Hazardous Metal Pollution in the Republic of Fiji and the Need to Elicit Human Exposure

Abstract

The fact that hazardous metals do not bio-degrade or bio-deteriorate translates to long-lastingenvironmental effects. In the context of evidently rapid global industrialization, thisought to warrant serious caution, particularly in developing countries. In the Republic of Fiji,a developing country in the South Pacific, several different environmental studies over thepast 20 years have shown levels of lead, copper, zinc and iron in sediments of the SuvaHarbor to be 6.2, 3.9, 3.3 and 2.1 times more than the accepted background reference levels,respectively. High levels of mercury have also been reported in lagoon shellfish. Thesedata inevitably warrant thorough assessment of the waste practices of industries locatedupstream from the estuaries, but in addition, an exposure and health impact assessmenthas never been conducted. Relevant government departments are duty-bound, at least tothe general public that reside in and consume seafood from the vicinities of the Suva Harbor,to investigate possible human effects of the elevated hazardous metal concentrationsfound consistently in 20 years of surface sediment analysis. Furthermore, pollution of theintermediate food web with hazardous metals should be investigated, regardless of whetherhuman effects are eventually confirmed present or not.