Thai Public Health Min warns of toxic waste contamination during rainy season
Boat transporting garbage on Phi Phi Islands. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
BANGKOK, 14 June 2013 (NNT) – The Ministry of Public Health has warned the public about the dangers of toxic waste during the rainy season as poor garbage management could lead to contamination in natural water sources.
According to Public Health Minister Dr. Pradit Sinthawanarong, discarded electrical appliances and electronics are categorically the type of garbage that poses great risks to human health. The survey conducted in 2004 suggested that Thailand was producing up to 400,000 tons of toxic garbage each year and rising.
Dr. Pradit said the lower part of the Central Plains, including Bangkok, alone produced 18,000 tons of toxic waste in 2011. The accruement was due to poor garbage management, which he feared would lead to greater exposure to chemicals during the rainy season as they could be swept away and spread around by the rain.
Read more: NNT
National News Bureau of Thailand
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