IPEN-SSNC Survey of Mercury in Hair

A survey of mercury content in the hair of delegates at the first UN negotiating meeting for a global treaty on mercury.

At the 1st International Negotiating Committee (INC1) for a Global Treaty on Mercury, negotiators from 40 countries were tested by IPEN and SSNC, and mercury levels between 93 ug/kg and 2956 ug/kg were found in their hair samples. More than one-third of the samples exceeded the US National Research Council mercury reference dose of 1000 ug/kg. Surprisingly, average mercury levels in people from developing and transition countries were twice the levels measured in delegates from developed countries. The difference was statistically significant.