Mercury and Minamata Convention

♤ The use of mercury due to anthropogenic activities such as mining and fossil fuel burning has posed a serious threat to the public health.

♤ Elemental and Methyl Mercury are toxic to the central and peripheral nervous system. Inorganic salts of mercury are corrosive to the skin, eyes and may induce kidney toxicity.

♤ Mercury is naturally used element in various industrial processes such as chor-alkali industry, cement, chemical units, cola based thermal power plants, CFLs, healthcare sectors etc.

♤ Minamata, a town in Japan first gained the attention of world to the devastating effects of Mercury poisoning, when an outbreak of neurological disease occurred due to discharge of Methyl Mercury in wastewater.

♤ Minamata Convention on Mercury

o In 1972, the United Nations conference on human environment initiated action on high priority marine pollutants including Mercury. In October 2013, a new international convention to control Mercury emissions was opened for signing in Japan.

o The convention aims to protect human health and environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of Mercury and its compounds.

o The parties also agreed to control and reduce mercury and mercury compounds emissions.

o The convention also called for additional research on issues related to Mercury.

♤ India participated in all meetings and played an important role in finalizing the text of the convention; however it hasn’t ratified the convention yet.