STAFF REPORT IBD: Some dental teaching hospitals, indoor mercury levels are found to be 15 – 20 times higher than the permissible limit for human health. Mercury contamination measurements have recently been made by Lumex mercury analyzer.
A brief training and demonstration of Lumex use was also given by Dr. Mahmood A. Khwaja and Maryam Shabbir, to a group of postgraduate students at ICS who also assisted SDPI monitoring team in the survey work at a few sites in Peshawar. The SDPI mercury monitoring team visited 16 marked sites.
Mercury contamination in air is measured at DG, EPA and Director, ICS offices, bulb and tubes manufacturing sections, dental treatment section (teaching hospitals/dental colleges/ clinics), adjacent corridor and open air.
Survey questionnaire for background mercury information has been completed in discussion with the medical staff. Besides mercury levels, other related climatic parameters temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction as well as sampling points coordinates were also measured.
Monitoring data was shared with the medical/ paramedical and administrative staff of these institutions. Immediate action to be taken at the teaching hospitals included improved cross-air ventilation, installation of exhaust fans, mercury waste as well mercury use reduction data compilation.