China to shut down all mercury mines by 2032
Source: www.chinamining.org Citation: Global Times Date: July 23, 2017
China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection announced on Thursday that the country will shut down all its mercury mines by 2032.
Based on the Minamata Convention on Mercury, which will take effect on August 16, China also plans to phase out the production and usage of both batteries containing mercury and fluorescent lamps by 2020.
Mercury is a toxic metal and can cause health problems in humans as well as, in extreme circumstances, death. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, mining alone exposes up to 15 million workers in 70 different countries to mercury poisoning, including child labourers.
China is currently the largest mercury consumer in the world. A report by the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association in 2013 reported that the country`s annual consumption is nearly 1,000 tonnes, or half of the planet`s total.
China ratified the Minamata Convention on Mercury in 2016. Currently, 128 countries and regions in the world have signed the agreement.
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