IPEN members around the world conduct scientific studies and produce original research on threats from mercury, advocating for changes to national policies toward ending mercury contamination in their countries.
See projects by IPEN and its members below.
National research by IPEN members
Mercury: Country-Based Reports
To review the uses of mercury in products, mercury imports, and sources of mercury releases, IPEN members conduct research and produce reports on the situation in their countries.
Mercury and ASGM
Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is the leading contributor to global mercury pollution. IPEN members conduct research in their countries to document threats to health and the environment from mercury used in ASGM, often with particular impacts on Indigenous Peoples.
Hotspots and the Food Chain
IPEN members conducted research to document mercury contaminated sites in their countries, finding high levels of mercury pollution around plastics and petrochemical industry sites, ASGM operations, waste dumps and incinerators, and other industrial areas. They have also conducted testing for mercury in local seafood and in human hair, demonstrating the food chain impacts from mercury contamination.
Ending Other Uses of Mercury
IPEN and its members call for an end to other uses of mercury, including in cosmetic skin whitening creams, dental fillings, and other applications. IPEN POs have researched and tested products for mercury and worked with leading dental organizations for alternatives to mercury fillings. This work has resulted in stronger global and national restrictions to protect public health and the environment.
