Three people are standing and crouching in a muddy, reddish-brown open pit, possibly mining or panning, with bowls and plates around them and pools of murky water filling the pit.

Ending Mercury Contamination

At a Glance

Gold Mining and Global Mercury Pollution

IPEN works to end uses of mercury that threaten human health and the environment, especially where workers, Indigenous Peoples, and communities facing historic discrimination remain at risk.

Mercury contamination impacts millions of people globally, with artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) as the largest global contributor to mercury pollution. IPEN has been active in the Minamata Convention on Mercury since its inception and continues work to end health and environmental threats from this toxic metal.

A man sitting on a rock wears orange boots and washes a pan in a green tub of muddy water outdoors, with trees and other people in the background.

Global and National Action

IPEN calls for global policies through the Minamata Convention on Mercury to end the trade in mercury and to phase out its use in ASGM. IPEN members also work for national regulations to end mercury contamination. Click “Global Action” to learn about the Minamata Convention and click “National Action” to see IPEN members’ work to end mercury pollution in their countries.

Global Action
National Action

In the News

Indigenous Women in Peru and Nicaragua Face Mercury Contamination from Small-Scale Gold Mining
Mercury Exposure of Women in Two Latin American Gold Mining Countries
Massive Amounts of Mercury for Gold Mining are Smuggled from Mexico, Polluting the Amazon and Threatening Indigenous Peoples
Mercury Treaty Falls Short on Ending Threats from Toxic Waste and Mercury-Containing Cosmetics, Makes Progress on Dental Mercury and Inclusion of Indigenous Peoples
Minamata Convention Calls for Inclusion of Indigenous Peoples in the Fight to End Mercury Pollution
UN Human Rights Expert Calls for an End to the Trade in Mercury and its Use in Small-Scale Gold Mining

The Price of Gold: Global Mercury Pollution

Mercury is a toxic metal linked to serious health concerns. Yet mercury continues to be used globally, especially in ASGM, with millions of people impacted. 

Many studies link mercury from small-scale gold mining to serious health problems, including tremors, memory problems, vision disorders, kidney dysfunction, respiratory problems, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Mercury exposure is also linked to serious impacts on pregnant women, the fetus, and children’s brain development. 

IPEN has worked to eliminate threats to the environment and health from mercury for nearly two decades. Today, IPEN works to strengthen the Minamata Convention, calling for a phase-out on mercury used in gold mining and an end to the global mercury trade.

IPEN members develop original research and produce data demonstrating the impacts of mercury from gold mining in their countries and advocate for national and global policies to end these toxic threats. IPEN members also work to expose and eliminate other threats from mercury, including its use in skin-whitening creams and other cosmetics.

People globally at risk from mercury pollution

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Amount of mercury used in ASGM each year

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Average amount of gold produced by ASGM each year

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A person holds a small round object over an orange bowl filled with water. The bowl is placed on a wooden structure, and reflections are visible on the water’s surface.

IPEN’s Role: Ending Mercury Contamination

IPEN actively engaged in the development of the Minamata Convention and continues to participate in the Convention’s Conference of Parties and several subcommittees. Members of IPEN also conduct national research and produce original science to document threats from mercury pollution in their countries and regions.

See background on IPEN’s history in the Minamata Convention on Mercury, studies on mercury contamination, and other mercury work.

See Our Work

Publications

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IPEN (International Pollutants Elimination Network)
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