Minamata agency via mercury is an international contract for the protection of human health and the environment against the harmful effects of mercury.The Convention offers a global framework for dealing with the use, emissions and the release of mercury and mercury connections. In the following report, the most important requirements of the Convention based on the attached attachments are explained.
The convention was adopted in October 2013 by the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) in Kumamoto, Japan, and came into force on August 16, 2017. To date, it has been ratified by 141 countries.
Restrictions according to Minamata Convention via mercury
1. Products stored with mercury (Appendix A)
The agreement stipulates the exit from certain products with mercury on certain dates. Some products are excluded, for example those used for disaster protection, the military, research, calibration, traditional or religious practices, as well as vaccines that contain thiomersal as preservatives.The leak dates for different products include:
- Batteries (except special button batteries) - 2020
- Switch and relay (with some exceptions) - 2020
- Compact and linear fluorescent lamps (with specific limit values for the mercury content) - 2020
- High-pressure mercury stamping lamps-2020
- Cold cathode fluorescent lamps and fluorescent lamps with external electronic displays (with specific limit values for the mercury content)-2020
- Cosmetics with a mercury content over 1 ppm (except certain cosmetics for the eye area) - 2020
- Pesticides, biocides and topical antiseptics - 2020
- Certain non -electronic measuring devices - 2020
2. Zahnamalgam (Appendix A, Part II)
The Convention prescribes the gradual waiver of the use of dental gam through various measures, such as: B. the promotion of mercury -free alternatives, research and development, education and training, the prevention of insurance policies that favor dental gam, and the promotion of proven environmental practices in dental institutions.
3. Manufacturing process using mercury or mercury connections (Appendix B)
Convention requires the exit from certain manufacturing processes in which mercury or mercury connections are used up to certain dates:
- Chloric alkali production-2025
- Acetaldehyde production with mercury as a catalyst - 2018
For other processes, the Convention determines provisions for reducing or gradually foregoing the use, emissions and the release of mercury. These processes include the production of vinyl chloride monomers, the production of sodium or potassium methylate or ethylate and the production of polyurethane using mercury -containing catalysts.
4. Craftsmanship and small gold mining (Appendix C)
Contracting parties that are subject to Article 7 (3) must develop national action plans to combat the use of mercury in craftsmanship and small gold mining. These plans must include national goals, reduction goals, measures to eliminate specific harmful practices, measures to facilitate sector formalization, basic estimates of mercury consumption, strategies for reducing emissions and exposure as well as strategies for public health.
5. Following sources of emissions into the atmosphere (Appendix D)
The Convention lists several point source categories of mercury emissions into the atmosphere that require control and reduction measures:
- Coal -fired power plants
- Coal -fired industrial boiler
- Melting and roasting processes used in non-iron metal production
- Waste incineration plants
- Production systems for cement clinkers
Ahmed Sakr
Product compliance consultant
Complymarket UG (limited liability)
