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Dublin: 6 °C Thursday 23 May, 2013

Nations sign treaty aimed at reducing mercury emissions

Around 140 countries decided on the deal after all-night talks in Geneva.

Image: Mercury drops via Shutterstock

U.N. OFFICIALS SAY more than 130 nations have adopted the first legally binding international treaty aimed at reducing mercury emissions.

The U.N. Environment Program says the treaty was adopted this morning, after all-night negotiations that capped a week of talks.

The treaty will for the first time set enforceable limits on emissions of mercury, a highly-toxic metal that is widely used in chemical production and small-scale mining.

Joe DiGangi, a science adviser with advocacy group IPEN, says that while the treaty is “a first step,” it is not tough enough to achieve its aim of reducing overall emissions.

- AP

Read: More positive results from tests at Monaghan gold mine site >

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Comments (9 Comments)

  • Poorer countries using mercury to process gold is most hazardous to those using it and the misfortunates who drink the contaminated water. In this part of the world one of the biggest risks to consumers from mercury is from broken fluorescent tubes which contain about 12 mg mercury. Mercury accumulates in the human body and even minor exposures over time are hazardous. Never break a fluorescent tube as some of the mercury is a vapour and can be inhaled. Recycling them is the only option but be careful transporting them in a car.

    Reply
  • Ha Ha.
    Reducing the amount of Poisonous Mercury Emissions being released into the environment?
    Maybe we should start by getting the mercury fillings extracted from our teeth and replaced by a biocompatible material.
    Why should we store a lethal poison in our bodies?
    Why should we store a lethal poison beside our brains?

    Reply
  • Rkmr 19/01/13 #

    In this article mercury ‘highly toxic’ in vaccination article ‘mercury-totally safe’

    Reply
  • The west uses bombs to separate the natives from their gold should this not also bee deemed toxic and banned. Mali.Libya.Iraq.

    Reply
    • No.. ok so we will carry on killing them serfs . Everyday i wake up and think are’nt i lucky that i was’nt born ina country that Western Governments covet what is in the soil .Therefore i dont have to worry about western backed machete weilding rebels bigbombs from the sky starvation mutilation and thirst instead i can just ignore all them other people turn on my xfactor and sing que sera sera what ever will be will be them people are too far to see just happy to be watching glee que sera sera.A puppy gets lost here then and the media jump on it and all the trend followers start balling crying ohh the humanity .

      Reply
  • Phil 19/01/13 #

    Now the Africans can’t mine for their own gold because mercury is the cheap way of separating gold from any impurities. If the limit its use it means the much more expensive solution needs to be used. Too expensive fir the Africans so yet again, the big gold mining companies will get to dig their gold. All these treaties are put in place for the huge companies to profit even further.

    Reply
    • Agree and the same will happen in South America.

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    • Julie 19/01/13 #

      Agreed , big corporations have so much pull, in America the divide between corporations an government is very thin. Judging what we have done with our oil it pretty much same here , oil was sold with the interest of the corporations in mind not the people of Ireland ! It’s madness !

      Reply
    • New world order blah blah blah, your failing to see the bigger picture. Mercury is being found in our food, that is why drastic action is being taken. The unregulated African / south american gold are some of the worst offenders, yes it’s cheap but at what cost to the environment and themselves. Many thousands of miners in these small operations are dying from mercury poisoning. Mercury is being found in dangerous levels in the fish we’re eating.

      Reply

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