DOH, BFAR monitor site of sunken vessel with toxic cargo
The Department of Health (DOH) and and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) have sent monitoring teams at the site of the sunken cargo vessel carrying toxic cargo in Culasi town in Antique to determine any risk to marine life and the health of residents.
DOH regional director Lydia Depra-Ramos said they have mobilized a team to monitor the situation in the area.
"What is important that is that the containers with the toxic substance are not opened and exposed," Ramos said in a telephone interview.
Dr. Sophia Chua of the DOH regional office said they have alerted residents not to open olive green-colored drums if these are found and to turn these over to the Coast Guard, Department of Environment and Natural Resources and local officials.
Coast Guard divers have failed to locate around 80 sealed drums containing 16 metric tons of toxic chemical toxic substance toluene di-isocyanate (TDI). The drums were among the cargo of the MV Ocean Papa which sank at noon of June 21 at the height of typhoon "Frank" near Mararison Island, around 5.6 km from the coast of Culasi which is 86 km north of the capital of San Jose.
TDI, a main ingredient in the production of flexible polyurethane foam and other polyurethane applications, can cause severe irritation of the skin and eyes and affects the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and central nervous systems if inhaled or ingested.
BFAR regional director Drusilla Ong said she has requested the BFAR central office to send their Monitoring Control Surveillance vessels and conduct water sampling in the area.
Ong said that as of yesterday, there is no indication of contamination to marine life or reports of fish kills.
She said the release of such a large amount of toxic substance would result to massive fish kills.
Antique Gov. Salvacion Zaldivar-Perez said they have also not receive reports of any contamination in the area.
"We are on the lookout for the drums and we have warned the people not to open them," said Perez in a telephone interview.
Perez said residents have opened containers vans containing food that were recovered at the shoreline.