The Minamata Convention on Mercury is an international agreement that is designed to protect human health and environment from the adverse effects of mercury. Convention provides a global structure for the use, emission and release of mercury and mercury compounds. The following report outline the main requirements of the convention based on the Annex given.
The convention was adopted by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) in Kumamoto, Japan, 2013 and came into effect on August 16, 2017. To today, it has been reserved by 141 countries.
Mercury Convention on Mercury
1.Products of mercury (Anex A)
The convention requires the phase-out of specific mercury products through a specified date. Some products have been discounted, such as civil protection, military, research, calibration, traditional or religious practice and thyomersal vaccine as preserver. The phase-out dates of different products include:
- Battery (excluding the battery of the specified button) - 2020
- Switch and relay (with some exceptions) - 2020
- Compait
- High pressure mercury steam lamp - 2020
- Cold Catode Fluorescent Lamp and Electronic Displans External Electrode Fluorescent Lamp (including the specified mercury material limit) - 2020
- Cosmetics with mercury content above 1ppm (except for some eye -field cosmetics) - 2020
- Pesticides, biosides and topical antiseptics - 2020
- Some non-electronic measurement instruments-2020
2.Dental Amalgam (Anex A, Part II)
Convention makes the phase-downs compulsory of the use of dental amalgam through various steps, such as mercury-free options, research and development, education and training, insurance policies that support dental amalgam, and promoting the best environmental practice in dental facilities.
3.The manufacturing process using mercury or mercury compounds (Annex B)
The convention requires phase-out of specific manufacturing processes using mercury or mercury compounds within a specified date:
- Chlor -Chloric production - 2025
- Acetaldehyde production using mercury as a catalyst - 2018
For other processes, the convention specifies the use of mercury, emitting, and reducing manifestations or phase-out. These processes include the production of vinyl chloride monomers, sodium or potassium methilate or ethlete production, and the production of polyurethane using mercury-containing catalysts.
4.Artisan and small -sized gold mines (Annex C)
Article 7, Subject to Article 3, the team must create a national action plan to address the use of mercury in the case of artisan and small gold mining. These plans must include national objectives, reduction goals, steps to eliminate specific harmful practices, arrangements for the formalization of sector, baseline estimates for the use of mercury, strategies for emitting and exposure strategy and public health strategies include other requirements.
5.The point source of the emission of the atmosphere (Annex D)
The convention listed a few point sources of mercury emissions in the atmosphere, which requires control and reduction measures:
- Coal -based power plant
- Coal
- Melting and roasting process used to produce non -ferrous metals
- Waste
- Cement Cleiner Production Facility
Ahmed sakr
Product compliance consultant
Complymarket ug (haftungsbeschrankt)
