There is the kind of lead poisoning that creeps into water supplies, builds up in children’s blood streams, and, if sustained, will impair their brains. And then there is the kind, much rarer, that makes fully grown adults drop dead.
New Study Reveals Dangerous Mercury Levels among Delegates at Minamata Mercury Convention COP1, with the Highest Levels in Delegates from Small Island Developing States.
Evidence that the neurotoxic metal mercury poses a global health threat to all was underscored today in a new study analyzing the mercury body burdens among delegates of a global conference of the world’s first mercury treaty. The study detected mercury levels above health alert thresholds in over half of the global policy decision-makers tested at the first Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention.
Researchers concluded that even global policy-makers who are educated about mercury risks are not protected from mercury contamination. The findings revealed mercury in all participants and elevated mercury levels exceeding theUS EPA health advisory level of 1 ppm. Levels many times higher were identified in delegates from a number of regions. Mercury, while harmful to adults, causes the greatest damage to the developing nervous systems of fetuses in utero.
Millions of people are risking their lives using mercury to separate gold from ore in the gold mining industry.
United Nations launched a campaign to stop the use of mercury in unofficial gold mining, but alternative machines are still too expensive for miners to obtain.
This is one of the issues to be discussed at the UN Environment Assembly being held in Kenya.
Joseph Muema has been showing up for his spray painting job for the past three years with the knowledge that his lifetime on earth shortens with each passing day, something he insists is for the sake of his family.
Many Kenyan childen could becomementally stunted and unable to respond to basic instructions because of exposure to lead paints.
Lead poisoning among children can have lifelong health risks, including learning disabilities, anaemia and disorders in coordination, visual and language skills.
IPEN is participating in the 3rd meeting of the United Nations Environment Assembly, taking place in Nairobi, Kenya from November 27th to December 6th, 2017, under the overarching theme of pollution. Informational documents and information about IPEN's activities during the meeting will be posted on this page.
See IPEN's Views of Selected Issues to be discussed at UNEA3 for information about IPEN's positions on specific resolutions.
For years, IPEN has worked on several issues of pollution that will be relevant to the Assembly. For informational materials to supplement issues covered at the meeting, visit IPEN's UNEA3 Information Materials page.
This study, conducted by Centre for Environment Justice and Development (CEJAD) in partnership with IPEN, presents new data on the total lead content of solvent-based paints for home use available on the market in Kenya. It also presents background information on why the use of lead paint is a source of serious concern, especially to children’s health; a review of national policy frameworks that are in place to ban or restrict the manufacture, import, export, distribution, sale and use of lead paint; and provides a strong justification to adopt and enforce further regulatory controls in Kenya. Finally, it proposes action steps by different stakeholders to protect children and others from lead paint.