Illegal trade fuels mercury influx; give Minamata Convention teeth through intergovernmental cooperation

Seven years after the Minamata Convention on Mercury came into force, environmental organisation BAN Toxics is again calling for closer intergovernmental cooperation to tackle the illegal production, import and export of elemental mercury and mercury-containing products.

“Tackling mercury pollution for a country like the Philippines, where mercury mining does not take place, requires concerted efforts with other countries to prevent the import and trade of illicit mercury and mercury-containing products. Despite existing laws and regulations, preventing cross-border trade of illicit mercury remains the biggest challenge for our regulators and enforcement agencies,” said Jam Lorenzo, Head of the Policy Development and Research Unit of BAN Toxics.

Investigations into mercury trafficking have documented cases of elemental mercury being smuggled into the Philippines via backdoor routes by boat. Cinnabar deposits are mined in Mexico, Indonesia and possibly China, where mercury use is high. Mercury has been transported by boat across the Indonesian archipelago, with shipments to the Philippines, particularly from Manado to Mindanao, according to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.

During his presentation at the Minamata Secretariat Workshop on Mercury Trade held in Talisay, Batangas in June, Geri Geronimo-Sañez of the DENR-EMB acknowledged the challenges in improving border control and monitoring online sales of mercury-laced products in the changing e-commerce landscape.

Mercury is a highly toxic chemical that can cause irreversible damage to the nervous system. It has long persistence in the environment and global mobility – it circulates through the atmosphere, oceans and land. Its emissions and releases can bioaccumulate and biomagnificate in the food chain, posing a significant threat to human health and the environment.

On 16 August 2017, the Minamata Convention on Mercury entered into force. This is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from man-made emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds.

The treaty is named after Minamata Bay in Japan, where thousands of people were poisoned by mercury-contaminated industrial wastewater in the mid-20th century, causing serious health damage that became known as ‘Minamata disease’.

It addresses mercury pollution by restricting mining, regulating trade, reducing and, where feasible, eliminating the use of mercury in products and processes, controlling emissions, and promoting safe disposal of waste. To date, there are 148 Parties to the Convention, including the Philippines, which ratified the Convention in August 2020.

BAN Toxics has been committed to the elimination of mercury for more than ten years and is actively involved in international negotiations and treaty conferences.

According to Lorenzo, mercury enters the country in its elemental form or through products containing mercury, such as skin whitening creams, amalgam fillings and fluorescent lights.

Minamata 7th anniversary

The country has developed and issued several policies to regulate mercury, most notably the Revised Chemical Control Order for Mercury and Mercury Compounds, also known as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Administrative Order 2019-20. The Department of Health (DOH) also issued Administrative Order No. 2020-0020 regarding the phase-out of dental amalgams. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued FDA Circular No. 2022-003, which bans all thermometers, blood pressure monitors, and dental amalgam capsules containing mercury. The FDA also regularly issues advisories banning identified mercury-containing skin lightening products.

Ongoing market research by BAN Toxics shows that prohibited cosmetics are still being sold without a prescription or over the counter in beauty shops in shopping malls, public markets, general merchandise stores and on online e-commerce platforms.

“In our ongoing monitoring of mercury-containing skin lightening products, we can say with certainty that there is no decrease in the number of products sold; instead, we see more products and sellers entering the market. This indicates that the illegal production and trade of these products is not being addressed by countries that, if product labeling is correct, are parties to the Minamata Convention,” said Thony Dizon, BAN Toxics Campaign and Advocacy Officer.

Minamata 7th anniversary

Dizon points to Pakistan, Thailand, China and India as the countries where most of the illegal cosmetics are said to be produced.

Recently, BAN Toxics identified a Thai-made cosmetic product called Dr. Yanhee Facial Cream, which is not yet certified by the FDA, circulating on online platforms Lazada and Shopee. The product has mercury concentrations ranging from 11,300 to as high as 23,800 parts per million (ppm). It claims to have been tested by Yanhee International Hospital and certified by ISO and the FDA.

Currently, the Minamata Convention, as well as the DENR and FDA, have set a permissible limit of 1 ppm mercury content for skin lightening products. However, BAN Toxics continues to maintain that there is no safe level of mercury exposure.

BAN Toxics has contacted the FDA to request post-market surveillance and subsequent public warning of this product.

“There has been a marked increase in the use of online platforms for the sale of cosmetics containing mercury, and this has remained largely unregulated. As of February 2024, we have identified over 1,000 sellers of these banned products on Lazada, Shopee and Facebook Marketplace,” Dizon shared.

In a submission to the Minamata Convention on trade in cosmetics containing mercury, BAN Toxics identified Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam as intermediate or transit countries for the online sale of these products.

Meanwhile, Lorenzo notes that another major source of mercury emissions and discharges in the country is the small-scale artisanal gold mining sector, which is globally recognized as a major contributor. Mercury is used in mining to extract gold from crushed ores.

“Our consultations with small-scale gold mines show that mercury use in the sector is still widespread due to insufficient support for mercury-free technologies and alternatives. As a poverty-ridden sector that relies on self-sufficient mining, the transition to mercury-free processes must be supported by the government. At the same time, efforts must be made to prevent the entry of illicit mercury into the country. While there are sellers of mercury, there will inevitably be users, underscoring the need for intergovernmental cooperation to address illicit trade and entry into the country,” Lorenzo said.

Minamata 7th anniversary

“Intergovernmental cooperation may take the form of cooperation arrangements in the areas of information exchange, market surveillance and technical or financial assistance to enhance the possibilities for detecting illicit products.”

As for mercury-containing medical measuring devices (MCMMDs) and lamps found in hospitals or healthcare facilities, Lorenzo said a study conducted by BAN Toxics and published in 2022 showed that the phase-out of these products has been largely successful. However, he noted that not all healthcare facilities have properly disposed of their MCMMDs. Of those that have, a significant percentage were discarded through municipal waste or sold to third-party buyers, posing a risk of mercury being released into the environment.

BAN Toxics is currently working with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the DENR on the Philippine Healthcare and Mercury Wastes Management Project. One of the key components of this 5-year project, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), is to assist hospitals with the inventory and proper disposal of mercury stockpiles.

“The anniversary of the Minamata Convention is a milestone worth celebrating, as we have made significant progress in recent years in advocating for a mercury-free world. However, we still have a long way to go. Parties to the Convention must strive to work together to achieve our shared goals and overcome the remaining challenges,” Lorenzo concluded.

References:

https://minamataconvention.org/sites/default/files/2021-06/NAP_guidance2018_EN.pdf

https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/how-minamata-convention-aiming-end-mercurys-millennia-long-toxic-run

https://bantoxics.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/EEB-MAPS-ALTERNATIVES-STUDY-060222.pdf

Illegal trade fuels mercury influx; give Minamata Convention teeth through intergovernmental cooperation

More From Author

Former Gary police chief arrested on child pornography charges – NBC Chicago

The World: Latest Stories | Smuggling American Minors for Cartels

Footballers who went underworld as former child prodigies, international stars and semi-professional gang members jailed for drug trafficking

Bell County Death Investigation Recording Reveals Killer on 34th Birthday

How to watch Sicily with Michael Portillo in the US on Channel 5

You May Also Like:

Former Gary police chief arrested on child pornography charges – NBC Chicago

The World: Latest Stories | Smuggling American Minors for Cartels

Footballers who went underworld as former child prodigies, international stars and semi-professional gang members jailed for drug trafficking

Vatican to work with Italian authorities to prosecute source of leaks – Catholic World Report

The effects of domestic violence on women’s mental health

Gang bill passed as debate continues over future of gun register

“Nintendo felt threatened” by Palworld’s sales success and anime expansion, analyst says: “This lawsuit would never have happened if Palworld had 500 users per day”

Maintenance and Installation of Solar Energy Systems and Panels Trainer – Syrian Arab Republic