Parañaque gov’t acquires mercury analyzer

The Parañaque City government has acquired equipment that will be used to check mercury levels at the St. Andrew’s School in Barangay La Huerta, which remains closed due to contamination resulting from a spill during a science class last February.

City administrator Noli Aldip said the LUMEX Mercury Analyzer RA-915+and its attachments were purchased at a price of P3 million.

The analyzer, which provides high selectivity of analysis, wide dynamic measurement range and ultra-low mercury detention limits for water and air, determines mercury contents in samples with complex composition without preliminary sample preparation for use in the field and in the laboratory.

"Although it was reported that the St. Andrew’s School will be ready for the start of the new school year, the monitoring and surveillance of the environment is important , so the city government decided to buy the analyzer and train personnel from the City Health Office on how to operate it and make sure that the school is totally free of mercury," Aldip said.

For his part, Mayor Florencio Bernabe said they will take all precautionary measures to ensure that the school will be safe for students and faculty to conduct their classes this coming school year.

Aldip said Parañaque is the first city in the Philippines to acquire this type of technology.

"Once health officers have mastered the use of the device, the city is willing to make the analyzer available to other cities as well as other institutions that may encounter similar problems," he added.

A seven-day training workshop, which started last Monday, was organized by the City Health Office in coordination with the Dartile ULT Corp., supplier of the equipment.

The training was conducted by Engr. Yuro Shishkin of Dartile’s research and development division.

Participants include representatives from the City Health Office, the Department of Health, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Occupational Safety and Health Center, Special Operations and Communications Office, the Parañaque Community Hospital, and faculty members and alumni of St. Andrew’s School.