Soft drinks samples taken for chemical analysis on CSE alarm

Panaji, Aug 4 (UNI) As a precautionary measure, the Goa Pollution Control Board authorities have collected samples of two popular soft drinks brands from their manufacturing bases for analysis following reports of high level pesticide residues in the drinks.

''We have collected the samples so as to send them to approved laboratories either in Bangalore, Mumbai or Delhi following alarm raised by the Delhi based NGO Centre for Science and environment (CSE),'' board Chairman Dr L U Joshi told UNI here today.

The analytical and physical laboratory the board runs in its premises at Patto does not have the requisite ampules with standards to test the residual levels of the deadly heptachlor and other organochlorine and phosphates in the collected samples, he said.

Hence, the board would send the samples to either of the laboratories for analysis. Importing of ampules from USA will take a lot of time as the orders had to be placed through an intermediary agency in Mumbai for its imports, he added.

The authorities collected 7 to 8 samples each from Coca Cola factory at the Verna Industrial Estate and Pepsi from its Fatorda factory yesterday for testing the presence of pesticide residues which if consumed for long, would badly affect the central nerve system.

Meanwhile, the board had asked the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests to sanction Rs 2.35 crores for upgrading the laboratory.

At present, its sophisticated instruments included atomic absorption spectrometre to identify the presence of toxic metals and heavy metals besides checking 40 various parametres in different samples.

The ministry, he said, had just sanctioned a Rs 31.4 lakh project to launch a mobile analytical laboratory and another was due to get the approval through the Central Pollution Control Board, New Delhi.

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