Workshop – Elements towards a Global Monitoring Plan for Mercury

The workshop discussed the results and lessons learned of the pilot study of the Global Plan for monitoring mercury, within the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) project entitled “Development of a Plan for Global Monitoring of Human Exposure to and Environmental Concentration of Mercury”, implemented by the Chemicals and Health Branch of the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) in close collaboration with the National Research Council of Italy – Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research (CNR-IIA) and the World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe – European Centre for Environment and Health (WHO – ECEH).

The main objectives of the workshop meeting are to:

• Present and discuss the results, outcomes and lesson learnt of the GEF funded project.
• Discuss the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and technical aspects of using human biomonitoring matrices and passive air sampling to assess the concentrations and exposure to mercury in the light of the Minamata convention.
• Increase awareness and capacity to undertake monitoring of mercury. The meeting is an important milestone in the discussion of the way forward for developing a plan for global monitoring of mercury in the light of the Minamata convention and the effectiveness evaluation.