About Mercury Free Society Networks

Why MFSN?

Environmental pollution matters have been highlighted over the years and mercury pollution becomes one of them.

And also, there are lots of complex problems and unsolved problems related to mercury in our society due to socioeconomic reasons. Therefore, It can not be solved easily.

Mercury Free Society Networks has been initiated as a response to the growing interests of stakeholders from multi-layers organizations including both academic and non-academic backgrounds in order to reduce or replace the use of mercury in products and as an essential in communities in Indonesia and Myanmar.

A
group of scientists, researchers, and stakeholders from different disciplines in a project which has been conducting transdisciplinary approach research and practice of various studies in collaboration with different stakeholders to co-create the sustainable regional innovation for reducing the risk of high-impact environmental pollution and poverty problem as well as the wellbeing of the ASGM communities in Indonesia and Myanmar. Although the project focuses on the reduction of mercury pollution by ASGM, it also aims to generate mercury-free societies in order to exchange information and collaboration among key stakeholders for mercury-related pollution and health problems related to the impact of possible mercury intoxicated sources. Therefore, this “Mercury Free Society Networks (MFSN)” is established as a set of a new goal for promoting healthy lifestyles, preventive measures of harmful sources as well as sharing efficient public health education for everyone.

Our Missions

To increase the awareness of mercury intoxication, relevant intoxication sources and related problems.

To share the information effectively to the audiences of all ages in national languages rather than English such as Indonesia, Myanmar, ethnic languages, etc.

To promote well-being and fulfill socioeconomic needs of miners and mining communities due to highest amount of mercury comes from ASGM activity.

To share and exchange the information such as environmental innovations and industrial innovations for solving mercury related pollution problems.

To contribute the solutions of mercury pollution problems by working with various stakeholders such as governments, companies, and citizen groups for long-term.

Our Visions

Communities and societies fully aware of the health awareness related to mercury intoxication.

Communities and societies with a sense of value towards mercury-related environmental and health impact.

The current mercury containing products would be gradually replaced by alternative products.

Society and community of well-being and quality of life.

Our Approach

Transdisciplinary approach research and practice of various studies as well as peaceful approach in collaboration with different stakeholders in order to prevent the risk of mercury intoxication, to raise awareness, to promote a sense of value on well-being and the future of sustainability.

Preparatory Committee

P
reparatory committee was formed in order to establish “Mercury Free Society Networks (MFSN)” to become a sustainable organization after Post-Project for the reduction of mercury pollution and associated health effects in the society because the current project will last until 2024. The preparatory committee is composed of scientists, researchers, and stakeholders from different disciplines and they have experiences of conducting transdisciplinary approach research and practice of various studies in collaboration with different stakeholders in Indonesia and Myanmar.

Members

  • Professor Masayuki Sakakibara

    Project Leader,
    SRIREP Project, Research Institute for Humanity and Nature (RIHN)

    Professor,
    Ehime University,
    Japan

    Professor Masayuki Sakakibara is an earth scientist with multidisciplinary backgrounds in Geology, Petrology, Astrobiology, Geochemistry, Medical Geology, Geoengineering, and Remediation Engineering, etc., currently working at the Faculty of Collaborative Regional Innovation and Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Ehime University in Ehime Prefecture.

    His strong interest in environmental pollution led him to intensive fieldwork and activities to reduce mercury pollution and poverty problems in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) areas in Indonesia for over eight years, work conducted with students, scientists, researchers, and various stakeholders from Indonesia, ASEAN countries, and Japan.

    Professor Sakakibara is also responsible for international conferences and seminars such as Transdisciplinary Research on Environmental Problems in Southeast Asia (TREPSEA) and Transdisciplinary Research and Practice for Reducing Environmental Problems (TRPNEP), which focus on transdisciplinary approaches to research and practice, as well as the development of various regional innovations for the reduction of environmental pollutions in ASEAN countries.

  • Mr. Bobby

    Chief Executive Officer (CEO),
    Network Activities Group (NAG),
    Myanmar

  • Ms. Hatsue Koizumi

    Soshisha, The Minamata Disease Museum,
    Japan

  • Dr. Edwan Kardena

    Professor,
    Bandung Institute of     Technology,
    Faculty of Civil and Environmental     Engineering,
    Indonesia​

  • Dr. Hisanari Sugawara

    Curator,
    Gunma Museum of Natural     History,
    Japan

    Dr. Sugawara obtained Ph.D. in Earth Science from Ehime University in 2012 for the specialties of field geology and biogeoscience. After arriving at the Gunma Museum of Natural History as a museum curator, he has been involved in the geopark study with a transdisciplinary approach. He is currently a committee member of the Japan Geopark Committee and also a member of SRIREP, taking responsibility for the geopark project in Gorontalo, Indonesia.

  • Dr. Basri, Ph.D.

    Lecturer and Researcher,
    College of Health Sciences Makassar,
    Indonesia​

  • dr. Sri Manovita Pateda, Ph.D.

    Medical Doctor and Lecturer
    Medical Department,
    State University of Gorontalo,
    Indonesia 

  • Dr. Satomia Kimijima

    Researcher,
    SRIREP Project, Research Institute for Humanity and Nature (RIHN),
    Japan

  • dr. Win Thiri Kyaw, Ph.D.

    Researcher and Medical Doctor,
    SRIREP Project, Research Institute for Humanity and Nature (RIHN),
    Japan

    Win Thiri Kyaw attained a bachelor’s degree in medicine (M.B.B.S) from University of Medicine 2, Yangon, Myanmar in 2007. Then, she completed her 5 years journey of Ph.D. in Medical Science, Neurology, and Clinical Pharmacology from Ehime University, Graduate School of Medicine, Japan in 2013. Since then, she had conducted her post-doc studies for clinical research and basic research related to neurological disease especially Parkinson’s Disease and other movement disorders at Neurology and Clinical Pharmacology department in Ehime Medical University until 2017. From 2019 until the present, she has been working at SRIREP Project, mainly for the environmental and health impact assessments of Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM) activities in Mandalay Region, Myanmar. Her interest in the studies of neurological symptoms related to mercury intoxication and promoting the health of the ASGM community drive her to deal with key stakeholders, face challenges of reducing environmental problems, and promote health awareness in her country.

  • Mr. Myo Han Htun

    Research Associate,
    SRIREP Project, Research Institute for Humanity and Nature (RIHN),
    Japan

  • Slamet Sumardi, M.T

    Researcher,
    Mining Research Center-BRIN,
    Indonesia

    Slamet Sumardi completed his master’s degree in Mining Engineering with a specialization in Mineral and Metallurgical Engineering in 2013. He has become the Manager of the Lampung-BRIN Advanced Materials Characterization Laboratory and is actively involved in primary and secondary mineral extraction research.

  • Dr. Eng. Widi Astuti

    Researcher,
    Research Center for Mining Technology,
    National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN),
    Indonesia

    Dr. Eng. Widi Astuti is an Extractive Metallurgy Researcher at the Research Center for Mining Technology, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) in Indonesia. Dr. Widi obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Gadjah Mada University (UGM), and then her Master’s degree in Mining Engineering from Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) in Indonesia. Then, she acquired her Doctoral degree from the Department of Earth Resources Engineering, Kyushu University in Japan. Her research interests include the extraction of valuable metals from primary resources (mining ores) and secondary resources (industrial waste, urban mining, electronic waste, etc.) utilizing hydrometallurgy and biometallurgy. Her doctoral research was on nickel and cobalt extraction from Indonesian nickel laterite ores using atmospheric leaching.

  • Fika Rofiek Mufakhir, S.T., M.T.

    Researcher and Lecturer,
    Research Center for Mining Technology,
    National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN),
    Sumatera Institute of Technology (ITERA),
    Indonesia

    Fika Rofiek Mufakhir graduated from Texmaco Institute of Technology in Subang, Indonesia, with a bachelor’s degree in Metallurgy Engineering (S.T.) in 2005. In 2018, he completed his Master of Metallurgy and Mining Engineering (M.T.) from Indonesia’s  Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB). In 2021, he continued his studies in a non-degree program at the Department of Chemical Engineering at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norwegian. In 2008, he joined as a researcher specializing in mineral processing-purification technology, precious metal recovery, and heavy metal removal at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), which later became the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN).

    He is also a Lecturer at Sumatera Institute of Technology in Indonesia’s Mining Department. From 2020 until the present, he has worked with PT. Rimba Makmur Utama (PT. RMU) on the KATINGAN-MENTAYA Project, primarily to analyze the environmental and health impacts of Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM) activities (as the assessments) in Central Borneo, Indonesia. One of his research interests is heavy metals and organic species associated with mercury and methyl mercury contamination, as well as health risk assessment and the promotion of clean technology in the ASGM community.

  • Dr. Gunawan Pratama Yoga

    Toxicologist,
    Research Center for Limnology and Water Resources,
    National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN),
    Indonesia

    Dr. Gunawan Pratama Yoga is a Toxicologist at the Research Center for Limnology and Water Resources, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) in Indonesia. Dr. Yoga earned his master’s degree in Environmental Toxicology, Technology, and Management from the School of Environmental Resources and Development at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in Thailand, and his doctorate in Aquatic Resources Management from IPB University (Institut Pertanian Bogor) in Bogor, Indonesia. His research interests include heavy metal pollution in freshwater ecosystems. His doctoral research thesis focused on the impact of mercury pollution from Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) on Macrozoobenthos (Trichoptera) in the Cikaniki River.