Unsafe Mercury Levels Found: Prachin Buri

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PRACHIN BURI

Unsafe mercury levels found

PONGPHON SARNSAMAK

THE NATION

Group to inform UN conference of contaminated fish, human hair samples

PRACHIN BURI: -- A civic group will submit to the United Nations a report showing that fish in a river in Prachin Buri, and hair samples taken from villagers living nearby, contain high levels of mercury believed to come from an industrial park in the province.

The group plans to submit the report to a UN conference on mercury contamination in Geneva next week. The conference is aimed at encouraging government agencies around the world to strengthen measures to control contamination caused by factories.

"All human-hair and fish samples collected from the site near the industrial park in Prachin Buri were tainted with mercury at a high level that exceeded safety standards," said Penchom Sae-Tang, director of Ecological Alert and Recovery Thailand (EARTH), who led the research team that compiled the report.

She was speaking at a news conference at the Thai Journalists Association to launch the report on mercury contamination of the environment. The report will be submitted to the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiat-ing Committee (INC5) to prepare a global legally binding instrument on mercury, which will be held in Geneva from January 13-18.

The seven-page report was conducted by a team of researchers from EARTH and its networks last year to estimate the level of mercury contamination in the environment and in people in Thailand.

FACTORIES MAY BE TO BLAME

They collected 20 samples of common snakehead fish and 20 hair samples from villagers living in tambon Tha Tum, which is near the large industrial complex in Prachin Buri's Sri Maha Pho district. The site consists of 75 factories in an area of 12 square kilometres.

Penchom explained that human hair was widely accepted as a matrix for reliable estimation of the body burden of methylmercury. The UN Environment Programme's Global Mercury Assessment, meanwhile, noted that mercury was present in fish all over the globe at a level that adversely affected humans and wildlife, she added.

EARTH's study found 0.53 milligram of mercury per kilogram in snakehead fish samples, which exceeds the standard set by the Public Health Ministry. Under this standard, the level of mercury in food should not exceed 0.02mg/kg.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stipulates that the level of mercury in food should not exceed 0.22mg/kg.

The study found that the mercury level in the hair samples was 12mg/kg, which exceeds the EPA's contamination level of 1mg/kg for human hair. Thai authorities have yet to establish a standard for mercury contamination in human hair.

EARTH suspected the high level of mercury contamination was likely caused by fly ash (a by-product of the combustion process) and wastewater released by a coal-fired power plant and pulp-and-paper mill at the nearby industrial park.

"This report reflects the fact that industrialisation in a developing country like Thailand still causes problems for local people. This problem needs to be addressed urgently by the relevant agencies," she said.

-- The Nation 2013-01-10

[Halion]

These levels are rather significant and represent a most serious health risk to resident in that area and are most certainly the release from localized industrialisation . The response noted in this report states that the action will be to obtain a globaly binding instrument on mercury levels ??? Where is the local EPA in this and why is there no mention of actions to factualy determine the source of this mercury and take the necessary remedial actions to stop the polution. Mercury contamination and impact on health are well documented and enforced in other countries. Just another example of the mentality here where we continue to skirt serious health issue caused by unsupervised industrialasition, however, we will indulge in overseas junket trips to discuss the issues, yet do little to little to determine and eradicate the source of the contamination. Find the source and shut it down. Now !!

[emanphoto]

Business has no moral compass and requires regulations w/enforcement instead of the "mai pen rai" BS.

[Thai at Heart]

No one messes with Double A. Too big, too rich, too dominant. Simple...

[Ned]

I reckon that if all us long term residents here had our hair tested for mercury and other nasties then we'd probably have similar levels to all those poor villagers in Prachinburi. It's a hazardous chemical pit out there folks......whether you live in a toxic city or chemical drenched countryside. And you get a generous spoonful of MSG on your food for no extra cost!

[tonglen]

Ah, yes, get the UN involved. That way they can send a tersely worded letter to the factory and threaten to do more of the same.

Thats their usual foreign policy.

[I Like Thai]

[Briggsy]

If the facts are true, then of course it is most disturbing.

However, it is important to understand that all over the country wherever villages are close to large industrial facilities, there is constant antagonism between local politicians and the major companies, particularly ones which are seen as good companies to get into to.

The local politicians, with the support of the villagers organise lots of protests and press opportunities, whilst simultaneously making outrageous financial demands upon these large companies with no proof of pollution. They also often demand that the teenage/twenty-something kids of the villagers are given jobs. These youngsters would not be suitably qualified but they know once they get in to the company, this being Thailand, they will never get them out and there is income for life.

Not saying this is the case here, but local politicians are very active in this type of situation.

[Chao Lao Beach]

No one messes with Double A. Too big, too rich, too dominant. Simple...

Same Same but different to PTT at Mat ta Phut down the road from Pattaya

[matt helm]

Stuff like this gets little publicity but it's far more dangerous than any of the usual hazards like crime and traffic.

[Thai at Heart]

No one messes with Double A. Too big, too rich, too dominant. Simple...

Same Same but different to PTT at Mat ta Phut down the road from Pattaya

There are many worse places in Mapthaput than PTT. I have been in most of them, and in fairness, PTT doesn't do a bad job.

But Double A, is Prachin. They built the paper mill first, and then built the industrial estate. The smell alone from their process is unbelievable. That may not be categorised as dangerous, but how people live next to the place, god only knows.

Edited January 11, 2013 by Thai at Heart