Mercury Poisoning Happens Every Day In Africa
Mercury Environment Poisoning, Minamata Convention on Mercury
Exposure to mercury even in small amounts may cause serious health problems as in the case of Minamata disease.

Mercury Poisoning Happens Every Day In Africa
Explore and Understand Africa Through Her Food and Culture
10-19-2017
Mercury is a chemical element with symbol Hg and atomic number 80. Mercury is one of the top ten chemicals of major public health concern.
What is the Minamata Convention on Mercury?
Minamata
disease is a debilitating neurological syndrome caused by severe mercury
poisoning. The serious health and environmental effects resulting from the
mercury pollution, and the need to ensure proper management of mercury gave
birth to the Minamata Convention on Mercury.
The objective of the Minamata
Convention on Mercury is to protect the human health and the environment and
releases of mercury and mercury compounds into the ground, air and water environment.
Minamata
Convention on Mercury addresses the health concerns, especially in developing
countries, resulting from exposure to mercury of vulnerable populations,
especially women, children, and, through them, future generations and contamination
of the environment for decades.
Artisanal and small-scale gold mining
Mercury occurs
naturally in the earth's crust and is released into the environment from
volcanic activity, weathering of rocks and human activity. Human
activity is the main cause of mercury releases as a result of mining for mercury, gold and
other metals and many other factors.
Artisanal
and Small-scale mining (ASM) refers to unlawful mining in Africa and other
countries by miners using low technology or minimal mining machinery usually
under dangerous conditions. The Minamata Convention on Mercury action plan on Artisanal
and small-scale gold mining is to eliminate:
1.
Whole
ore amalgamation
2.
Open
burning of amalgam or processed amalgam
3.
Burning
of amalgam in residential areas
4.
Cyanide
leaching in sediment, ore or tailings to which mercury has been added without
first removing the mercury

In addition to facilitating the formalization or regulation of the artisanal and small-scale gold mining sector, keeping statistics on the quantities of mercury used and the practices employed in artisanal and small-scale gold mining and processing within its territory, creating a public health policy on the exposure of artisanal and small-scale gold miners and their communities to mercury.
Since ASM's are
unlicensed, they are not regulated and health and safety issues, pollution to
the environment, and child labor are chief concerns. Accidents and injuries
from mining in unsafe tunnels, unprotected open pits and use of explosives lead
to severe and fatal accidents. Chemical exposure and limited access to safety
equipment are a day-to-day risk for poor miners.
Mining Africa's Health
Minamata Convention
on Mercury was held in Kumamoto, Japan on October 10, 2013 and on August 16,
2017, entered into force. The following African Countries have signed the Minamata
Convention on Mercury:
Mining Africa's Health The Minamata Convention on Mercury |
|
African Country
|
Signature Date
|
Algeria
|
No
data
|
Angola
|
11
Oct 2013
|
Benin
|
10
Oct 2013
|
Botswana
|
No
data
|
Burkina
Faso
|
10
Oct 2013
|
Burundi
|
14
Feb 2014
|
Cameroon
|
24
Sep 2014
|
Central
African Republic
|
10
Oct 2013
|
Chad
|
25
Sep 2014
|
Congo
|
8
Oct 2014
|
Côte
d'Ivoire
|
10
Oct 2013
|
Democratic
Republic of the Congo
|
No
data
|
Djibouti
|
10
Oct 2013
|
Egypt
|
No
data
|
Equatorial
Guinea
|
No
data
|
Eritrea
|
No
data
|
Ethiopia
|
10
Oct 2013
|
Gabon
|
30
Jun 2014
|
Gambia
|
10
Oct 2013
|
Ghana
|
24
Sep 2014
|
Guinea
|
25
Nov 2013
|
Guinea-Bissau
|
24
Sep 2014
|
Kenya
|
10
Oct 2013
|
Lesotho
|
No
data
|
Liberia
|
24
Sep 2014
|
Libya
|
10
Oct 2013
|
Madagascar
|
10
Oct 2013
|
Malawi
|
10
Oct 2013
|
Mali
|
10
Oct 2013
|
Mauritania
|
11
Oct 2013
|
Mauritius
|
10
Oct 2013
|
Morocco
|
6
Jun 2014
|
Mozambique
|
10
Oct 2013
|
Namibia
|
No
data
|
Niger
|
10
Oct 2013
|
Nigeria
|
10
Oct 2013
|
Republic
of Cabo Verde
|
No
data
|
Rwanda
|
No
data
|
Sao
Tome and Principe
|
No data
|
Senegal
|
11
Oct 2013
|
Seychelles
|
27
May 2014
|
Sierra
Leone
|
12
Aug 2014
|
Somalia
|
No
data
|
South
Africa
|
10
Oct 2013
|
South
Sudan
|
No
data
|
Sudan
|
24
Sep 2014
|
Swaziland
|
No
data
|
Togo
|
10
Oct 2013
|
Tunisia
|
10
Oct 2013
|
Uganda
|
10
Oct 2013
|
United
Republic of Tanzania
|
10
Oct 2013
|
Zambia
|
10
Oct 2013
|
Zimbabwe
|
11
Oct 2013
|
Did you know?
Mercury is contained in many products, including batteries, thermometers and barometers, electric switches and relays in equipment Lamps including some types of light bulbs, dental amalgam for dental fillings, skin-lightening products and other cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.
Mercury is contained in many products, including batteries, thermometers and barometers, electric switches and relays in equipment Lamps including some types of light bulbs, dental amalgam for dental fillings, skin-lightening products and other cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.