Video: Fertilizer stock sealed due to high cadmium levels

23 October 2015 06:02 pm

Agriculture Minister Duminda Dissanayake  who made a surprise visit to a private fertilizer company in Peliyagoda today ordered to seal a stock of 673 tonnes of fertilizer found to contain high levels of Cadmium.

Cadmium is a substance injurious to health and a main attributing factor for kidney diseases.

Although the standard cadmium proportion for one kilogramme of fertilizer is 5 mg, more than 20 mg of cadmium had been found in each kilogramme of the seized stock.

The Minister said the stock of fertilizer had been imported from China and a sample of the fertilizer would be sent to the Industrial Technology Institute (ITI) and if the company wished they could send samples to be tested in foreign laboratories.

He also said the agriculture department would appoint a committee to investigate the matter. (Indika Sri Aravinda)

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