imports.
“Being approved somewhere else doesn’t mean it’s approved in Antigua,” Dr Christian cautioned, referring to chemicals purchased abroad or online.
“Overall, I think the public has been quite good. The importers have been going through a licensing process that I think they have adhered to largely, and we hope to continue this in the future because we don’t want to take too much of a punitive approach, but more a cooperative approach,” he added.
The stakeholder events aim to strengthen what Dr Christian calls the “science-policy interface,” ensuring that scientific research informs decision-making about chemical regulation.
The board hopes these discussions will lead to more sustainable practices in chemical management across all sectors of society.
