September 2010
Claims of Mercury Contamination of Soda
Our Challenge
- ChemRisk was retained to assess possible mercury contamination at a major soft drink manufacturer bottling facility in Beijing, China.
- The retention was to address two alleged mercury poisoning incidents.
Our Approach
- Samples were obtained from key locations in the bottling plant, and we measured ambient concentrations of airborne mercury at the ppt (parts per trillion) level.
- Sensitivity of real-time equipment allowed for detection down to background levels in air.
- Samples collected throughout the bottling site and in equipment were compared to typical atmospheric levels of mercury found in industrial areas of China.
Our Findings
- We concluded that mercury could not have been present at the bottling plant for a period of more than a year prior to the alleged poisoning incidents.
- The bottling plant was ruled out as a plausible source of mercury.
- Two months later, persons confessed to both poisoning cases where tampering occurred after the drinks were opened.