Knowra Minamata Convention on Mercury Minamata Convention on Mercury The Minamata Convention on Mercury is a global treaty adopted in 2013 to protect human health and the environment by controlling mercury use, trade, emissions, and releases.
Mercury emissions : Mercury released into the atmosphere from natural processes and human activities. The Convention requires controls on emissions from listed sources, including coal-fired power plants.
Minamata disease : A neurological disorder caused by severe methylmercury poisoning, first recognized among residents of Minamata, Japan. The disease gave the treaty its name and demonstrates the consequences it seeks to prevent.
National implementation plans : Government plans describing measures, priorities, and timelines for carrying out an international agreement. The Convention requires plans from parties addressing artisanal and small-scale gold mining where applicable.
Methylmercury : An organic mercury compound that accumulates in aquatic food webs and can damage the nervous system. The treaty’s protections address exposure to this highly toxic form, especially through seafood.
Mercury-added products : Products containing intentionally added mercury, such as certain lamps, batteries, and measuring devices. The treaty phases out or restricts specified products and sets deadlines for their control.
Minamata disaster : A mass methylmercury poisoning in Japan linked to industrial wastewater discharged into Minamata Bay. The disaster became a defining historical warning behind global action on mercury.
Best available techniques and best environmental practices : Methods for limiting pollution using effective technologies and practices suited to environmental conditions. Parties use these approaches to control mercury emissions from relevant new sources.
Mercury in fish : Mercury, primarily methylmercury, accumulated in fish through aquatic food webs. Fish consumption is a major exposure pathway the Convention’s health measures seek to address.
Artisanal and small-scale gold mining : Small-scale gold extraction that often uses mercury to form gold–mercury amalgam. Parties with significant activity must reduce and, where feasible, eliminate mercury use in this sector.
Minamata Convention negotiations : The United Nations-led negotiations that produced a global mercury treaty between 2010 and 2013. Negotiations translated scientific concern and political pressure into the treaty’s obligations.
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