Mercury Free Ethiopia

Mercury is a chemical of global concern due to its long-range transport in the atmosphere, its persistence in the environment, its ability to bioaccumulate in ecosystems, and its significant negative effect on human health and the environment. Toxicological and epidemiological studies have shown the causal link between mercury and neurological disorders in children and adults. Through maternal-fetal transmission mercury adversely affects the development of the fetus in pregnant women and impairs neurological and metabolic processes in adults. 

Once released into the environment, it pollutes both the local and global environments. Formed as a product of bacterial action on mercury in water bodies, Methyl mercury is the most toxic form of mercury and the most widespread form of mercury contaminant in fish and aquatic systems.  It works its way up the food chain and subsequently ends up in humans through the consumption of fish.

Sources of exposure for humans and the environment are widespread. These include mercury vapors in ambient air, fish, vaccines, and occupational exposures including artisanal and small-scale gold mining. Home exposures can include breakage and leakage of mercury from products such as fluorescent light bulbs, thermostats, red tattoo dye, and skin lightening creams, and dental amalgams.

Eco-justice Ethiopia is advocating for different mercury-using sectors to phase it out. Our work in this project includes advocating for mercury-free dentistry in Ethiopia. We are working to phase out the use of dental amalgam in Ethiopia. Through this project, we are also part of the international movement to phase out the use of dental amalgam worldwide.

We are also working to phase out mercury usage in artisanal gold mining in Ethiopia. For this we have been working with UNITAR and Multi-Stakeholder Processes for Sustainable Development eV a NGO based in Germany and developed a Gender Road Map on Mercury Related Aspects in Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining in Ethiopia.