Speakers at a programme yesterday expressed concerns over the growing use of mercury as it would be disastrous for environment and public health.
A programme was arranged at the Jatiya Press Club for launching a study report titled Mercury added products: Country situation analysis in Bangladesh. It was conducted by the Environment and Social Development Organisation (Esdo) in association with UNEP.
The report said that around 60 tonnes of mercury was imported in 2014 and estimated that more than 1,100kg of the metal was generated and released into the environment.
“Esdo has uncovered the situation and now we can work with this. We have to know how the developed countries are handling the situation. We have to improve waste management systems.
“If we receive any constructive suggestions, we will certainly go ahead with them. We have already taken some initiatives and hope that we will be able to ratify the Minamata Convention soon,” said Kamal Uddin Ahmed, secretary to the Ministry of Environment and Forest.
Kamal also said awareness should be raised against the use of mercury and the media can play a vital role in telling people about the threat that the metal can pose.
Absence of quality alternatives, standardisation and certification of products and high costs are some of the barriers to shifting from the use of mercury in healthcare instruments and dental amalgam, the study has concluded.
Bangladesh does not yet have any specific guidelines regarding the management of mercury release into the environment or how to safely manage the use of products and equipment that contain mercury, mercury compounds or other specific chemicals, it said.
“This report is the first of its kind. It will be very helpful for us in devising a strategy to contain the use of mercury. We have already taken some initiatives,” said Mahmood Hasan Khan, a director of the Department of Environment.
Shahriar Hossain, secretary general of Esdo, said if the government takes step soon, it would be possible to phase out mercury usage in Bangladesh by 2020.
Former secretary Syed Marghub Murshed chaired the programme.
