BUJUMBURA, November 15th (ABP) – As part of the project to support institutional capacity building and raise awareness of mercury-related issues among key stakeholders, for the implementation of the Minamata Convention on mercury in Burundi, the Ministry of the Environment, Agriculture and Livestock through Burundian office for environmental protection (OBPE), organized on Tuesday November 12, 2024, a training workshop for public security agents on the harmful effects of mercury and in order to control the illegal trade of mercury and mercury-containing products.
In his opening speech, OBPE Managing Director Berchmans Hatungimana stated that the aim of the workshop was to build the capacity of public safety officers to protect the country from the harmful effects of mercury. He added that mercury represents a persistent threat to public safety, due to its toxicity, its ability to spread in the environment and its effects on human health and ecosystems.
Mercury is a naturally occurring heavy metal that has been used since ancient times. It is a major health hazard, he added. He also pointed out that its vapors, when inhaled, can affect the central nervous system. Depending on exposure levels, it can impair cognition and, in some cases, cause death, he pointed out.
However, Hatungimana pointed out that mercury is harmful if absorbed through cuts and skin abrasions. The toxicity produced by the accumulation of mercury in the environment, in the sediments of lakes, rivers, streams and oceans, is even more worrying in terms of public health, he pointed out.
That is because anaerobic organisms digest it and transform it into methylmercury, a more toxic form of mercury that accumulates and concentrates in the food chain in plankton, fish, birds and mammals, including humans.
Methylmercury is of particular concern for fetuses, infants and children, as extraordinarily low doses impair neurological development, he continued.
Exposure to elemental mercury in healthcare facilities as a result of spills or broken equipment, such as mercury-containing fever thermometers and blood pressure gauges, is a serious health problem for employees, patients and visitors, as well as for those responsible for repairing and cleaning such broken equipment.
Although thermometers and blood pressure gauges may contain mercury, they are harmless as long as they remain intact.
He explained, however, that when those devices break down or are taken out of service, the mercury they contain can escape into the environment where it vaporizes, exposing the health of workers and patients to harmful fumes.
Inhalation can cause lung, kidney and nervous system damage, while the waste generated can contaminate the immediate area of the spill, as well as a facility’s wastewater. It is then released into the environment and transformed by bacteria into a highly toxic form called methylmercury, which is absorbed by micro-organisms and plants and accumulates in the food chain.
By signing the Minamata Convention on Mercury, Burundi committed itself to protecting human health from anthropogenic emissions and discharges of mercury and its compounds, noted Hatungimana.
To fulfill its obligations in implementing the convention, Burundi, with the support of the Global Environment Facility, has produced a national report on the initial assessment of the Minamata Convention on mercury, as well as a national action plan (NAP) to reduce or eliminate the use of mercury in artisanal mining.
In that initial assessment report, it was noted that Burundi has a number of shortcomings that prevent it from properly fulfilling its obligations under the Minamata Convention on mercury, which it has ratified. Those include a lack of information on the effects of mercury and its components on the environment and human health, a lack of information on the existence of alternative technologies for mercury and its components, a lack of data on mercury which makes reporting difficult, insufficient human capacity for mercury management, and low levels of awareness and training on mercury.
To that end, in order to promote mercury-free safety, the Ministry of Public Security is called upon to support the implementation of the convention, including the crucial measures to be taken to curb the illegal trade aimed at stopping the import, export and manufacture of mercury-containing products and equipment. Hatungimana refers in particular to beauty creams and other products, as indicated. The ministry is also called upon to encourage the adoption of accurate, affordable and safe mercury-free alternatives.