Unchecked sale of contaminated ice going on

PFA DG says manufacturers given 10 days to update system

LAHORE

Arsenic-contaminated ice is being sold openly in the provincial capital as majority of manufacturers of ice blocks lack proper machinery to clean the tap water.

Sources in Punjab Food Authority (PFA) revealed that complaints against manufacturers of ice blocks have increased with the advent of summer season but so far PFA didn’t start any drive in this regard. Sources said besides taking strong action against ice block manufacturers, a public awareness drive is also needed to teach the citizens about negative impacts of arsenic-contaminated ice.

Sources said as per fresh reports, majority of the tube-wells operated by Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) in the provincial capital are pumping out arsenic-contaminated water resulting in a serious health hazard for the citizens who are consuming tap water unaware of the fact.

Sources added that there are reports that most of the ice manufacturers are using tap water for making ice blocks, which is later consumed by citizens and arsenic is transferred to them in this way too.

Former Managing Director Wasa Ch Naseer had admitted this fact that arsenic contamination is present at almost every tube-well of the agency and Wasa is monitoring the situation closely and planning to take remedial measures.

On the other hand, it is pertinent to mention here that the last survey to check the water quality of the city by Environmental Protection Department (EPD) Punjab and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was held some five years back. Sources said as per that survey, 253 tube-wells, out of 392 of Wasa were found to be contaminated with arsenic.

Termed a slow poison, arsenic is present in rocks, soil, air, plants and animals and its long-term use might cause different forms of cancer, said environmentalists, adding the element can’t be easily detected during ingestion as it is tasteless, odorless and colourless. They said that arsenic in drinking water is absorbed by the body and distributed by bloodstream and it does not enter the body through skin or by inhalation during bathing.

The body parts which accumulate arsenic the most over time are nails and hair. Though most of the element is removed through urine, skin, hair and nails also help the body to get rid of it, doctors said, adding the permissible limit of arsenic, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) standards, is 10 parts per billion (ppb), but here in Lahore, the level is more than 50 ppb in many areas.

A senior PFA official on anonymity revealed that ice block manufacturers are bound to install Reverse Osmosis (RO) plants in their factories to control arsenic contamination but most of them didn’t follow this SOP and only use simple water filtration plants. “A simple water filtration plant is not enough to purify groundwater from arsenic contamination. Modern tests like Mass Spectrometry/Inductively Coupled Plasma, Electro-Thermal Atomic Absorption Spectrometric Method, Manual Hydride Generation/Atomic Absorption Spectrometric Method and Silver Diethyldithiocarbamate methods should be introduced to test presence of arsenic in water,” he advised.

The official revealed that harmful bacteria, rust of machines and ice manufacturing blocks are other major sources of contamination, which are found in ice in routine. He said that unhygienic handling of ice blocks especially in vehicles transporting ice blocks from manufacturing point to sale point is also a point of concern. He maintained that the PFA should declare it mandatory for ice block manufacturers as well as sellers of drinking water to carry out tests for bacteria, nitrates and organic and inorganic compounds after a reasonable span.

Punjab Food Authority Director General Noorul Amin Mengal said following recent reports about presence of arsenic in underground water, Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has decided to launch a major crackdown on ice manufacturers across the province. He said a 10-day time was given to all ice block manufacturers for updating their manufacturing system and style. He said strict action will be taken against those who failed in following the instructions.