At least five bodies of water in Luzon and Mindanao have been identified as having high levels of mercury, according to an assessment that studied the prevalence of the chemical and existing policies to curb its use and release to the environment.
The Philippine Minamata Initial Assessment (MIA) report identified at least 18 sites across the country, including landfills and mining sites, as areas suspected to be contaminated by the toxic metal, also known locally as “asoge.”
Those identified are mostly located near or at the heart of artisanal and small-scale gold-mining sites that use mercury and other heavy metals.
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