NTAHANGWA, April 9 (ABP) – Members of the National Assembly met on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, in a plenary session at the Kigobe hemicycle, under the leadership of the First Vice-Pres ident of the National Assembly Fabrice Nkurunziza and in the presence of the Minister in charge of the environment, Mrs. Calinie Mbarushimana, to examine and adopt the draft law on mercury management in Burundi.
In her explanatory statement, the minister of environment, agriculture and livestock indicated that mercury is a highly toxic substance that poses a major global threat to human health, ecosystems, wildlife, and plant life.
She specified that this substance can cause serious health effects on children and on pregnant or breastfeeding women, particularly in the form of methylmercury found in fish and seafood.
Minister Mbarushimana noted that the majority of mercury emissions and associated exposure risks result from human activities, including the use of mercury in certain products, mining, artisanal and small-scale gold processing, coal combustion, as well as poor management of mercury-containing waste. In light of this situation, she stressed the need to act at all levels, from local to international.
She also indicated that the use of mercury and its compounds in manufacturing processes should be gradually phased out, while encouraging research and the adoption of alternative solutions that are safer and less harmful to human health and the environment.
According to her, a significant share of global emissions is linked to artisanal gold mining, where the negative effects of this practice impact local communities and the environment.
In this regard, the minister in charge of the environment emphasized that the use of mercury and its compounds in artisanal and small-scale gold mining using amalgamation to extract gold from ore should be prohibited. She also pointed out that the use of mercury in dental amalgams constitutes a significant source of pollution, hence the need to gradually eliminate these practices.
Only the use of encapsulated and pre-dosed dental amalgams that comply with international standards will be authorized.
The installation of amalgam separators in dental care facilities will be made mandatory in order to protect practitioners and patients from mercury exposure and to ensure proper waste management.
Furthermore, Minister Mbarushimana stated that the use of bulk mercury by dental practitioners should be prohibited, while defining a minimum retention efficiency level for amalgam separators, in accordance with applicable standards.
She also specified that mercury, due to its hazardous nature in liquid form, cannot be permanently stored without prior treatment. Conversion and, where appropriate, solidification operations must be carried out before disposal, taking into account the technical guidelines of the Basel convention on the control of transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and their disposal.
According to Mrs. Mbarushimana, the objective of the said draft law is to ensure a high level of protection of human health and the environment against emissions and releases of mercury of anthropogenic origin.
This objective involves the implementation of effective measures, including the prohibition of the import and export of mercury and products containing it, the restriction of its use in industrial processes, products, artisanal mining, and dental amalgams, as well as the establishment of strict obligations in waste management.
She further emphasized the need to take specific preventive health protection measures for vulnerable groups, particularly ch ildren and pregnant or breastfeeding women.
Referring to lessons learned from Minamata disease, characterized by severe effects on human health and the environment due to mercury pollution, Minister Mbarushimana stressed the importance of preventing such events through an appropriate legal framework governing mercury management throughout its life cycle.
During the discussions, the members of parliament raised concerns related to the damage already recorded and the care of potential victims of mercury exposure.
The minister in charge of the environment responded that the ministry does not yet have precise statistics on the matter, notably due to the lack of specialized laboratories capable of carrying out appropriate analyses. She specified that, for the time being, sick individuals are treated in regular health facilities, even if their illnesses may be linked to mercury exposure.
Regarding safer alternatives and the supervision of mining cooperatives, she indicated that a national action plan for the gradual elimination of mercury use in artisanal gold mining has been in place since 2019.
Awareness sessions as well as training on mercury-free extraction technologies have already been organized for mining operators.