Mercury pollution

Description

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Context: At the second round of the fourth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (COP-4.2), Government of Indonesia as well as the United Nations have sought support and commitment from parties to the Minamata Convention for a Bali Declaration on combatting Global Illegal Trade of Mercury.

This non-binding declaration calls upon parties to:
- enhance international cooperation and coordination for combatting illegal trade in mercury.
- Develop practical tools and notification and information-sharing systems for monitoring and managing trade in mercury
- Exchange experiences and practices relating to combating illegal trade in mercury, including reducing the use of mercury in artisanal and small-scale gold mining
- Share examples of national legislation and data and information related to such trade

The Minamata Convention on Mercury

Named after the Japanese city of Minamata, the convention aimed at protecting the human health and the environment from the effects of mercury. The naming the treaty after the Japanese city was symbolic as it undergone severe incident of mercury poisoning.
Controlling the anthropogenic releases of mercury throughout its lifecycle has been a key factor in shaping the obligations under the Convention.
It was adopted in 2013 and entered into force August 16, 2017.
Under it 137 parties or countries from Africa, Asia-Pacific, eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, western Europe and other regions have been working together to
- control the supply and trade of mercury
- reduce the use
- emissions and release of mercury
- raise public awareness and
- build necessary institutional capacity since 2017.
It is a powerful tool to rid the planet of toxic substances. It is essential to tackle the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste.

What was the need to adopt this declaration?

Increase in global illegal mercury trade, notably in the artisanal and gold mining (ASGM) sector prompted Indonesia to propose a non-binding Bali Declaration on combating it.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature estimates, globally, 10-20 million people work in the ASGM sector and many of them use mercury on a daily basis. As a result, 838 tonnes of mercury was being released into the air in 2015 by ASGM alone, making the sector the largest contributor to anthropogenic mercury emissions.

Mercury Pollution

Mercury is a naturally occurring element that is found in air, water and soil.
Types of Sources
- Natural sources of mercury include volcanic eruptions and emissions from the ocean.
- Anthropogenic (human-caused) emissions include mercury that is released from fuels or raw materials, or from uses in products or industrial processes.
- It occurs naturally in the earth’s crust, but human activities, such as mining and fossil fuel combustion, have led to widespread global mercury pollution.
Mercury emitted into the air eventually settles into water or onto land where it can be washed into water.
Once deposited, certain microorganisms can change it into methylmercury, a highly toxic form that builds up in fish, shellfish and animals that eat fish. Most human exposure to mercury is from eating fish and shellfish contaminated with methylmercury.
Major contributors: Globally, artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is the largest source of anthropogenic mercury emissions (37.7%), followed by stationary combustion of coal (21%). Other large sources of emissions are non-ferrous metals production (15%) and cement production (11%) (UNEP report)
Effects:
- Exposure to mercury threatens our health, with many often irreversible toxic effects. Developing fetuses and young children are most at risk. Mercury pollution also harms wildlife and ecosystems.
- The inhalation of mercury vapour can produce harmful effects on the nervous, digestive and immune systems, lungs and kidneys, and may be fatal. The inorganic salts of mercury are corrosive to the skin, eyes and gastrointestinal tract, and may induce kidney toxicity if ingested.

How to reduce human exposure from mercury sources?

There are several ways to prevent adverse health effects, including

Promote the use of clean energy sources that do not burn coal: Burning coal for power and heat is a major source of mercury. Coal contains mercury and other hazardous air pollutants that are emitted when the coal is burned incoal-fired power plants, industrial boilers and household stoves.
Eliminate mercury mining, and use of mercury in gold extraction and other industrial processes: Mercury is an element that cannot be destroyed; therefore, mercury already in use can be recycled for other essential uses, with no further need for mercury mining.
Phase out use of non-essential mercury-containing products and implement safe handling, use and disposal of remaining mercury-containing products including:
- batteries
- measuring devices, such as thermometers and barometers
- electric switches and relays in equipment
- lamps (including some types of light bulbs)
- dental amalgam (for dental fillings)
- skin-lightening products and other cosmetics
In health care, mercury-containing thermometers and sphygmomanometers are being replaced by alternative devices.
Dental amalgam is used in almost all countries, a phase down should be pursued by promoting disease prevention and alternatives to amalgam; research and development of cost-effective alternatives; education of dental professionals and the raising of public awareness.
Inorganic mercury is added to some skin-lightening products in significant amounts. Many countries have banned mercury-containing skin-lightening products because they are hazardous to human health.