By TONY GEE
KAITAIA - Chimney stack emissions from the Juken Nissho triboard mill in Kaitaia were being tested yesterday for contaminants from resins used in the mill's triboard manufacturing process.
The testing, by a Northland Regional Council consultant, follows last week's disclosure by Whangarei public health authorities that they had been notified of four cases of possible exposure to isocyanate-associated chemicals.
A Kaitaia doctor reported concern that four adult patients, all living near the mill, were showing symptoms described as being "compatible" with exposure to an isocyanate known as MDI.
All the cases had been reported in the previous two weeks.
Gas emissions from the mill's board-manufacturing operation are released through a chimney stack into the atmosphere.
Results from yesterday's emission testing will go to an Auckland laboratory for analysis in the next two or three weeks.
The regional council is also sampling surrounding air to compare with the stack emission testing, its monitoring officer, Tony Phipps, said yesterday.
The results will be reported to the council, possibly by the end of this month, and will be made public.
What happened after that "depends on what the tests show," Mr Phipps said.
The mill's resource consent f allows it to use a number of specified chemicals in its manufacturing process. It does not permit use of MDI or derivatives.
Current tests aim to find out whether there are contaminants resulting from isocyanate in resins.
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