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PAEC preserving marine life through N-technology
ISLAMABAD, June 10 : Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) with the collaboration of Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (PINSTECH) is engaged in research programme with the aim to manage, sustain and preserve marine coastal environment through the use of nuclear technology.
This was stated by Dr Masud Ahmad, Member (Physical Sciences), PAEC, while inaugurating a three-day training course jointly organised by PAEC, and IAEA on applications of nuclear techniques for identification and qualification of toxic elements in sea, titled “Harmful Algal Bloom Concerns in Marine Coastal Environment of Pakistan” here at Comsats headquarters.
He said that there is an urgent need to disseminate related information on radioisotope based analytical techniques to end user institutions engaged in mitigation of marine pollution.
Dr Ahmad said that seawater, being source of free and abundant food supplies, deserves dedicated efforts to keep them free of poisonous contamination, which endanger the survival of sealife.
He said that unplanned disposal of untreated industrial, domestic and agricultural wastes into seawater has led to contamination of the coastal areas of many developing countries in South Asia resulting into considerable increase in the concentration of toxic elements.
He said, these toxic elements have posed a threat to the marine life occasionally witnessed in the form of mass mortality of fish. Dangers to the sealife are a health and economic threat to humans who consume them as food, he added.
Dr Masud said that marine pollution, being a global problem, needs a strong collaboration at national and international levels for the reasons that marine waters recognise no national boundaries. There is an international binding on seafood exporting countries to ensure that these items are toxin free, he added.
He lauded IAEA for its pivotal role in establishment and promotion of peaceful uses of nuclear technology in the RCA member states for the management and conservation of environment.
Dr Masued said that PAEC is a pioneer organisation in the peaceful uses of radiation and radioisotope techniques in the country in the field of life sciences, hydrology, agriculture and industry and it has acquired significant expertise and infrastructure in the field of environmental isotope ecology.
Dr Mustanser Jehangir and Dr Riffat Mahmood Qureshi, IAEA experts, were of the view that the workshop on marine pollution was a burning issue in areas of human health and economy and appreciated PAEC for organising the workshop to enhance capability of end use organisations engaged in mitigation of sea pollution.
Dr Mustanser Jehangir, PINSTECH DG in his welcome address informed that PINSTECH as regional resource unit of IAEA will continue to hold seminars and workshops for dissemination of information on issues of public importance.
Dr Riffat Mahmood Qureshi, workshop coordinator, explained the aims and objectives of the course and informed that radioisotope application division of PINSTECH has carried out extensive research on the subject along the coastal line of Pakistan.
He said, the findings can be shared with all the stakeholders to protect the marine life and keep the seas, clear of pollutants.
He said, presence of toxins in the sea was not only injurious for the growth of fishes but also a serious danger to human health through food chain effect.