There's no doubt mercury contamination exists in Saskatchewan. A sure sign of a problem is that there are fishing lakes where a catch and release program is in place to limit the amount of potential mercury that could be received from catching and eating contaminated fish. One source of mercury in this province are the coal-fired power plants near Estevan. If that's not enough, we can get additional mercury from canned albacore tuna on our grocery shelves.

Today, prior to the United Nations meeting next week to discuss the international treaty on mercury, 75 organizations from around the world are releasing a report on the global health hazards created by mercury contamination in fish.  The report was developed by the international Zero Mercury Working Group.  They have reported that the worldwide health impacts of methylmercury in fish is substantial and are therefore demanding a strong response from governments and the United Nations.

The impactsof mercury include significant negative impacts on healthy brain development in children.  It should also be avoided by breastfeeding mothers and women who are pregnant. as it crosses the placenta.  In adults, the central and peripheral nervous systems are generally considered to be the target organs.  This can result in paresthesia (a tingling, pricking or numbness of the skin with no direct cause), malaise (a general feeling of discomfort or uneasiness) and blurred vision.  Where exposure is chronic or acute, the result can be a coma or death.

"Other possible sources of exposure to very low levels of mercury include mercury amalgam dental fillings; certain vaccines containing thimerosal, a preservative containing ethylmercury (Clarkson et al., 2003); mercury-containing products (mercury thermometers or fluorescent lighting) that have been accidentally broken; and cigarette smoke. Exposure to mercury can also occur in occupational settings where mercury or mercury-containing compounds are used, for example, manufacturers of electric equipment, medical devices or automotive parts that contain mercury; chemical processing plants that use mercury; metal processing; municipal, medical, and hazardous waste incineration plants; medical facilities where equipment may contain elemental mercury; etc.", said Health Canada in 2004 (http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/pubs/mercur/merc_fish_poisson-eng.php#1.2).

The Zero Mercury Working Group, www.zeromercury.org, has over 75 public interest groups, including Pollution Probe and the Canadian Environmental Law Association.  They were formed in 2005 and the aim of the working group is to continually reduce emissions, demand and supply of mercury from all sources that we can control with the goal of eliminating mercury from the environment.

What is being requested at this time by the Canadian organizations in this working group is that the Government of Canada support the UNEP Governing Council in establishing an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for the purpose of negotiating a free standing legally binding instrument on mercury at the upcoming mid-February meeting in Nairobi.  They are also asking Canada to demostrate leadership and ban non-essential uses of mercury in products and processes.

The full report can be found at www.mercurypolicy.org or www.healthyenvironmentforkids.ca

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