Health sector involvement in the Minamata Convention on Mercury

Overview

The World Health Organization (WHO) convened a series of regional workshops on health sector involvement in the implementation of the Minamata Convention in order to support awareness raising and networking among ministries of health to facilitate implementation of the Minamata Convention and the associated World Health Assembly Resolution WHA67.11 (2014). This brochure is intended to inform readers about the outcomes of the workshops, including the challenges and opportunities confronting health authorities in each region in relation to the Convention’s health-related Articles, as well as needs for technical assistance.

Mercury is a naturally occurring element (chemical symbol is Hg) in the earth’s crust. It is released into the environment mainly as a result of human activity. Mercury’s behavior in the environment and degree of toxicity depends heavily on its state and form. It exists in several forms: as elemental mercury, inorganic and organic mercury compounds. It is also considered to be a persistent pollutant and cannot be broken down or degraded into harmless substances. This means that once mercury has been brought into circulation in the biosphere by human activity, it does not “disappear” again in the time spans comparable to human lifetime and will need to be managed (stored or disposed) for the longer term. Once in the environment, mercury can be transformed by bacteria into methylmercury, where it enters the food chain, in particular, in seafood.