The Minamata Convention on Mercury is an international agreement designed to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury. The convention provides a global framework for addressing the use, release and release of mercury and mercury compounds. The following report outlines the main requirements of the convention based on the attachment provided.
The convention was adopted by the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) in Kumamoto, Japan, in October 2013 and came into force on August 16, 2017. To this day, it has been confirmed by 141 countries.
Restrictions under the Minamata Convention on Mercury
1.Product Add Mercury (Appendix A)
The convention requires the elimination of additional mercury products by a specific date. Some products are excluded, such as those used for public protection, military, research, calibration, traditional or religious practices, and vaccines containing thiomersal as preservatives. Grading dates for various products include:
- Battery (except for a particular button battery) - 2020
- Switches and relays (with some exceptions) - 2020
- Dense and linear fluorescent lamps (with a certain mercury content limit) - 2020
- High pressure mercury steam lamp - 2020
- Cold cathode fluorescent lamps and external electrode fluorescent lamps for electronic display (with certain mercury content limits) - 2020
- Cosmetics with mercury content exceeding 1ppm (excluding cosmetics of specific points) - 2020
- Pesticides, biosids and topical antiseptics - 2020
- Certain non -electronic measuring devices - 2020
2.Dental Amalgam (Appendix A, Part II)
The convention requires a gradual reduction of dental amalgam use through various steps, such as promoting mercury -free alternatives, research and development, education and training, discouraging insurance policies in favor of dental amalgam, and promoting the best environmental practices in dental facilities.
3.The process of making using mercury or mercury compounds (Appendix B)
This convention requires a specific manufacturing process to be stopped in stages using mercury or mercury compounds by a certain date:
- Chlor -alkali production - 2025
- Acne production using mercury as a catalyst - 2018
For other processes, the convention sets the provisions to reduce or stop the use, release and release of mercury in stages. This process includes the production of vinyl chloride monomers, sodium or potassium metlates or etilat, and polyurethane production using a catalyst containing mercury.
4.Small and small -scale gold mining (Appendix C)
Parties subject to Article 7, paragraph 3, must develop a national action plan to address the use of mercury in artisanal and small-scale gold mining. The plan must include national objectives, reduction targets, actions to eliminate specific dangerous practices, steps to facilitate sector formulation, basic estimates of mercury use, strategies to reduce emissions and exposure, and public health strategies, among other needs.
5.The point of the release source to the atmosphere (Appendix D)
The convention lists several categories of sources of mercury release points to the atmosphere, which requires control and reduction steps:
- Coal power plant
- Industrial boilers that use coal
- The process of melting and consuming used in the production of non -ferrous metal
- Residual burning facility
- Cement clinker production facility
Ahmad Sakr
Product Compliance Consultant
COMPLYMARKET UG (Haftungsbeschraenkt)
