Between 2014 and 2018, the Chemicals and Health Branch of the United Nations Environment Programme implemented and executed the project “Development of a Plan for Global Monitoring of Human Exposure to and Environmental Concentrations of Mercury” funded by the Global Environment Facility.
The project aimed at identifying approaches, existing monitoring networks and worldwide capacities to analyse mercury. It developed, among others, elements to consider when designing monitoring plans, Standards Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the assessment of prenatal exposure to mercury, and Manual Instructions for passive air sampling of mercury in ambient air.
The Second Meeting of the Conference of the Parties, that took place from 19-23 November 2018 decided to add two additional matrices of interest to the monitoring work, namely soil and biota. In light of this decision the Chemicals and Health Branch of UN Environments intends to organize an expert coordination meeting with the aim to initiate a discussion and gather information on the analytical and monitoring methods of mercury in these two matrices.
The meeting will be hosted by the International Atomic Energy Agency Environment Laboratory, Monaco.
