VietNamNet Bridge – The Department of Health of the central province of Ha Tinh has announced that all the samples taking from four warehouses containing 8.1 tons of frozen fish in the province are infected with heavy metal cadmium, which can causes high blood pressure, lung cancer and other diseases.

This volume of marine fish was caught by fishermen of Ha Tinh and Quang Binh provinces two months ago.

The fish were suspected as having been contaminated with toxic chemicals after the environmental disasters caused by Formosa in the central Vietnam in April, so the authorities took samples for testing.

Mr. Phan Van Hung, Director of the Food Safety and Hygiene Bureau of Ha Tinh, said the four warehouses were sealed to wait for the provincial government’s decision.

The four frozen warehouses that were sealed include the warehouses of Nam Ha Tinh Seafood Import-Export Joint Stock Company in Ky Anh district, Song Lien Company in Cam Xuyen district, and two cooperatives of Thien Phu and Hung Manh in Loc Ha district.

"This morning [August 1], we went to check the four freezing warehouses and seal them. The entire 8.1 tons of marine fish were still in the warehouses after we took samples nearly 2 months ago," Hung said, denying rumors that the contaminated fish had been illegally sold to the market.

"We are waiting for the provincial government’s decision on the time and measure to deal with these contaminated fish and compensation for the warehouse owners," he added.

Hung said that all samples tested contained high content of heavy metal cadmium, which can cause high blood pressure, lung cancer, nasal septum perforation, and renal dysfunction, and can destroy bone marrow and affect the endocrine system, blood, and heart.

Le Ha