A study detected mercury levels of some global policy decision-makers at the first Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention. above health alert thresholds.
Mercury, a neurotoxic metal, poses a global health threat resulting into organ damage in adult, damage to foetus, among others. This prompted the call for a global conference of the world’s first mercury treaty.
Hair samples from 180 attendees (104 women and 76 men) representing 75 different countries were collected at the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention (COP1) held in Geneva in September, 2017. Delegates attended from Africa , Asia Pacific , GRULAC (Latin American and Caribbean Countries), JUSCANZ (Japan, United States, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, Norway, and New Zealand), Small Island Development States (SIDS) and Western Europe .
So disturbing are the isolated results from Small Island Developing States with the mean mercury levels increased more than three folds of the limits.
Researchers concluded that even global policy-makers who are educated about mercury risks are not protected from mercury contamination. This results clearly shows that education is not enough to address the sources of mercury pollution. Everyone is affected by the impacts of global deposition to oceans of mercury vapour from coal-fired power generation.
The summary of the analysis:
Mercury, a neurotoxic metal, poses a global health threat resulting into organ damage in adult, damage to foetus, among others. This prompted the call for a global conference of the world’s first mercury treaty.
Hair samples from 180 attendees (104 women and 76 men) representing 75 different countries were collected at the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention (COP1) held in Geneva in September, 2017. Delegates attended from Africa , Asia Pacific , GRULAC (Latin American and Caribbean Countries), JUSCANZ (Japan, United States, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, Norway, and New Zealand), Small Island Development States (SIDS) and Western Europe .
The environmental organisations IPEN and BRI (the Biodiversity Research Institute) analysed the hair samples to find the mean Mercury levels in all participants exceeded the US EPA health advisory level of 1 ppm.
The mean level of mercury in hair of delegates from the Asia Pacific region exceeded 2 times the limit.
So disturbing are the isolated results from Small Island Developing States with the mean mercury levels increased more than three folds of the limits.
Researchers concluded that even global policy-makers who are educated about mercury risks are not protected from mercury contamination. This results clearly shows that education is not enough to address the sources of mercury pollution. Everyone is affected by the impacts of global deposition to oceans of mercury vapour from coal-fired power generation.
The summary of the analysis:
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