The Hindu Business Line : Mercury exposure on the rise in India: Study

India is emerging as the new hotspot for trade in mercury and its unregulated internal distribution, and a wide social group is exposed to the hazards on a daily basis, says the latest research by environmental organisation, Toxics Link.

"Mercury is a lethal metal. Most people come into contact with it without realising its effects. Its power can be well understood from the fact that a gram of mercury could contaminate a 20 acre lake," Mr Ravi Agarwal, Director, Toxics Link said.

According to Mr Agarwal, contact with mercury could cause neuro-toxic effects, loss of muscle coordination, behavioural problems and even loss of memory.

Harmful effects

It also hampers nerve conduction after long-term occupational exposure; causes renal failure; and chronic exposure to the metal could impair fertility and pregnancy.

According to the report, schoolchildren came into direct contact with the metal through their school laboratories.

In a survey done in Kolkata, though 15 per cent students had played with liquid mercury and 46 per cent had used it on paper, 30 per cent of them did not know how hazardous it was.

Mr Agarwal said that though mercury is used in making products such as thermometers and fluorescent lamps by the organised sector, the largest circulation of the metal happens in the unorganised sector through waste-pickers. Waste-pickers collect mercury from disposed tube lights and thermometers in bottles and sell it to small shopkeepers.

Regulations

According to the report, in spite of the dangers of the metal, the Government had no regulations on its imports and was not addressing the problem.

In fact, after developed nations such as the US and the UK shunned its use, India had emerged as the second largest importer of mercury purchasing 150-200 tonnes in contrast to China's purchase of 800-100 tonnes per annum.

China is the world's largest importer of mercury.

Mr Agarwal said that there was an alternative to mercury in most of the products.

India produces 5 lakh thermometers, while it imports about 1.2 lakh from China, which meant that the country could do without the use of the metal very comfortably, he said.