Action on Heavy Metals among Key Decisions at UNEP Council Meeting

February 25, 2005 By UN Environment Programme

NAIROBI Governments today took an important step forward in reducing the
health and environmental risks from mercury, a heavy metal linked with a
wide range of medical problems.

Under an expanded mercury programme, they have asked the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) to conduct a study on the amounts of mercury
being traded and supplied around the world.

Mercury, a heavy metal linked with effects such as damage to the nervous
systems of babies, is used in products such as fluorescent light bulbs,
dental fillings and thermometers.

Action is also to be taken on improving the communication of the risks of
mercury to vulnerable groups. These include pregnant mothers whose babies
may be at risk if they eat too much mercury-contaminated fish or marine
mammals such as seals.

Governments also agreed to promote "best available techniques" for reducing
mercury emissions from chemical factories and other industrial sites.

They agreed to develop partnerships between Governments, international
organizations, non-governmental organizations and the private sector to
reduce mercury pollution with the first pilot projects to be in place by
September this year.

Likely partnerships include ones to reduce emissions of mercury from
coal-fired power stations, from chlor-alkali plants and from pollution
linked with gold mining.

An estimated 2,000 tonnes of new mercury is released to the environment
annually, mainly from coal-fired power stations, waste incinerators and as
a result of artisanal mining of gold and silver.

Under the partnerships, Governments will make experts and information on
environmentally-friendly techniques available to those countries and
industries requesting assistance.

The partnership mechanism will also focus on mercury wastes and surplus
stockpiles as well as promote research to improve understanding on how
mercury moves around the planet.

UNEP has been asked to publicize the success of these partnerships through
publicity campaigns and through a dedicated web site.

Governments, who have been attending UNEP's 23rd Governing Council/Global
Ministerial Environment Forum, also agreed to review the success of the new
programme in two years time.

Here they will assess whether further action is needed and, if this is
deemed so, review a wide range of options including the possibility of a
legally binding treaty.

Well over 1,000 delegates attended from close to 140 countries, including
Wangari Maathai, the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner and Assistant
Environment Minister of Kenya.

Klaus Toepfer, UNEP's Executive Director, said today: "At the start of this
Governing Council I called on Governments and delegates to take
responsibility for the global environment in order to meet the UN
Millennium Development Goals on issues such as poverty, water and health."

"I think we can say that they did this, pushing forward on a wide range of
fronts including heavy metals, water and sanitation, gender equality and
scientific assessments of this ever-changing world", he added.

Mr. Toepfer said he was pleased that Governments had formally adopted the
Bali Strategic Plan for Technology Support and Capacity Building which will
help focus UNEP's work, including support for developing countries on the
national level in areas ranging from waste and data gathering to
environment law and wildlife conservation.

"We have also been given backing for our work on early warning of disasters
and catastrophes including tsunamis", he said.

UNEP's finances have also been strengthened with Governments agreeing to
core funding for the organization of $144 million which "is the best it has
ever been", said Mr. Toepfer.

Indeed, if all sources of funding are calculated, the overall budget for
the biennium 2006-2007 is close to $300 million.

Mr. Toepfer said he had also been delighted by the success of the
Environment Institute, a new innovation at the Governing Council, which has
included training workshops with delegates and guests including members of
the Nairobi community.

"We want to be good partners in Kenya and in the city of Nairobi where we
are headquartered. I think the contribution of the well-attended
Environment Institute again underlines this", he added.

Mr. Toepfer also applauded the important contribution of civil society who
met just before the Governing Council at the Global Civil Society Forum.

Progress on two other heavy metals was also agreed today with UNEP
requested to conduct a global assessment of cadmium and lead transport.

Governments want to better understand how the two heavy metals move through
the atmosphere, seas and rivers in order to establish whether action at a
global level is needed to address the health and environment effects.

Cadmium, which is found in products such as batteries, is a known toxin
linked with respiratory and gastro-intestinal problems and, in acute cases,
kidney and skeletal effects.

Lead is linked with a variety of health problems including brain damage in
young children and effects on the body's cardiovascular and reproductive
systems.

Notes to Editors

UNEP produced a global assessment of mercury in February 2003; see
http://www.chem.unep.ch/mercury/default.htm.

The report says that coal-fired power stations and waste incinerators now
account for around 1,500 tons or 70 percent of new, quantified man-made
mercury emissions to the atmosphere. The lion's share is now coming from
developing countries with emissions from Asia, at 860 tons, the highest.

Artisanal mining of gold and silver, which is happening in an increasing
number of less developed nations, is another significant source of mercury
pollution, releasing an estimated 400-500 tons of mercury annually to the
air, soils and waterways.

Once in the atmosphere, this hazardous heavy metal can travel hundreds and
thousands of miles, contaminating places far away from the world's sites
where the pollution was originally discharged.

A study of women in the United States, also cited in the report, has found
that about 1 in 12, or just under 5 million have mercury levels in their
bodies above the level considered safe by the United States Environmental
Protection Agency.

Just three years ago, the United States Research Council estimated that
about 60,000 babies born each year in the US could be at risk of brain
damage with possible impacts ranging from learning difficulties to impaired
nervous systems.

However, based on more recent exposure data published by the US Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, some scientists think the number of at risk
babies could be as high as 300,000. Globally the number could run into the
millions.

The full press release from 3 February 2003 can be found at the UNEP News
Centre on www.unep.org or at
http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=284&Articl
eID=3204&l=en

The UNEP Governing Council web site can be accessed at
http://www.unep.org/gc/gc23/

For more information, contact:
Nick Nuttall
Head, UNEP Media Unit
Tel: +254-20-62-3084
E-mail: cpiinfo@unep.org
http://www.unep.org