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EPA Leadership in the Global Mercury Partnership
The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Global Mercury Partnership 
engages countries and stakeholders to reduce mercury use and releases of mercury to the environment. EPA is actively engaged in several projects and programs within the UNEP Global Mercury Partnership. For example:
Addressing Products Containing Mercury
Under the Mercury-Containing Products Partnership Area, EPA leads global work to reduce use and demand for mercury-containing products worldwide.
- This program promotes substitution, where feasible, and development of alternatives where none are currently available.
- It also seeks to identify, reduce, and eliminate mercury releases from the manufacture and use of mercury-containing products.
- In one initiative, EPA has worked in several countries to eliminate mercury-containing medical devices in hospitals.
Reducing Mercury Emissions from Industrial Processes and Mining
Mercury is used in numerous industrial processes, including mining. EPA has taken a role in several projects to reduce the use and release of mercury in several sectors.
EPA is leading an effort to reduce mercury releases and human exposure in artisanal and small scale gold mining, which is the largest global source of mercury releases to the environment.
- In Senegal, EPA is training miners on the health impacts of mercury, and helping miners reduce risk with practices such as the use of locally-made, hand-held “retorts,” small devices which capture mercury vapor.
- In the Brazilian and Peruvian Amazon, EPA has teamed up with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory to pilot locally-built, inexpensive mercury vapor recovery systems in gold processing shops, dramatically reducing mercury levels for workers, customers, and the surrounding communities. Dowload a report on the technology demonstration [PDF, 84 pp, 2.67 MB]]
Mercury is also emitted in the process of zinc smelting. To address this:
- EPA is funding a study to develop a more robust mercury emission inventory in China, in order to understand how much mercury is coming from the zinc sector.
- EPA is also supporting studies on mercury emissions from other nonferrous metals production.
Mercury is sometimes used in the chlor-alkali process, which refers to the manufacture of chlorine and caustic soda (lye).
- EPA leads global work providing technical assistance and information exchange on non-mercury technologies, best practices, and management of surplus mercury.
- As part of this effort, EPA has assisted Russian chlorine producers in upgrading plant processes and equipment to reduce releases by almost 1 metric ton per year.
Reducing the Supply of Mercury in the Global Market
The last mine known to export primary mined mercury to the global market is in the nation of Kyrgyzstan.
- EPA is assisting the nation of Kyrgyzstan to develop a plan to phase out primary mercury production at this mine.
- This work is conducted in partnership with UNEP, UNITAR, and the Government of Switzerland.
Understanding the Movement of Mercury in the Atmosphere
One important aspect of managing mercury emissions is understanding how mercury moves through the global atmosphere. This work is managed by a part of the UNEP Global Mercury Partnership known as the Air Transport and Fate Research Area.
- EPA contributed to the planning and development of a comprehensive report on the current status of the science in mercury air emissions, air modeling and air monitoring on a global scale.
- This effort, led by Italy, involved over 70 scientists from 12 countries.
Learn more:
Contacts
For additional information on EPA's work with mercury, contact:
Marianne Bailey
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of International Affairs (2670R)
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20460
E-mail: bailey.marianne@epa.gov
(202) 564-6402
