The Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) is a government agency under the Department of Science and Technology mandated to undertake research and development activities in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, institute regulations on the said uses, and carry out the enforcement of said regulations to protect the health and safety of radiation workers and the general public.
Mercury speciation and isotopic composition was determined in ore, soil, sediment, and biota (lobster) samples collected from the vicinity and coastal area near the abandoned mercury mine in Palawan, Philippines. This study reported significant mass-dependent mercury isotopic fractionization among ore, soil, sediment and biota in the vicinity of abandoned mercury mine. Mercury isotopes in ore, soil and sediment samples had the lowest δ202Hg (-0.59‰ to -1.61‰) and Δ199Hg (+0.00 to +0.24‰) and small variance measured values but there was significant positive Δ199Hg and negative δ202Hg values in the biota that were correlated with light penetration depth in the sea. This suggests photochemical degradation of methylmercury prior to incorporation of remaining mercury into the food web. Mercury speciation identified oxidized Hg(II) as the dominant species in the marine sediment which is explained by quick transport of soil particles from the mine to the coast during heavy rains and flooding. Fewer Hg(I) were measured in the sediment, suggesting partial photoreduction of Hg(II) to Hg(0).
The Philippine mining sector exemplifies a persistent paradox: significant mineral wealth coexists with profound human insecurity in host communities. This paper moves beyond resource curse and governance gap narratives to introduce and theorize the Extractive Insecurity Paradox—the systematic process whereby the pursuit of state and corporate security through mineral extraction actively dismantles human security at the local level. Employing the 1994 UNDP human security framework as a diagnostic tool, we conduct a multi-dimensional analysis of the Philippine mining regime, revealing how vulnerabilities cascade across economic, food, health, environmental, personal, community, and political domains. Our analysis demonstrates that these insecurities are not policy failures but the logical outputs of a structure defined by a liberalized policy architecture, an enclave economy, and coercive governance. The paper argues that overcoming this paradox requires a foundational paradigm shift. We thus propose a human security-centered governance framework, built on three pillars: a mandatory Human Security Impact Assessment (HSIA) as a binding license to operate; Post-Extractive Community Trust Funds to transform rents into lasting resilience and sustainable development; and the substantive empowerment of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC). By synthesizing diagnostic analysis with a prescriptive model, this paper offers a critical conceptual advancement for understanding and reforming extractive industries in the Philippines and other resource frontiers globally.
Phosphogypsum (PG), a by-product of phosphate fertilizer production, poses several environmental risks including heavy metal contamination, geotechnical stability of tailing ponds, and radioactivity levels. Only 15% of PG is being utilized for cement and agricultural applications. Current developments have been exploring PG for mineral carbonation (MC). In this study, the calcium extraction process from Philippine PG was established and optimized via salt and acid leaching. Optimal Ca extraction efficiencies of 18.3% (2.5 M NaCl, 38 degrees C, 60 min, and 26 mL/g L/S ratio) and 93.0% (2.3 M HCl, 62 degrees C, 60 min, and 26 mL/g L/S ratio) were obtained for salt and acid leaching, respectively. Life cycle impact assessment of a theoretical MC plant utilizing acid leaching for Ca extraction showed that while constructing an MC plant offsets benefits brought by carbon capture, mineral and resources use, reduced landfill, and process water recirculation can still be achieved. This study proves that local PG can be a potential feedstock for indirect MC with manageable environmental impacts that can be further worked on with green extraction methods and possible resource recovery.
This study focuses on the development of a green bio-adsorbent based on a bacterial cellulose (BC) film derived from waste nata de coco , an abundant and sustainable source of bacterial cellulose, utilized as a bio-based functional trunk material for the removal of Cs(I) ions from aqueous solutions. BC film was modified via simultaneous gamma radiation–induced graft polymerization, an environmentally friendly and initiator-free technique for interfacial surface engineering, with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) as grafting monomer. The optimum grafting condition was achieved at GMA concentration of 4% v/v and radiation dose of 20 kGy. Subsequently, the grafted BC was functionalized with iminodiacetic acid (IDA), resulting in an IDA group density of approximately 1.5 mmol g⁻ 1 , yielding the final bio-adsorbent denoted as BC- g -PGMA/IDA. The adsorption performance of BC- g -PGMA/IDA toward Cs(I) ions was systematically evaluated and compared with that of a synthetic counterpart, PE/PP- g -PGMA/IDA. The BC-adsorbent exhibited adsorption performance, achieving a maximum adsorption capacity of 3 mg g⁻ 1 at an initial Cs(I) concentration of 10 mg L⁻ 1 . Kinetic analysis indicated pseudo-first-order adsorption behavior controlled by external mass transfer. The reusability of the adsorbent was also evaluated over ten cycles, demonstrating stable performance with an adsorption efficiency remaining above 91 ± 1.87% throughout the cycles. The results demonstrate that BC- g -PGMA/IDA is an efficient and environmentally friendly bio-adsorbent with strong potential for practical applications in Cs(I) removal from contaminated water.
Jose Panganiban, Camarines Norte, is notable for small-scale gold mining, which produces waste stored in tailings storage facilities such as tailings ponds. These operations potentially pose environmental risks to nearby ecosystems and local communities due to hazardous substances, including mercury (Hg) used in ore processing, and elevated radionuclide concentrations from land disturbance. This study assessed the presence of the abovementioned pollutants in a legacy tailings pond to evaluate human and environmental risks. Sampling points were established around the pond for in-situ gamma-ray spectrometry measurements of radionuclides and for laboratory analysis of mercury. Assessment of radiological risk parameters showed that computed values were well below established global averages. Radiological assessments used NORMALYSA simulation, and results indicated that the absorbed dose rate in the study area remains below the public safety limit of 1 mSv/year. In contrast, mercury analysis revealed that certain sampling points exceeded the global background for soils, indicating localized contamination. Mercury speciation analysis reveals that Hg(I) was the predominant mercury species identified in soil samples. The geoaccumulation index assessment indicated that some sites are strongly to extremely contaminated with mercury, while locations farther from the tailings pond exhibited minimal risk of mercury contamination. Although radiometric analysis did not detect anomalous radionuclide elevation attributable to mine waste, localized mercury contamination remains a significant environmental concern.
