US experts in RP for mercury spill cleanup

A team of US environmental experts and scientists have arrived in the country to help clean up the Parañaque school mercury spill that exposed students to the toxic substance, a congressman said yesterday.

Parañaque Rep. Eduardo Zialcita said members of the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) will be coordinating with the Department of Health and Inter-Agency Committee on Environmental Health (IACEH) for the mercury cleanup.

The spill, which occurred during a laboratory experiment last Feb. 16, resulted in the closure of the St. Andrew’s School. Classes were tranferred to nearby St. Paul’s College.

Zialcita said the USEPA arrived upon the invitation of IACEH member Dr. Irma Macalinao of the UP Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology to assist in the "validation of mercury substance and vapor."

Validation of the substance’s presence was conducted by the Royal Haskoning, a group of Dutch experts, along with Philips contractor Globcare.

The lawmaker said school authorities, including the Parents-Teachers Association, have been exerting all effort to clean up the spill in anticipation of the opening of classes next month.

Because of the incident, Zialcita filed a bill that seeks to "prohibit the use, purchase and storage of mercury substance and mercury instruments in all private and public schools and institutions in the country."

"Another unfortunate incident may happen in the future if no legislation is carried out to ban the use of this substance in schools. This is an important step to protect our children’s health from the dangers of mercury pollution and contamination in schools," he said.

Experts have warned that mercury is an extremely toxic substance that can harm human health and wildlife.

Those exposed to it can suffer mental problems and impaired vision, speech, hearing and coordination.

"High levels can damage the brain, kidney, lungs and can be fatal. Fetuses and young children are specially at risk because of their developing nervous systems," Zialcita said.