Seminar on "Mercury in aquatic ecosystems"
On March 26, 2019, Environmental Faculty – Thuy Loi University held a seminar on "Mercury in aquatic ecosystems" with the speakers - Mr. Gregory Martin Clark, Deputy Director of Water Science Center IDAHO, United State and Mr. Dale Fenn, Department of Science, Environment and Health, Unites State Embassy in Hanoi.
Lecturers and students of environmental faculty attended the seminar
The seminar attracted the attention of lecturers and students from the Faculty of Environment. This is really a good opportunity for students in learning and expanding specialized knowledge and having access to new technologies, advanced solutions in the world (such as in the United States) and also their English communication skills had been strongly improved.
At the seminar, Mr. Gregory Martin Clark emphasized the harmful effects of mercury on the environment and human's health by giving the example of the mercury disaster dispersed in Minamata - Japan which was first discovered in Minamata City, Kumamoto, Japan in 1956. The Chisso Chemical Company in Japan discharged methyl mercury into public waste from 1932 to 1968. In 1968, the Japanese government announced Minamata disease was caused by pollution from Chisso Chemical Company.
Mr. Gregory Martin Clark presented about the harmful effects of mercury
According to the study of aquatic organisms in the ecosystem, a toxic chemical has high biologically accumulated in mollusks and fish. Water contaminated with mercury will be absorbed by organisms in the water such as seaweed, moss, fish, ... when humans eat mercury-contaminated fish, they will also suffer from mercury poisoning, led to Minamata disease. "Minamata disease is identified as a heavy metal poisoning, mainly went into the human body through fish and mollusks."
Questions and discussion between lectures, students and speaker
The expert also showed that Asia was the region with the highest
mercury emissions in the world, mainly due to small-scale manual gold
mining activities and the use of fossil fuels. Speakers also pointed out
the United States's solutions to reduce mercury emissions in five times
during 25 years (1990 - 2016).
Experts and lecturers, students of Environmental Faculty
The Faculty of Environment will continue to organize more international seminars related to the field of environment to create more opportunities for students to get close to reality, be rewarded more knowledge, as well as motivate students to participate in all learning activities.
(Public relations section of environmental faculty)