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 & Director, ICS offices, bulb & 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 & 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.

Source: http://www.technologytimes.pk/english-news.php?title=Medical%20staff%20sensitised%20on%20mercury%20systems