INC III –Exhibition 28 September 2011
Partnership area Abstract
United Nations
Environment
Programme
Artisanal and Small
Gold Mining
Information will be available for potential partners interested in joining the global mercury partnership as well as information and guidance on activities.
The artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sector remains the largest demand sector for mercury globally (best global estimates put mercury use in the range of 1300 tonne/year in 2011), and virtually all of the mercury used is released to the environment. ASGM results in severe exposure to workers that are unaware of its health dangers, extensive environmental degradation and ecosystem contamination. Technical options for reducing mercury use and releases will be presented, including some promising non-mercury technologies. Participants will also be provided with examples of successful partnership collaboration to develop projects, such as the Technical Guidance Document, the Mercury Watch Database and the National
Strategic Plan for mercury phaseout in the Philippines and Cambodia.
Chlor-Alkali Mercury cell chlor-alkali production (MCCAP) remains a significant user of mercury and is a relevant source of mercury releases to the environment.
In general, the number of MCCAP facilities is on the decline, and facilities which close or convert to non-mercury cell technologies have significant amounts of surplus mercury which require environmentally-sound long-term management. The partnership area will present its global inventory of chlor-alkali plants in operation and estimated quantities of mercury that will become available for storage by 2020. Good practice materials will be made available to delegates. In addition, the partnership area will provide background information on the challenges that still remain in reducing mercury use and releases from the chlor-alkali industry such as environmentally sound storage of excess mercury.
Fate & Transport
Products and processes
Coal combustion
Understanding mercury emissions sources, fate and transport is important in developing policies as well as in establishing baselines to monitor and assess progress on overall mercury reductions. The Fate and Transport partnership area seeks to accelerate the development of sound scientific information to address uncertainties and data gaps in global mercury cycling and its patterns. The exhibition will feature the recently established
Global Mercury Observation System (GMOS) as well as information related to the new activities atmospheric cycling to marine ecosystems and contaminated sites as well as the latest report prepared within the UN Economic Commission for Europe: Convention on Long-range Transboundary
Air Pollution and Task Force on Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollution.
Large amounts of mercury are used globally in the manufacture and use of numerous products and manufacturing processes, representing almost onethird of the global demand. The Products Partnership will display the challenges and opportunities in the following emerging product categories: button cell batteries, fluorescent lamps, dental amalgam, and cosmetics. Information on current efforts will be available, including progress towards the development of effective and economically feasible mercury-free alternatives and best available techniques and best management practices to reduce consumption and releases of mercury throughout the product lifecycle. The display will also relay information on cross-cutting issues prioritized by the Partners, such as engaging private sector entities and incorporating the concept of extended producer responsibility.
Rapid development in many parts of the world has led to an unprecedented rate of construction of large coal-fired power plants, and they are increasingly considered a dominant source of global mercury pollution. It is estimated that upwards of 60% of mercury emitted from anthropogenic sources to the atmosphere comes from coal combustion. The Coal Partnership area will provide information on the use of cost effective approaches for enhancing reductions of mercury emissions, particularly for developing nations and countries with economies in transition. The exhibit will present the results of the inventory and project work in target countries such as Russia, China, and South Africa as well as illustrate applications of the mercury monitoring toolkit (US EPA). Free copies and demonstrations of the interactive Process Optimization Guidance programme (iPOG) will allow delegates to interact with and understand the iPOG. The iPOG can help predict mercury emissions from coal-fired plants as well as helping users determine economic and suitable methods to reduce emissions on a plant-specific basis.

INC III –Exhibition 28 September 2011
Partnership area Abstract
Supply / storage Reduction of the global mercury supply is an important way of encouraging reductions in global mercury demand. The exhibit will demonstrate that further reducing the global mercury supply and storing/sequestering and/or disposing of surplus quantities of mercury is feasible, cost effective, practical and necessary to further reduce global mercury pollution and exposure. The Supply and Storage Partnership Area will provide information on current global quantities of surplus mercury and future projections and various approaches and technologies for managing, storing, solidifying, stabilizing and/or disposing of surplus mercury (including cost approximation). In addition, information on export restrictions, environmentally sound management guidelines under the Basel Convention, requirements pertaining to mercury transport, and local awareness-raising efforts on mercury storage in the Philippines and Indonesia. Lastly, progress related to the Kyrgyz Primary Mercury Mine Project will also be provided.
Waste
Jacobs & Johnson
Matthey
International POPs
Elimination Network
Albemarle
The management of mercury and mercury-containing waste is the last step in the product life-cycle. The elimination of mercury in products and processes may be the most efficient way to avoid the presence of any form of mercury in waste. While mercury is being phased down from products and processes, there is still a need to manage mercury from this end of the product life-cycle. The Waste Partnership aims to minimize and, where feasible, eliminate unintentional mercury releases to air, water, and land from waste containing mercury compounds. This objective includes strengthening the capacity of developing countries and countries with economies in transition to effectively deal with mercury waste. The exhibit will identify case studies of environmentally sound collection, disposal and treatment techniques for mercury waste following a lifecycle management approach.
The Jacobs / JM partnership area will be used to inform the INC participants on how this mercury free catalyst could replace the current (mercury) catalyst in an economically viable way.
Jacobs and JM have been working together to develop and commercialize a mercury free catalyst for the manufacture of vinyl chloride monomer
(VCM). They have made progress towards achieving target of commercializing a safe and economically viable mercury free catalyst. All interested participants are encouraged to meet them and discuss the process with them.
Civil Society Reduce and Eliminate Mercury Hazards
The booth will provide information to delegates about the impact of mercury contamination and what public interest NGOs are doing to reduce (with the aim to eliminate) harm caused by mercury, using examples of particular places and communities from across the planet. At the same time it aims to share some civil society experiences and problems with mitigation of negative effects of mercury contamination and pollution, and with their prevention at both the local and global level. A world map of civil society activities focused on reducing and eliminating mercury hazards will be exhibited at the booth. The information provided in the map will be supplemented with books, brochures and other materials by IPEN and its participating organizations. Moreover, to assist delegates, IPEN will provide information relevant to the INC3 policy discussion that reflects the work of the public interest groups and current negotiations.
Albemarle would like to provide technical information about its mercury abatement technologies, including information on efficiency, environmental performance and costs. We can also provide clients’ references and example data from coal-fired plants where our technology has been tested or is being applied commercially. We are also part of the Global Mercury Partnership and supported the ongoing trials in Russia with our brominated activated carbon material.

INC III –Exhibition 28 September 2011
Partnership area Abstract
Zero Mercury
Working Group
Arctic Council –
Arctic Monitoring and Assessment
Programme
Government of Japan
(Ministry of
Environment)
The ZMWG exhibit will provide INC 3 delegates with information about their grassroots work around the world. This information may be helpful in shaping the decisions that will ensure the protection of the human and the environment from the hazardous effects of mercury. This is in line with
UNEP goal of protecting human health and the global environment from the release of mercury and its compounds by minimizing and, where feasible, ultimately eliminating global, anthropogenic mercury releases to air, water and land.
The ZMWG views will also be presented at their exhibit in various UN languages
The Recently released AMAP 2011 Assessment on Mercury in the Arctic documents how mercury continues to present risks to the health of Arctic human populations and wildlife. A particular concern is the fact that in large areas of the Arctic, mercury levels are continuing to rise in some Arctic wildlife despite reductions in emissions from human activities over the past 30 years in some parts of the world. Based on the results of the assessment, the Arctic Council confirms the need for concerted international action if mercury levels in the Arctic and the rest of the world are to be reduced.
Sharing lessons from Minamata Disease and mercury management policy and technology in Japan.
World Alliance for
Mercury-Free
Dentistry
FDI World Dental
Federation
The exhibit will focus on case studies describing how dental mercury can be phased down – and ultimately phased out. Case studies presenting how it is possible to protect vulnerable populations like children and fetuses (whose developing neurological systems are most susceptible to the neurotoxic effects of mercury) and dental workers (who have abnormally high levels of systemic mercury). We will discuss how protecting these populations – via warnings to parents, use of child-friendly alternatives, etc. – are reducing the use of mercury. We will present this information in the form of posters and handouts. We will have volunteers – dentists, scientists, patients, and environmentalists – on hand to answer questions about the information in the exhibit as well.
Pending
Int’l Hg Conference,
Edinburgh 2013
The negotiations of the global mercury treaty are to be completed in early 2013. The Edinburgh conference, therefore, presents a timely opportunity for information sharing between the scientific community and policy makers based on the agreed text. Each day of the meeting will start with discussions that highlight some of the related challenges ahead in an effort to promote understanding and foster increased understanding.