Resources

A report detailing the outcomes of the UNEP-WHO project on promoting the phase down of dental amalgam in developing countries.

Brochure with information on alternatives to mercury-added products

Health Care Without Harm developed a script for the video based on the UNDP GEF Global Health Care Waste Project “Guidance Document on the Cleanup, Temporary or Intermediate Storage, and Transport of Mercury Waste from Healthcare Facilities”.

Cosmetic skin lightening is practiced worldwide. Mercury is a well-documented melanotoxin added to some lightening products. However, mercury can cause many dermatologic, renal, and neurologic problems. The Food and Drug Administration limits the amount of mercury in cosmetic products to trace amounts, 1 ppm.

Somali women often use creams and soaps to lighten skin tone, fade freckles or get rid of age spots. Use of these products raises a health concern, as some have been found to contain mercury. This article describes an investigation that involved interviewing Somali women about skin-lightening practices and the products they use and then testing those products for mercury.

A two days Training of Trainers (TOT) Workshop funded by World Dental Federation (FDI) was organized in collaboration with United Nations Environment program (UNEP), World Health Organization (WHO) and International Association of Dental Manufactures (IDM).

[ French ] Les Dangers de la Dépigmentation (France 2 en direct), Isabelle Mananga Ossey (Association Label Beauté Noire).

Socio-economic Analysis on Mercury Thermometer and Sphygmomanometer Transition towards Mercury Free Products in China

Hypothetical Transition Scenarios Analysis and Socio-economic Cost Estimation 

This workbook will guide you through a systematic, hospital-wide approach for education, assessment, and improvement of mercury-containing products and the practices related to mercury in your institution. It is based on a model of continuous improvement so that the workbook is appropriate for healthcare institutions at all different levels of experience in their mercury reduction efforts. 

This report provides information from case studies of two firms involved with transitioning from mercury-containing to mercury-free products in the medical technology industry.

The potential environmental damage, human toxicity and disposal costs of mercury have led to a growing demand for non-mercury-containing devices in health care. This guide will describe available altemafive no devices for thermometers and sphygmomanometers, and provide guidance on the selection of altemafive devices.

Gathered in Manila, Philippines on the occasion of the Asia Regional Conference on Mercury-Free Health Care, more than 100 representatives of ministries of health and environment, health professional organizations, hospitals, and other health sector organizations from ten Asian countries came together to address policy and technical issues regarding the substitution of mercury based medical dev

Norwegian experiences on phasing out the use of dental amalgam.

Mercury is toxic heavy metal. It has many characteristic features. Health care organizations have used mercury in many forms since time immemorial. The main uses of mercury are in dental amalgam, sphygmomanometers, and thermometers. The mercury once released into the environment can remain for a longer period. Both acute and chronic poisoning can be caused by it.

The annual meeting of the Mercury-Containing Products Partnership Area (Products Partnership) opened on 28 April 2010, at the Pepperdine University-Seaver College in Washington, D.C. The meeting was hosted by the Partnership lead, Dr. Maria Doa of the U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA). 

Report of the meeting convened at WHO HQ, Geneva, Switzerland on 16-17 November 2009

The annual meeting of the Mercury-Containing Products Partnership Area was held via teleconference on 24 September 2009. The teleconference was hosted by the Partnership lead, Dr. Maria Doa of the U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA), from EPA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Brazil - Status update of mercury devices substitution in the Health Sector in Sao Paulo, February 2009 

With the goal of constructing and maintaining an overarching and integrated community-wide framework to properly manage mercury and adequately control its adverse environmental impacts, the community strategy describes a range of actions for reducing emissions, reducing supply and demand, and addressing surpluses and reservoirs of mercury. 

Administrative Order for the gradual phase-out of mercury in all Philippine health care facilities and institutions.

Report on the progress at replacing mercury equipment in the health sector in Sao Paulo, 2008

The general objective of this project is to identify and manage mercury emissions in Chile in order to protect human health and the environment.

To fulfill this general objective, the project foresees the implementation of the following activities, among others:

• Identifying the main sources of mercury emission and release in Chile.

At present, there are many types of thermometers and sphygmomanometers in Chinese market. In accordance with principles of production, mercury-free thermometers can be roughly divided into three types which are new type thermometer (digital, electronic thermometer), infrared thermometer and strip thermometer. There are two kinds of mercury-free sphygmomanometer.

The workshop was in response to the call of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Governing Council (GC) 24th session, for increased efforts to address the global challenges to reduce risks from releases of mercury by reducing the global mercury demand related to use in products and production processes. The workshop was conducted by UNEP Chemicals in coordination with the Thailand Mini

Here we present an input to global considerations on mercury management by presenting a mercury substitution priority working list; or: An identification of the least essential mercury uses.