International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant (ICMGP)

Guiyang, China, 8-12th June 2009.

The ICMGP has been running periodically since 1990. Although the latest meeting was held in a relatively remote area in China in the wake of the credit crunch and with the initial hype of swine flu in the press, the attendance was well over 600 with delegates representing over 40 nationalities. There were 6 parallel sessions and over 400 posters representing an incredible amount of information. The ICMGP really does represent all areas of mercury science from analysis and measurement in polar bears in the Arctic through to alternatives to dental amalgam and mercury control at utility boilers. Delegates can choose to immerse themselves entirely in their own area of expertise or can step outside to a different room and learn more about aspects of mercury that they had never considered.

As the foremost meeting on the issue of mercury, the ICMGP is where you will eat, drink and work alongside the most eminent scientists in the field. ICMGP is where new findings are announced, important issues are debated and where feedback to government and industry is formulated. The recent meeting in Guiyang was the point of international announcement of the new legally binding international treaty on mercury which is being produced by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for finalisation in 2013. This treaty will cover mercury emissions from all sources - chloralkali, gold production, waste materuals (batteries etc) and coal combustion. The form the treaty will take remains to be seen, but it is clear that mercury is moving rapidly up the global political agenda and will become the target of much legislation and action in the very near future. Once a global legally binding treaty is signed, there will be a flurry of activity at the national level as individual governments work to ensure compliance.

The next 10th ICMGP will be held in Hallifax, Nova Scotia, from July 24-29th 2011, and interest and attendance are expected to be high. The theme of the 2011 meeting is “Air, Land, Sea, and Me” and will explore the linkages between natural and anthropogenic mercury sources, exposure of humans and wildlife, and how changes in biogeochemical processes resulting from climate change and other human stressors are likely to affect the success of global strategies attempting to reduce mercury exposure. More information can be found at: http://mercury2011.org/mercury2011/Home.html.

With the UNEP mercury treaty being due for launch in February 2013, the mercury issue is really reaching an all-time high. The 2013 ICMGP is due to take place in Edinburgh, Scotland, in the summer of 2013. This is perfect timing for the discussion of how the UNEP treaty can be translated into action at the global, regional, national and local level. The attendance at the 2013 meeting is expected to be unprecidented as experts meet to discuss the most appropriate courses of action to be taken in each area of the mercury issue.