The Health Ministry inspected seafood from surrounding areas of Ban Phe, near the site of last week’s oil spill, and determined they were free of unsafe levels of mercury or heavy metal.
Urine samples were collected from 252 of 1,522 people exposed to oil during the Ao Phrao beach cleanup. No irregularities were found in the samples, according to Health Minister Pradit Sinthawanarong.
8 samples of green mussel and fish were taken from nearby markets in Klaeng. The samples were tested and found free of polycyclic aromatic hydocarbon and mercury, which is harmful to humans.
The results will not be known until next week for the toxic heavy metals arsenic, lead, and cadmium.
Urine samples were gathered from volunteer cleaners, members of the media and agency executives visiting Koh Samet. All of the subjects have been registered for follow-up testing over the next 5 years.
The ministry is monitoring the health of local people and giving them physical and psychological care, if needed. They will educate the locals on methods for choosing safe seafood and drinking water.
The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources is inspecting 7 areas of the coastal ecosystem; oceanography, coastal ecology, coral reefs, marine seagrass, mangroves, rare marine life. Results of the study will determine the ecological impact of the oil spill, reports The Nation.
