CANU unearths toxic chemical at abandoned sawmill in Berbice
A quantity of toxic chemicals has been found in an abandoned sawmill at Crabwood Creek, Corentyne Berbice during an operation conducted by the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) on Friday last.
Based on reports received, agents attached to the drug enforcement body conducted a search while on the abandoned sawmill, during which three bottles of mercury were found hidden in a clump of bushes in the compound.
The bottles were taken from the scene and handed over to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), which is the agency responsible for importation of this type of chemical element.
The toxic chemical that was found in Berbice
According to CANU, the importation, or retailing, or distribution of such chemicals requires a licence from the Pesticide and Toxic Chemicals Control Board (PTCCB), as well as the written consent of the Commissioner of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission and an Environmental Authorisation from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), before any shipment of mercury is imported into Guyana for mining purposes.
These rigid procedures were established in 2019 to limit the use of mercury due to the havoc the it can cause. A bulletin from the EPA that was also issued in 2109 states that failure to obtain an Environmental Authorisation from the EPA would deem persons ineligible to acquire a licence from the PTCCB to import, retail, or distribute mercury.
Mercury has such an adverse effect on the environment and human beings that a treaty had to be signed between countries in order to mitigate the damage it causes. The convention in question is the Minamata Convention on Mercury – a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury.
It was agreed to at the Fifth Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Mercury in Geneva, Switzerland on January 19, 2013, and was later adopted on October 10, 2013.
In 2018, the discovery of high levels of mercury in the Guyana Gold Board (GGB) laboratory in Georgetown had led to Trinidad-based Kaizen Environmental Services being contracted to conduct an independent investigation on the effect of the emission.
Research shows that mercury can enter the body through inhalation of mercury vapour, or by ingestion, injection, or even absorption through the skin.
In the case of mining personnel, a reading showing levels of 0-6 micrograms per litre of blood is considered safe, while 7-10 is high, and above 11 is dangerous. Once in the human system, mercury poisoning has horrendous effects on neurological, reproductive, gastrointestinal and renal organs.
