MANILA, Philippines—An environment and health watchdog on Friday sounded the alarm about the unregulated over-the-counter sale of liquid mercury used by dentists for filling teeth cavities.
EcoWaste Coalition said its “AlerToxic Patrol” was able to buy a small bottle of mercury for P280 from a dental supply store in Sampaloc, Manila along the University Belt, indicating how freely the potentially dangerous metal was being sold and bought locally.
The highly toxic chemical was contained in a delicate bottle with no label and precautionary information, according to EcoWaste. It added that its team managed to make the purchase “with no questions asked.”
“We find it very disturbing to find out that such an extremely harmful chemical poison is sold in the most reckless way, which could result in mercury being released into the environment due to breakage, spillage or misuse and causing accidental and, God forbid, deliberate exposure to mercury,” said Thony Dizon, coordinator of the group’s Project Protect.
“We need to stop such over-the-counter sale as if mercury is just a piece of candy.
In fact, we should aim for mercury-free dental care,” he said in a statement.
EcoWaste said its position was shared by the International Association of Oral Medicine and Toxiology (IAOMT-Philippines), which is pushing for mercury-free dentistry.
“As we push for phasing down strategies for reducing and eventually phasing out the use of mercury in dental amalgam, we see the need for the authorities to impose procedures that will severely restrict as soon as possible the importation, distribution and sale of mercury for dental use,” said Dr. Lillian Lasaten Ebuen, founding president of IAOMT-Philippines.
At a conference held in December, Health Secretary Enrique Ona told a conference co-organized by the IAOMT and the World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentisty with the Department of Heath about the “clandestine and covert” assault of mercury on human health.
“Mercury emits vapors that are colorless and odorless, which when inhaled, is absorbed into the bloodstream and cross the blood-brain and placental barrier. More often than not, human exposure to mercury occurs at such a low level that is ignored and forgotten,” he said.
The Chemical Control Order (CCO) for Mercury and Mercury Compounds issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in 1997 warns that “mercury and mercury compounds are toxic to aquatic life even at low concentrations, especially the methylated forms of mercury.”
Mercury, the CCO said, is known to bio-concentrate greatly in the food chain causing risks to humans who become ecological receptors through fish ingestion,and resulting in neurological disorders through the inhalation of mercury vapors and ingestion of methylated forms of mercury.
According to the CCO, any container or vessel containing mercury must be properly labeled and that the label should indicate the mercury and mercury compound content, precautions required in its handling and emergency response measures to be taken in case of spillage or any untoward incident.