NGOs join hands against mercury use

The Japan-based Advanced Industrial Science and Technology has partnered with Philippine environmental justice group Ban Toxics (BT) to push the banning of mercury, a highly-poisonous substance found in dental amalgam and many household products like batteries, appliances, lamps and paints.

Mercury, a neurotoxin, can cause irreversible brain and nervous system damage, and is a particular hazard for the developing fetus and small children. It can cause other serious diseases, including acrodynia, Hunter-Russell syndrome, Parkinsonism, and Minamata disease. It is also being used in the production of gold by small-scale mining operation across the Philippines.