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Mercury

Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that can affect the brain, spinal cord, kidneys and the development of children. Mercury pollution is a serious global environmental and public health problem which causes a variety of adverse impacts throughout the world.

If discarded as a waste, mercury will eventually make its way into the environment where organisms living in rivers, lakes, or moist earth transform it into methyl mercury, a highly toxic organic mercury. This type of mercury, which affects nerves and brains at very low levels, persists and accumulates in animals, fish and the global environment. Because methyl mercury impairs the neurological development of fetuses, it can cause problems in cognitive thinking, memory, attention, language, and fine motor and visual spatial skills in children.

Mercury is found in thermometers, blood pressure devices, lab chemicals, cleaners and other products used in healthcare. Substantial releases of mercury to the environment occur as a result of breakages, spills, improper disposal and other means. The United Nations Environment Programme lists various healthcare-related products and activities as "important sources of anthropogenic releases" of mercury. Mercury spills in hospitals, clinics and labs expose doctors, nurses, other health care workers and patients to elemental mercury. At room temperature, significant amounts of liquid elemental mercury transform to a gas (see the mercury vapor video on this page), exposing workers or patients in the area to potentially toxic levels.

World Health Organization policy promotes the use of alternatives to mercury-containing thermometers and other medical instruments, toward the goal of their eventual phase-out. Fortunately, there are safe, cost-effective non-mercury alternatives for nearly all uses of mercury in health care.

As many healthcare institutions in industrialized countries are phasing out and retiring their own mercury-containing instruments, some manufacturers of these instruments are redirecting their marketing to health institutions in developing countries. In some cases, when healthcare institutions in industrialized countries retire their old mercury-containing instruments, these instruments are donated to institutions in developing countries. Without healthcare management systems that assure the use of mercury-free devices and the proper clean-up and final disposal of mercury-containing ones, the total amount of mercury released to the environment by healthcare institutions in developing countries is growing.

The goal of this UNDP/GEF project is to protect public health and the global environment from the impacts of dioxin and mercury releases. Project activities are intended to reduce the healthcare sector's contribution to mercury pollution by helping to integrate the use of mercury-free devices and improving mercury spill management systems in model hospitals within each project country. Learn more about this project.

India: Report on "Mercury Phase Out in Health Care Sector" Workshop
by Toxics Link
June 20th, 2012
Toxics Link in partnership with Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University (CSMMU), Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh organized a workshop on “Mercury Phase Out in Health Care Sector” on March 24th, 2011 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh that was supported by the UNDP/GEF Global Healthcare Waste Project. The overall objective of the workshop was to sensitize the issue of mercury in the health care sector in the region by providing a platform for all the stakeholders to have a healthy discussion as well as knowledge and experience sharing.
Reemplazo de los termómetros y de los tensiómetros de mercurio en la atención de salud
by Organización Munidal de la Salud
November 22nd, 2011
Esta breve guía publicada por la Organización Mundial de la Salud ha sido diseñada para ofrecer instrucciones paso a paso para la sustitución segura de termómetros y tensiómetros sin mercurio en el ámbito de la atención de la salud. Identifica los recursos disponibles que ofrecen un nivel equivalente de exactitud y un nivel comparable de utilidad respecto de los productos sustituidos, mientras que protege a los trabajadores de la salud y el medioambiente. Ha sido diseñada para los profesionales responsables de instituciones o para ministerios que deseen empezar a utilizar tecnologías más seguras y no contaminantes en el entorno de la salud.
Lebanon: UNDP/GEF Global Healthcare Waste Project Newsletter- Issue 3
by UN/GEF Global Healthcare Waste Project- Lebanon Project Team
October 5th, 2011
The UNDP/GEF Global Healthcare Waste Project in Lebanon has released a series of newletters that update readers about healthcare waste management issues and solutions as well as project activities, objectives, and information. This third issue of the newsletter focuses on mercury in healthcare and addresses (1) Health impacts of mercury exposure; (2) Environmental costs of mercury pollution; (3) Mercury-containing devices; (4) Mercury Waste Management for Dental; (5) Alternatives to mercury-containing; (6) Case Study: Lebanon; (7) Managing small mercury spills; (7) Temporary on-site storage of mercury; and (8) Mercury waste transport.
India: Project to phase out mercury use in private healthcare organizations
by The Hindu
July 13th, 2011
The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board has launched a project to phase out use of mercury in private healthcare organizations. The project is based on a study done by the United Nations Development Program on disposal of biomedical waste in developing countries.
Salud sin Dano: Guia para la Eliminacion del Mercuio en Establecimientos de Salud
by Salud sin Dano/ Health Care Without Harm
July 13th, 2011
A fin de aumentar la escala de las tareas de reemplazo de los instrumentos clínicos a base de mercurio en todo el mundo, Salud Sin Daño ha desarrollado una guía para la sistematización de los pasos básicos para la sustitución del mercurio. La guía está también disponible en portugués y en chino en el siguiente link: http://www.mercuryfreehealthcare.org/HCWH_Mercury_Guide.html.
HCWH Guidance: Mercury Elimination Guide for Hospitals
by Health Care Without Harm
June 6th, 2011
In order to scale-up the replacement of mercury–based medical devices around the world, Health Care Without Harm has put together a guide that systematizes the basic steps in mercury substitution. The guide is also available in Portuguese and Chinese at the following link: http://www.mercuryfreehealthcare.org/HCWH_Mercury_Guide.html.
WHO Guidance: Replacement of mercury thermometers and sphygmomanometers in health care
by World Health Organization
June 6th, 2011
This short guide released by the World Health Organization is designed to provide step-by-step instructions for the safe substitution of non-mercury thermometers and sphygmomanometers in health-care settings. It identifies available resources that support the equivalent accuracy and comparable clinical utility of the substituted products, while protecting health-care workers and the environment. It is designed for professionals responsible for institutions or ministries desiring to switch to safer non‐polluting technologies in health care.
Proposed Study of Mercury Levels in Ambient Air in Healthcare Facilities
by UN/GEF Global Healthcare Waste Project
April 18th, 2011
The purpose of this survey is to gather data in order to: (1) assess potential mercury exposures of health workers and patients in different parts of healthcare facilities; (2) identify areas where ambient air mercury levels are higher than background levels in healthcare facilities that use mercury devices; and (3) evaluate residual ambient air mercury levels in facilities that have phased out mercury devices.
Declaration for Mercury Free Health Care- Manila 2011
HCWH/ WHO/ UNDP GEF Healthcare Waste Project
March 17th, 2011
On March 15, in Manila, Philippines, this declaration for mercury free health care was drafted at the Asia Regional Conference on Mercury Free Health Care. The regional event was co-organized by Health Care Without Harm, the World Health Organization and the UNDP GEF Global Healthcare Waste Project to support the development of mercury-free health care in Asia.
Asia Regional Conference on Mercury-Free Health Care
Health Care Without Harm News
March 15th, 2011
Officials from Ministries of Health and Environment, hospital managers and representatives of national health care professional associations from ten Asian countries are gathering this week in Manila to discuss substituting mercury-based medical devices with safe, accurate, affordable alternatives throughout the region. The Asia Regional Conference on Mercury-Free Health Care, is organized by Health Care Without Harm, the World Health Organization, and the UNDP-GEF Global Health Care Waste project.
India: Call to phase out mercury from health sector
The Times of India
November 22nd, 2010
In a one-day workshop conducted by Osai, a Tamil Nadu based environmental organization, along with Indian Medical Association(IMA), Toxic Link and Tekno Therm Industries, health activists called for phasing out mercury from the healthcare sector.
Guía sobre Limpieza, Almacenamiento y Transporte de Mercurio desde la Asistencia Médica
by UN/GEF Global Healthcare Waste Project
September 29th, 2010
Mientras los centros de salud progresivamente eliminan los aparatos de mercurio, se necesitan métodos adecuados para su almacenamiento y transporte. Este documento está orientado hacia los países del proyecto donde no existen, en la actualidad, normas y directrices nacionales para la limpieza, almacenamiento y transporte de desechos de mercurio. Estas normas sugeridas deben formar parte de un plan más amplio para la recuperación y eliminación del mercurio.
Salud Sin Daño (HCWH América Latina) lanza una campaña para la reducción progresiva de los termómetros de mercurio
by Salud Sin Daño (HCWH Latin America), http://termometrosinmercurio.org/
September 22nd, 2010
Salud Sin Daño (HCWH América Latina) lanzó una campaña nacional por internet para reducir progresivamente los termómetros de mercurio y, en ultima instancia, prohibirlos.
Guide de Nettoyage, de Stockage et de Transport du Mercure Provenant des soins de Santé
by PNUD/ GEF : Projet international de gestion des déchets de soins médicaux
July 31st, 2010
Parallèlement à l’élimination progressive des dispositifs à mercure dans les établissements de santé, des méthodes de stockage et de transport appropriées sont nécessaires. Le présent document est destiné aux pays qui]@ ne disposent pas actuellement de normes ni de directives nationales en matière de nettoyage, de stockage et de transport de déchets contenant du mercure. Ce guide proposé devrait faire partie d'un plan global de séquestration et d'élimination progressive du mercure.
Guidance on Cleanup Storage and Transport of Mercury from Health Care
by UN/GEF Global Healthcare Waste Project
July 22nd, 2010
As health facilities phase out mercury devices, proper methods of storage and transport are needed. This document is intended for project countries where national norms and guidelines for cleanup, storage, and transport of mercury waste do not exist at this time. These suggested guidelines should become part of a broader plan for sequestration and phase-out of mercury.
Toward the Tipping Point: WHO-HCWH Global Initiative to Substitute Mercury-Based Medical Devices in Health Care
by World Health Organization & Health Care Without Harm, http://www.mercuryfreehealthcare.org/
June 3rd, 2010
WHO and HCWH have issued a two-year progress report on the global Mercury-Free Health Care Initiative. The report documents the progress of dozens of countries from around the world moving toward mercury-free health care. The progress report finds that,“Momentum is growing and mercury-free health care is increasingly becoming the status quo in many countries. The Global Initiative is moving closer to a tipping point that will shift the dynamics of supply and demand in the global thermometer and blood pressure device markets away from mercury and toward the alternatives.”
Argentina & Philippines: Major Strides For Mercury-Free Health Care: Argentina bans mercury blood pressure devices & the Philippines to ban import of mercury-based medical devices
Health Care Without Harm News
February 25th, 2010
Argentina and the Philippines, the two countries leading the developing world in substituting mercury-based medical devices with safe, accurate and affordable alternatives, took significant steps to implement and strengthen their national mercury-free health care policies.
Presentation: Mercury - Its Properties, Sources, and Health Effects
by J. Emmanuel & P. Orris, UN/GEF Global Healthcare Waste Project
February 23rd, 2010
This presentation discusses the properties, sources, and health effects of mercury. The presentation includes notes on each slide to help the user navigate through the presentation.
Philippines: Department of Health calls for ban on mercury
Philippine Daily Inquirer
February 22nd, 2010
Citing global moves to ban mercury, the Department of Health said it would call for a ban on the importation of health products containing the highly-toxic substance.
India: Report - Moving Towards Mercury-Free Health Care: Substituting Mercury-Based Medical Devices in India
by Anu Agarawal- Toxics Link
November 10th, 2009
This document presents the efforts and initiatives taken so far by people fighting against the use of mercury in the Health Care Settings in India. Many Hospitals turned mercury free voluntarily and a few more shifted recently after the Delhi government order to phase out the use of mercury in the hospitals. The experiences of people who have changed have been documented in the report and a small chronicle of what has happened on the mercury front has been profiled to help people in their journey to go ‘mercury free’.
Philippines: Pasig City- Thinking and Living Green
Health Care Without Harm News
September 23rd, 2009
In celebration of the first year anniversary of mercury phase-out in all Philippine hospitals, Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia's fourth leg of blood pressure and temperature screening activity using mercury-free devices draws a big crowd in Pasig City. "We go around the different cities in the country to showcase that mercury-free alternatives in health care are available," said Faye Ferrer, HCWH-SEA Program Officer for Mercury
Mercury Sphygmomanometers in Healthcare and the Feasibility of Alternatives
by European Commission Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks
September 23rd, 2009
This report addresses the issue of whether the replacement of mercury-containing blood-pressure measuring devices would endanger proper health care and/or compromise long-term translational epidemiological studies for public health. It finds that mercury-free blood pressure measuring devices, when clinically validated, are generally reliable substitutes for mercury-containing sphygmomanometers in routine clinical practice.
Note on Selecting Mercury Reduction Activities
by UN/GEF Global Healthcare Waste Project
September 5th, 2009
In addition to replacing mercury thermometers and sphygmomanometers, many other options exist to reduce mercury in a health facility. The general approach outlined in this guidance can be used to prioritize mercury reduction activities in light of budget constraints.
Global: WHO-HCWH Mercury Elimination Partnership Launched
by Health Care Without Harm
January 1st, 2009
Health Care Without Harm and the World Health Organization have launched a global partnership to achieve virtual elimination of mercury-based thermometers and sphgmomanometers over the next decade and their substitution with accurate, economically viable alternatives.
WHO Policy Paper: Mercury in Health Care
by World Health Organization
August 1st, 2005
Mercury is highly toxic, and healthcare facilities are one of the main sources of mercury released into the atmosphere because of emissions from the incineration of medical waste. This paper outlines the World Health Organization policy on mercury in healthcare.