These briefs provide information about why IPEN believes guidance on contaminated sites must be adopted at the COP3; why 1 mg/kg for mercury waste thresholds should be the maximum concentration for health and environment protections; and why IPEN suports amendments to Annex A and B of the treaty.
This document presents IPEN's views about some issues that will be addressed at the 3rd Conference of the Parties for the Mercury Treaty, including open burning, effectiveness evaluation, review of Annexes A & B, waste thresholds, contaminated sites, and more.
Gothenburg, Sweden Highly toxic chemicals, posing dire risks to human health, have been found in dangerous concentrations in free-range chicken eggs in Indonesian communities where plastic waste accumulates. Among the alarming findings were high levels of dioxins in eggs collected near an Indonesian factory that burns plastics for fuel. The high dioxin concentrations are similar to levels in eggs collected near the Agent Orange hotspot in Bien Hoa, Vietnam, considered one of the most dioxin-contaminated locations on earth. The study is the first to demonstrate food chain contamination in Southeast Asia with high levels of hazardous chemicals as a consequence of waste mismanagement and plastic waste imports.
CIDAHU, Indonesia — Thousands of children with crippling birth defects. Half a million people poisoned. A toxic chemical found in the food supply. Accusations of a government cover-up and police officers on the take.
This is the legacy of Indonesia’s mercury trade, a business intertwined with the lucrative and illegal production of gold.
IPEN, the International Pollutants Elimination Network, Two Decades of Reducing and Eliminating the Most Harmful Chemicals
(Gothenburg, Sweden) IPEN, the global environmental health network with over 550 public interest organizations in 122 countries, is changing its name as it kicks off the next twenty years of science, policy and advocacy work to forge a toxics-free future for all. IPEN now stands for International Pollutants Elimination Network.
Study Highlights Need for Comprehensive Lead Paint Regulations to Protect Children’s Health
Wednesday, 23 October 2019
International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week of Action Observed in 40 Countries
Gothenburg, Sweden Children’s playgrounds in Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines, and Thailand have been revealed to contain painted equipment with lead levels above 90 ppm, the recommended limit by UN Environment Program. Playgrounds containing dangerously high levels of lead exceeding 10,000 ppm were discovered in four of the countries studied. The concerning data was released during the International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (October 20-26, 2019) spearheaded by the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint that is observing its 10th anniversary this year. Environmental health experts say the data underscores the ongoing need for strong lead paint bans that is inclusive not just of decorative paints, but all types of paint irrespective of use.
Quezon City, Philippines (October 24, 2019) – IPEN, an international non-profit leader on environmental health and chemical safety, announced today that paint products manufactured by Sycwin Coating & Wires, Inc. (Sycwin), a leading paint manufacturer from the Philippines, have been certified under the Lead Safe Paint® standard. Sycwin is the world’s first company to have its industrial paint brands certified lead-safe in conformity with the approaching phase-out period for industrial paints in the Philippines at the end of the year. The certification encompasses its entire portfolio of architectural paints, including PureCoat Premium, WeatherGard, Sycwin, PureCoat Advance, Minnesota, Delaware, Alabama, and Kansas, as well as industrial paint brands Guilder and Illinois – 10 brands and 590 products in all.