Jul 10, 2006 -- STATE DEPARTMENT RELEASE/ContentWorks

The U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is pledging to build on existing international agreements and forge partnerships with industry and environmental groups to address the problem of global mercury emissions.

In a July report, the agency reviewed sources of mercury emissions, human exposure routes and health concerns related to the metal, and presented its plan for reducing mercury emissions worldwide.

A key element of that plan is engaging international partners -- other nations, international organizations, the private sector and nongovernmental organizations -- to address emissions data collection and inventory development, characterize mercury sources and establish best practices to reduce uses and emissions of the metal.

Mercury is a naturally occurring element that is released into the environment both naturally, such as through volcanic eruptions, and by human activities, such as mining and industrial operations. Most scientists blame human activities for mercury's wide dispersal through the atmosphere in soil and in bodies of water.

Because mercury tends to bioaccumulate (be stored in animal and plant tissue) it enters the food chain and the systems of organisms, including humans, even without direct exposure to the metal. One form of mercury, methylmercury, biomagnifies in the food chain -- aquatic organisms generally have higher levels of methylmercury than the level of the substance in the water in which they live.

In humans, mercury exposure is linked to developmental disorders and neurological impairment. Effects vary based on the form of mercury to which an individual is exposed and the duration and level of exposure. For the general population, the primary exposure route is eating fish contaminated with mercury, although an estimated 13 million people in 55 countries suffer some level of occupational exposure to the metal.

Impairments to cognitive thinking, memory, attention, language, and fine motor and visual spatial skills have been seen in children exposed to methylmercury in the womb. Impairment of the peripheral vision; disturbances in sensations; lack of coordination of movements; impairment of speech, hearing, walking; and muscle weakness are signs of mercury poisoning in adults.

In its report, the EPA said that only 17 percent of the mercury deposited in the United States comes from U.S. or Canadian sources. It added that U.S. emissions of mercury to the air have been reduced by 45 percent since 1990.

THE EPA PLAN FOR REDUCING RISKS

The EPA plan to reduce health risks associated with mercury exposure lists six focus areas: addressing mercury releases to the environment, addressing mercury uses in products and processes, managing commodity-grade mercury supplies, communicating risks to the public, addressing international mercury sources and conducting mercury research and monitoring.

"Success in reducing risks associated with mercury exposure and mercury pollution in the domestic and global ecosystem will depend on pursuing all six of these actions simultaneously," the agency said in the July report.

Global mercury emissions range from 4,400 metric tons to 7,500 metric tons annually, according to the U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP). The EPA estimates that 50 percent to 70 percent of the world's human-generated mercury emissions come from fuel combustion, particularly coal burning, and primarily from China, India and other Asian countries. These levels are likely to grow as energy demands increase in that part of the world. Small-scale gold and silver mining in some Asian, South American and African countries is also an important emissions source, according to the report, accounting for between 300 metric tons and 1,000 metric tons annually.

Internationally, the United States is engaged in implementing a wide range of programs and agreements to address mercury emissions, including the U.S.-Canada Great Lakes Binational Toxics Strategy, the New England Governors/Eastern Canada Premiers Regional Mercury Action Plan, the Commission for Environmental Cooperation North American Regional Action Plan for Mercury, the U.N. Economic Commission for Europe Convention for Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution Protocol on Heavy Metals and the UNEP Mercury Program.

The United States also has provided expertise to the U.N. Industrial Development Organization's Global Mercury Program, strengthened capacity-building and technical cooperation programs in the context of the Arctic Council Action Plan and developed programs to foster assessment and sector-specific improvements in China and India.

The full text of the report is available on EPA's Web site.

For additional information on U.S. policy, see Environment.

(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State.)

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