Resources

Background Document of the “Accelerate implementation of dental amalgam provisions and strengthen country capacities in the environmental sound management of associated wastes under the Minamata Convention” GEF7 Phasing Down Dental Amalgam project.

A project in Gabon, Jamaica and Sri Lanka to eliminate mercury in skin-lightening products is highlighting the challenges faced in achieving that aim. Tatum Anderson reports.

Published by WHO Bulletin, June 2023.  

[ English / French / Spanish ]

Infographic alerting on the general health impact of mercury, in three languages.

Les blanchissants pour la peau qui contiennent du MERCURE sont DANGEREUX

Los blanqueadores de piel que contienen MERCURIO son PELIGROSOS

This report builds upon the previous work of the Zero Mercury Working Group (ZMWG) in exposing the toxic trade in skin lightening products (SLPs) laced with mercury. SLPs are sold globally via online platforms and, in this particular case, the focus is on illegal SLP sales by Amazon.com in the United States.

This WHO oral health briefing note series focuses on prevention and treatment of dental caries (tooth decay) with mercury-free products and minimal interventions. Dental caries is a major public health problem globally as the disease affects all age groups, with an onset in early childhood and continued increase over the life course.

White lies is a series by CNN's As Equals investigating skin whitening practices worldwide. The series will expose the underlying drivers of colorism, the industry that profits from it and the cost to individuals and communities globally.

[ Spanish ] This animation shows a conversation between an older woman and young girl named Lucy, regarding the use of an unlabeled cream from Mexico that the niece uses to remove blemishes and lighten her skin.

The Global Mercury Partnership organised an information sharing session on Minamata Initial Assessments (MIAs): latest trends, key findings and data analysis tools, on Tuesday 27 September 2022.

The webinar presented initial analysis of aggregated data from 74 MIA mercury inventories and explored patterns and trends in the data.

Background The Minamata Convention on Mercury (Article 4) prohibits the manufacture, import or export of skin-lightening products containing mercury concentrations above 1 μg/g. However, there is a lack of knowledge surrounding the global prevalence of mercury-added skin-lightening products.

« Pour une couleur de peau », les enfants victimes de la dépigmentation. Video focuses on SLP use on children in Togo and Guinea.

Skin lightening might not be a familiar topic to many Americans, but it is an intensely popular subject globally and in some U.S. communities of color: The hashtag #whiteningcream has over 40 million views on TikTok, and products that are promised to bleach or lighten skin tone are readily available both online and at drugstores.

Children's exposure to mercurial skin lightening agents at any time during their development, from intra-uterine to early developmental life, can lead to severe detrimental health effects. This is because these skin lightening agents contain inorganic mercury as their active ingredient at varying concentrations that exceed acceptable levels.

Mercury compounds are frequently added to skin lightening products (SLPs) because mercury lightens the skin by suppressing the production of melanin, despite substantial health risks. SLPs have received significant attention in the scientific literature—and World Health Organization recognizes that mercury—added to some SLPs—is a “major public health concern.”

The Zero Mercury Working Group (ZMWG) has been investigating mercury-added skin lightening products (SLPs) for several years, primarily due to their health risks, their illegality under many national laws, and the prohibition by the Minamata Convention on Mercury against the manufacture and trade of mercury-added SLPs, which generally became effective in 2021.

November 2019 (Revised March 2022) It is an uncomfortable truth that colorism is still pervasive worldwide. In communities of color, beauty standards based on the racist notion that lighter skin is more desirable still hold power.

Despite advances in modern dentistry, untreated dental caries in permanent teeth was reported as one the most prevalent conditions assessed in the 2019 Global Burden of Disease study. The restorative model for managing dental caries was developed in the 1900s, with dental amalgam as one of the restorative materials.

This webpage from U.S. Food and Drugs Administration lists information on what the law and FDA regulations say about cosmetic ingredients and safety.

Toxic skin-lightening creams are still sold freely across South Africa, despite clear health dangers and the legacy of apartheid.

In India, skin whitening creams are being used since ages as white complexion has been associated with prosperity and beauty for thousands of years. However, after the post globalisation, India has evolved as a key market of the cosmetic products. Further with the growth of the online marketing portals, now the products across the globe are being flooded into Indian markets.

The World Health Organization website provides information on oral health through Overview, Causes and Symptoms and Responses. It also links to more information on the subject through Fact sheets, Databases and tools, Resolutions and decisions and Technical work.

[ Spanish ]

In almost every corner of the planet, there's a huge social dividend that comes from being lighter-skinned. Sociologists trace it back centuries to European colonization, slavery and class or caste.

Studies show people with lighter complexions earn more, are less likely to be arrested and, if convicted, serve shorter sentences than people with darker skin.

This investigation on the sale of mercury-containing skin bleaching, lightening or whitening cosmetics in online shopping platforms and social media sites was conducted by the EcoWaste Coalition to support the implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury that the government of the Philippines ratified on June 2, 2020.

The webinar on mercury-containing medical devices organised on 13 October 2020 by the Products Partnership Area had an attendance of over 100 participants.