Banned Chemical Used at U. Of Tokyo Farm
Posted on: Saturday, 4 October 2008, 12:15 CDT
A banned agricultural chemical containing mercury was used at the University of Tokyo research farm in the late 1990s, university officials have announced.
Rice tainted with the chemical was sold to people living near the farm and to some faculty members, The Japan Times reported.
The chemical, phenylmercury acetate, has been banned from Japanese agriculture since 1973. Its use at the farm in Nishi-Tokyo was recently reported by a whistleblower.
Officials said an employee at the farm has acknowledged soaking rice seed in a solution containing the chemical about once a year between 1996 and 1999. The employee said he knew the chemical was banned but wanted to prevent a disease from spreading at the farm.
Investigators are trying to determine whether any mercury remains in the soil.
Source: United Press International
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