Minamata convention and use of mercury

WHO and Health Care without Harm, a non-governmental organization have joined forces to launch a new initiative to get mercury removed from all medical measuring devices by 2020.The initiative Mercury-Free Healthcare by 2020 witnessed the signing of the Minamata Convention on Mercury which calls for the phase out of mercury fever thermometers and blood pressure […]

WHO and Health Care without Harm, a non-governmental organization have joined forces to launch a new initiative to get mercury removed from all medical measuring devices by 2020.
The initiative Mercury-Free Healthcare by 2020 witnessed the signing of the Minamata Convention on Mercury which calls for the phase out of mercury fever thermometers and blood pressure devices containing mercury. This will be done by ending the manufacture, import and export of these devices and by supporting the deployment of accurate, affordable, and safer non-mercury alternatives. The convention observed that Mercury and its various compounds are of global public health concern and have a range of serious health impacts including brain and neurological damage especially among the young. Others include kidney damage and damage to the digestive system.

Minamata convention on mercury
While the Minamata Convention allows countries to continue to use mercury in medical measuring devices until 2030 under certain special circumstances, WHO and Health Care without Harm believe that the potential negative health consequences from mercury are so great that all should strive to meet the main target date of 2020 set out in the Convention.
“With the signing of the Minamata Convention on Mercury we will be going a long way in protecting the world forever from the devastating health consequences from mercury,” says WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan. “Mercury is one of the top ten chemicals of major public health concern and is a substance which disperses into and remains in ecosystems for generations, causing severe ill health and intellectual impairment to exposed populations.”
The Minamata Convention was adopted on 10 October at Kumamoto in Japan on the occasion of the Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Minamata Convention on Mercury (held from 7 to 11 October). The Minamata Convention on Mercury is now open for signature by Member States and regional economic integration organizations at Kumamoto (10 and 11 October) and thereafter at the United Nations Headquarters in New York until 9 October 2014.
The Convention provides a blueprint for country action to eliminate the most harmful forms of mercury use, reduce mercury emissions from industry, promote mercury free methods, protect children and women of childbearing age from mercury exposure, and take steps to improve workers health and well-being.
“WHO will tackle the critical areas of concern of mercury exposure and we will work with governments to ensure that they can meet their obligations under the Convention, especially those in the areas of healthcare,” says Dr Maria Neira, WHO Director for Public Health and Environment. “This calls for the phase out of mercury fever thermometers and sphygmomanometers (a device for measuring blood pressure) in health care under the Mercury-Free Healthcare by 2020.”

Some key facts about mercury
Mercury is a naturally occurring element that is found in air, water and soil. Exposure to mercury – even small amounts – may cause serious health problems, and is a threat to the development of the child in utero and early in life. Mercury may have toxic effects on the nervous, digestive and immune systems, and on lungs, kidneys, skin and eyes. Mercury is considered by WHO as one of the top ten chemicals or groups of chemicals of major public health concern.
Mercury exists in various forms: elemental (or metallic) and inorganic (to which people may be exposed through their occupation); and organic (e.g., methylmercury, to which people may be exposed through their diet). These forms of mercury differ in their degree of toxicity and in their effects on the nervous, digestive and immune systems, and on lungs, kidneys, skin and eyes.
Mercury occurs naturally in the earth’s crust. It is released into the environment from volcanic activity, weathering of rocks and as a result of human activity.

Health effects of mercury exposure
Elemental and methylmercury are toxic to the central and peripheral nervous systems. 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.
Neurological and behavioural disorders may be observed after inhalation, ingestion or dermal exposure of different mercury compounds. Symptoms include tremors, insomnia, memory loss, neuromuscular effects, headaches and cognitive and motor dysfunction. Mild, subclinical signs of central nervous system toxicity can be seen in workers exposed to an elemental mercury level in the air of 20 μg/m3 or more for several years. Kidney effects have been reported, ranging from increased protein in the urine to kidney failure.
WHO and its health sector partners will furthermore work to:
Phase out mercury topical antiseptics and mercury skin-lightening cosmetics;
Develop public health strategies to address the health impacts of mercury use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining;
Develop measures to “phase down” the use of dental amalgam;
Encourage health information exchange, public awareness-raising and health research.
In conclusion the convention obliges governments and all interested stakeholders to take a range of actions, including to address mercury emissions to air and to phase-out certain mercury-containing products.

All comments to Dr Aminu Magashi at [email protected]