![]() The unsafe levels were always detected during the rainy season, said Shigeru Tanaka, leading him to believe that the rainwater dissolves hexavalent chromium from the ore stockpile or from the ground and makes it flow down the river. The samples were taken to Japan for analysis.Įvery year, FoE found that hexavalent chromium in the Togpon River, one of the sampling sites, exceeded safe levels or above 0.05 milligrams per liter (mg/L), the exposure limit followed in Japan as well as by the World Health Organization. Hozue Hatae, a researcher at FoE Japan, said the results of a survey of 133 households prompted them to consult with experts, who recommended that FoE conduct water quality analysis.Įvery year, from 2009 to 2019, Hatae and her team went to Bataraza to get samples from various locations during the dry season (March or April) and rainy season (August, September or October). The tests started because of reports of increased cough and other respiratory diseases, as well as skin lesions. Japanese NGO finds unsafe levels of heavy metalįriends of the Earth Japan (FoE Japan), a Tokyo-based international nongovernment organization, has been monitoring the waters surrounding the mine site for over a decade. Image by KIMBERLY DELA CRUZ. Palawan, 2021. Narlito Silnay, a Pala’wan tribe leader, stands by the confluence of the Togpon and Kinurong siltation pond discharge. ![]() Occupational Safety and Health Administration, repeated exposure to hexavalent chromium can cause a number of respiratory conditions, including asthma, bronchitis, itching, physical trauma to the respiratory tract, and lung cancer. The Report on Carcinogens listed hexavalent chromium as a known human carcinogen, which means that it can cause cancer. In contrast, hexavalent chromium, which is generally produced by industrial processes, is toxic. Trivalent chromium is supposed to be an essential nutrient for the body. When oxidized or exposed to elements, it comes in several different forms, including trivalent chromium or chromium (III) and hexavalent chromium or chromium (VI). National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, chromium naturally occurs in rocks, animals, plants, soil, and volcanic dust and gases. ![]() Hexavalent chromium is a form of the metallic element chromium. Hexavalent chromium figured in the Julia Roberts film Erin Brockovich, in which an energy company was found polluting the water in Hinkley, California. Three tests – conducted separately by Friends of the Earth Japan, Palawan authorities, and PCIJ – confirmed unsafe levels of hexavalent chromium in bodies of water where Rio Tuba’s wastewater is discharged. They both have a good reason to be concerned. Although they live in different towns and different sides of the mountain, the same forest ecosystem and river network link the two Pala’wans.Īmong other things, Silnay and Corio fret about losing their source of water, the lifeline of indigenous and farming communities in the two towns. THIS STORY WAS PRODUCED BY THE PHILIPPINE CENTER FOR INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PULITZER CENTER'S RAINFOREST INVESTIGATIONS NETWORK AND NBC NEWS.īATARAZA, Palawan – Narlito Silnay and Kennedy Corio share the same worry over the looming expansion of Rio Tuba Nickel Mining Corp.
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