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CSE warns against mercury pollution
New Delhi, Nov 03: After making a splash with its pesticides-in-colas study, the Centre for Science and Environment today warned against mercury-contaminated fishes and said India has surpassed the US as the biggest consumer of mercury.
New Delhi, Nov 03: After making a splash with its
pesticides-in-colas study, the Centre for Science and
Environment today warned against mercury-contaminated fishes
and said India has surpassed the US as the biggest consumer of
mercury.
"Mercury imports to the country have increased six fold
from 254 tonne in 1996 to 531 tonne in 2002. This is three
times higher than the global mercury assessment estimates,"
Director CSE, Sunita Narain, told reporters here.
She said while most developed countries were phasing out use of mercury due to health concerns, India was "phasing in" mercury, "mindless of the enormous dangers of mercury contamination".
"We are rapidly becoming the toxic dumping ground of the world's mercury," she said.
While mapping the "mercury hot-spots" in the country, CSE found that coastal areas of Mumbai, Kolkata, Cochin, Karwar, Karnataka, Chennai, north Koel, Bihar were severely polluted, contaminating the fish stock.
In most cases the contamination level in fishes exceeded the 0.5 ppm total mercury regulation. In west coast, particularly in Mumbai, it was 1.6 times higher than the permissible level.
"High levels of mercury has been detected in fishes along the coastal area both in freshwater and saline water," said CSE's report that is based on studies by Central Pollution Control Board and state Pollution Control Boards.
Bureau Report
She said while most developed countries were phasing out use of mercury due to health concerns, India was "phasing in" mercury, "mindless of the enormous dangers of mercury contamination".
"We are rapidly becoming the toxic dumping ground of the world's mercury," she said.
While mapping the "mercury hot-spots" in the country, CSE found that coastal areas of Mumbai, Kolkata, Cochin, Karwar, Karnataka, Chennai, north Koel, Bihar were severely polluted, contaminating the fish stock.
In most cases the contamination level in fishes exceeded the 0.5 ppm total mercury regulation. In west coast, particularly in Mumbai, it was 1.6 times higher than the permissible level.
"High levels of mercury has been detected in fishes along the coastal area both in freshwater and saline water," said CSE's report that is based on studies by Central Pollution Control Board and state Pollution Control Boards.
Bureau Report