Ban sale of mercury in dental supply stores, group asks gov’t
AN ANTITOXICS watchgroup has sounded the alarm against the over-the-counter sale of mercury in dental supply stores in Metro Manila despite international efforts to ban the use of the substance.
“Despite global recognition that mercury is hazardous to health and ecosystems, we still find liquid mercury being sold over-the-counter particularly in dental supply stores,” EcoWaste Coalition coordinator Thony Dizon said Sunday.
The group urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to immediately restrict the sale of mercury, a highly toxic substance.
According to Dizon, four of the 10 dental supply stores the group visited in Quiapo and Sampaloc, Manila, on Saturday sold mercury in small clear glass bottles for P85 to P95 per five grams and P150 per 10 grams.
He said the bottles did not provide any toxic warning even though exposure even to small amounts through ingestion, inhalation or skin absorption is detrimental to one’s health.
“If you have the money, you can easily buy as much as you want without any question asked. We find this worrisome as unhampered sales may lead to mercury being used for unauthorized applications,” Dizon added.
EcoWaste said that the mercury bought in dental supply stores could be used in small-scale gold mining.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has prohibited its use in mineral processing, particularly in small-scale mining.
EcoWaste urged the FDA to speed up the issuance of regulations that would phase out the use of mercury in dental care.
In the meantime, Dizon urged the government to “immediately stop the over-the-counter sale of mercury in dental supply stores and to impose stringent restrictions to prevent unauthorized uses of mercury.”
He said restricting its sale would contribute to the country’s efforts to implement the Minamata Convention on Mercury which more countries are ratifying in order for it to become effective this year or the next.
Named after a city in Japan where thousands of people were poisoned by mercury-tainted industrial water, the Minamata Convention seeks to reduce the use of products such as thermometers, energy-saving light bulbs and dental amalgam that use mercury, and restrict processes in industries that involve its use such as mining, cement and coal-fired power plants.
