International tests show normal mercury level in Buyat Bay
Monday, October 4 2004 - 01:20 AM WIB
Ministry director general of communicable disease Umar Fahmi said the level of mercury in the residents' hair was 2.65 micro grams per gram (?/g) or around one-twentieth of the dangerous level of 50 ?/g set by WHO.
"It indicates a normal level of mercury content in human body. The level is equivalent with the mercury content found in healthy Japanese citizens," Umar told The Jakarta Post.
Earlier, the results of a laboratory test last July by the School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at the University of Indonesia found that the mercury levels in the blood of Buyat Bay residents was between 8 micrograms a liter (?/L), to 21 ?/L.
Normal mercury levels in the blood of people that do not eat large amounts of fish are 8 ?/L and studies show that people do not suffer symptoms of mercury poisoning until their blood-mercury reaches levels as high as 200 ?/L, information from the U.S. Food and Drug Agency says.
Meanwhile, the Jakarta health office's laboratory test released on July 28, revealed the same residents had blood-mercury levels of between 33.75 ?/L and 52.50 ?/L.
The test, however, didn't show a significant content of mercury in the residents' hair and nails.
Umar said the tests by the Minamata institute and WHO also examined the levels of other heavy metals in the human body and in the environment -- in fish, water and sediment around the bay, which police said was polluted by U.S-based mining firm PT Newmont Minahasa Raya.
"My competence is to only inform you about (mercury) content in the human body. All I can tell you is that the levels of heavy metals are higher in Totok Bay than in Buyat Bay. We will release complete details on Monday. We will be very careful about this as it is a sensitive issue," Umar said.
Buyat Bay and Totok Bay are separated by a two-kilometer cape. a number of people living in Buyat Pante village along the Buyat Bay have come to Jakarta, complaining about pollution-related diseases. However, none of residents from Ratatotok village along the Totok Bay have made similar complaints.
An expert from Japan's National Institute for Minamata Disease, Mineshi Sakamoto, and a WHO environmental expert, Jan Speets, conducted research in Buyat Pante and Ratatotok villages in mid-August.
They took samples of fish and water, as well as samples of blood, hair, and finger nail clippings of residents from the two villages which was tested in Japan.
At the end of August, the National Police charged PT Newmont Minahasa Raya, the only mining company that operated there, with contaminating Buyat Bay.
The charges were based on the results of a police laboratory test on samples of water, fish, soil and sediments taken from the bay.
The test concluded that the level of mercury in the Buyat Bay water was 5.5 ?/L, 4 ?/L, and 3.9 ?/L respectively in three different locations where those samples were taken, police said.
They added that the tested mercury level exceeded the standard of 1 ?/L set by Ministerial Decree No. 51/2004 on seawater pollution standards, the same minimum safety standard as set by WHO.
The police are detaining five six Newmont executives as suspects in the Buyat Bay pollution case but are not holding the company's president director, Richard Ness, citing health concerns.
Newmont has repeatedly denied all charges, while U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Ralph L. Boyce has called for the release of the detainees because they were cooperating investigation. (*)