Mercury listed by the UN as one of the top 10 chemicals endangering human health and the environment

The world took a historic step forward in the fight against mercury poisoning today, as the European Union and seven of its member states (Bulgaria, Denmark, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Romania and Sweden) ratified the Minamata Convention on Mercury, one of the world’s top ten chemical threats to health.

The Convention, which has been signed by 128 countries, will now come into force in 90 days, on 16 August 2017. It is the first new global Convention related to the environment and health in close to a decade, and commits governments to specific measures to control man-made mercury pollution. These cover the entire “lifecycle” of man-made  mercury pollution and include banning new mercury mines, phasing-out existing ones, regulating artisanal and small-scale gold mining, and reducing emissions and mercury use. Since the element is indestructible, the Convention also stipulates conditions for interim storage and disposal of mercury waste.

“The Minamata Convention demonstrates a global commitment to protecting human health and the environment." said UN Secretary General, António Guterres. "Today’s action shows how problems that affect us all can also bring us together for the common good.”

There is no safe level of exposure to  mercury, and everyone is at risk because the dangerous heavy metal has spread to the remotest parts of the earth and can be found in everyday products, including cosmetics, lightbulbs, batteries and teeth fillings. Children, newborn and unborn babies are most vulnerable, along with populations who eat contaminated fish, those who use mercury at work, and people who live near of a source of mercury pollution or in colder climates where the dangerous heavy metal tends to accumulate.

“Who wants to live in a world where putting on makeup, powering our phones and even buying a wedding ring depends on exposing millions of people to the risk of mercury poisoning?” said Erik Solheim, Head of UN Environment. “But with mercury we have solutions that are as obvious as the problem itself. There are alternatives to all of mercury’s current applications, such as newer, safer industrial processes. Big and small countries can all play a role – as can the man and woman in the street, just by changing what they buy and use.”

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