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New Agreement to Address Global Threat of Mercury

Post Date:2013-04-11　 Editor:Marketing Department　 Hits:3382　[ Back ]

A new global agreement has been formed through multilateral negotiations to address the global threat posed to human health and the environment by mercury. The treaty establishes a number of protective measures on a range of mercury-containing products whose production, export and import will be banned by 2020 including:

•Batteries, except for ‘button cell' batteries used in implantable medical devices
•Switches and relays
•Certain types of compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs)
•Mercury in cold cathode fluorescent lamps and external electrode fluorescent lamps
•Soaps and cosmetics
•‘Phasing down' of the use of dental amalgam (a compound of mercury and silver-based alloys)
•Phase-out date of 2020 for mercury thermometers and blood pressure measuring devices used in health care
Exception was approved for vaccines where mercury is used as a preservative and for products used in religious or traditional activities.

The treaty, which has been four years in negotiation and which will be open for signature at a special meeting in Japan in October, also addresses the direct mining, export and import of mercury and the safe storage of waste mercury.

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New Agreement to Address Global Threat of Mercury