Mercury Is Hazardous To Health

World Earth Day organized at DPS Mathura Road

Flagging the World Earth Day Walk organized by Heart Care Foundation of India jointly with Delhi Public School, Mathura Road and Ministry of Earth Sciences, Military Secretary to the President of India- Lt. Gen. A.K. Bakshi, SM, VSM said that every school child should plant a tree to reduce the problem of global warming in the society.

Talking to a gathering of over one thousand children, Padmashri & Dr. B.C. Roy National Awardee, Dr. K K Aggarwal, President, Heart Care Foundation of India, said that one should not use mercury based thermometer and blood pressure instruments. They can be risky to life. Two thermometers are broken each year for every bed in a hospital. For 40,000 beds in Delhi alone, 80,000 thermometers get broken every year and the mercury of these thermometers enters the environment. Each thermometer contains ½ g of mercury meaning 4 kg of mercury is released in the environment every year only from breaking of thermometers in various hospitals in the city of Delhi.

Mercury is toxic and with active and chronic exposure, affects brain and kidney. Acute exposure can cause nausea, blurred vision, painful breathing, and excessive salivation. Chronic exposure can lead to high blood pressure, memory disturbance, vision disturbance, tremors and personality changes. Mercury can cross the blood brain barrier and affect the brain development in the child in the pregnant or lactating women.
 

Lt. Gen. Bakshi showed concern that in past few years, Delhi is experiencing differentiable shift in the climate like winters are squeezing with each passing year and temperatures staying over 45 degrees C for most part of the year. This scientists world over are attributing to increase in global temperatures. Unless the general public is sensitized and convinced to take measures/adopt environment friendly actions at their work places, in their homes; this trend of global warming cannot be arrested. 

Mr. M.I. Hussain, Principal, DPS Mathura Road, said that unless preventive strategies are taken in this area, situation may worsen in the coming years.

Members of Management Committee of DPS Society and Parent Reps: from Nursery to Class XII were also present to celebrate the World Earth Day.

Over 500 school children participated in the walk and on-the-spot competition which included:

Children displayed the following placards and slogans:

1. Do not burn leaves and let them decompose.

2. Walking is the best medicine

3. The least amount of electricity one uses the better it is.

4. Plant trees to save the mother earth.

In addition inter school competitions (Painting, Poetry recitation, AD Mad) were also held.