Mercury Pollution: Global Initiative and India’s Role

• The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has launched a $134-million initiative aimed at phasing out mercury-based medical devices in healthcare settings. 
• The project includes India among five key participating countries and aims to reduce mercury exposure and environmental contamination.

About the Project

Aim:

• Gradual Phase-out: Replace mercury-based thermometers and sphygmomanometers (used to measure blood pressure) at an annual rate of 20%.
• Reduce Spillages: Minimize mercury spills in healthcare facilities through better practices.
• Promote Alternatives: Encourage adoption of mercury-free, accurate, safe, and cost-effective devices.
• Improve Waste Management: Enhance safe disposal and handling of medical waste that contains mercury.

Participating Countries:

• India
• Albania
• Burkina Faso
• Montenegro
• Uganda

Funding Agency:

• Global Environment Facility (GEF)

Implementing Body:

• World Health Organization (WHO)

Understanding Mercury

Nature and Properties:

• Mercury is a naturally occurring heavy metal, found in air, soil, and water.
• Unique characteristic: The only metal that is liquid at room temperature.
• It is a persistent, bio-accumulative, and toxic pollutant, which means it remains in the environment and builds up in organisms over time.

Health Hazards:

• Mercury can cause:
  • Neurological damage (especially in fetuses and young children)
  • Impairment of the nervous, digestive, and immune systems
  • Damage to lungs, kidneys, skin, and eyes

Minamata disease:

• A severe neurological disorder caused by methyl-mercury poisoning.
• Originated in Minamata, Japan (1950s) due to industrial discharge into the sea.
• Symptoms: Tremors, loss of motor skills, cognitive impairment, coma, and death.

Sources of Mercury Pollution

• Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM)
• Coal-fired Thermal Power Plants
• Industrial Processes (e.g., choler-alkali production)
• Volcanic Activity (natural source)
• Improper Disposal of Mercury Products

Minamata Convention on Mercury

• Adopted: 2013 at Kumamoto, Japan
• Came into Force: 2017
• Named after: Minamata city, the epicentre of mercury-related health tragedy

Objectives:

• Ban new mercury mining and phase out existing ones.
• Gradual reduction in mercury use in products (like thermometers, batteries).
• Promote environmentally sound storage and disposal of mercury waste.

Significance:

• First legally binding international treaty aimed at reducing mercury emissions and its harmful effects.
• Encourages international cooperation in mercury monitoring, research, and policy-making.

India’s Status:

• Ratified the Convention in 2018
• Committed to replacing mercury-based devices in line with WHO’s Safe Healthcare initiatives.

India and Mercury Pollution: Present Scenario

Challenges:

• Continued use of mercury thermometers and BP instruments in rural clinics and small hospitals.
• Inadequate infrastructure for safe collection and disposal of mercury-containing waste.
• Coal-based power plants still major contributors to mercury emissions.
• Limited public awareness about mercury’s toxicity.

Government Measures:

• Ban on import and manufacture of mercury thermometers in some states.
• Promoting digital and aneroid sphygmomanometers.
• Integration of mercury-free healthcare in national health strategies.
• Initiatives under:
  • Make in India (for indigenously produced mercury-free devices)
  • Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (for clean and safe disposal of medical waste)