Resources

Dental amalgam has been used as a restorative material to address dental caries and is one of the  contributors to mercury consumption across the globe. The Minamata Convention on Mercury is a global treaty that aims to protect human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds.

The GlobalRecalls portal brings together information on product recalls being issued around the world, on a regular basis, together in one place – on an OECD platform.

The portal includes information on mandatory and voluntary consumer product recalls which were issued by a governmental body and were made publicly available.

Campaign on Health Risks of Toxic Skin Lighteners

The project Eliminating Mercury Skin Lightening Products - Jamaica, Gabon, and Sri Lanka, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), aims to reduce the risk of exposure to mercury-added skin lightening products.

[ French / English ] CNN explique comment les niveaux élevés de mercure présents dans certaines crèmes éclaircissantes pour la peau peuvent affecter la santé des personnes qui les utilisent ainsi que contaminer l'environment de leur maison.

The Secretariat of the Minamata Convention on Mercury, in collaboration with the United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC) and with financial support from the European Union, launches Minamata Tools, a set of interactive training modules designed to explain the Convention and assist in the fight against mercury pollution.

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[ French ] Les amalgames dentaires communément appelés plombage contiennent du mercure, un composé très toxique pour les hommes et pour l'environnement. Les organismes au niveau global (OMS et le Fonds pour l'environnement UN Environment Program) préconisent sa réduction voire son élimination. Découvrez pourquoi à travers cette vidéo.

The publication explores "opportunities for generating co-benefits through coherent implementation of the Minamata Convention and Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework".

Check out this infographic to learn more about how toxic mercury impacts biodiversity and human health all around the world.

From human-made sources, this highly hazardous chemical accumulates in many ecosystems, such as tropical forests, mangroves, oceans and the Arctic, leading to detrimental impacts on biodiversity.

The Global Mercury Partnership and its two areas of work on mercury in products and waste management, in cooperation with the World Health Organization, organized an online webinar on 18 December 2023.

Learn what is in beauty products by exploring the Beautywell database and its Knowledge Hub webpage.

This webpage from the European Chemicals Agency lists substances which are banned from use in any cosmetic products marketed for sale or use in the European Union.

The New York City Department of Health Health topic webpage on mercury in soaps and creams lists some skin-lightening creams and medicated soaps that have been found to contain high levels of mercury.

The California Department of Public Health webpage presents information (also in Spanish) and lists of resources on mercury in skin creams.

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The project Eliminating Mercury Skin Lightening Products (SLPs) was developed to reduce the risk of exposure to mercury added products through activities targeted at better regulation, reducing production, trade and distribution, capacity-building, awareness-raising

Reinforcing the health sector’s commitment to the implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury: The showcase of GEF-UNEP-WHO projects on mercury-added products

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This course explores the different forms of mercury and its compounds with their respective sources, environmental distribution, toxicological aspects, and prevention measures. In addition, it introduces the Minamata Convention and Resolution 67.11 (2014) of the World Health Assembly (WHA), and its considerations on public health aspects related to mercury.

The sale and trade of mercury-added skin lightening products (SLPs) have continued despite widespread sampling, reporting, awareness campaigns, and legal prohibitions, including a global treaty ban.

World Health Organization (WHO) and the Secretariat of the Minamata Convention jointly conducted an online survey on the measures taken to phase down the use of dental amalgam. The preliminary results are now available as an Appendix to the Information Document UNEP/MC/COP.5/INF/30/Rev.1