China's Mercury Emissions Raise Concern
NTDTelevision
2011-11-02
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Representatives of over 130 countries are now meeting at the UN Environment Program's headquarters in Nairobi to discuss a treaty on mercury emissions. In the run up to the meeting, several Chinese mercury experts have raised their concerns over mercury emissions in China where it's at 25 percent of the world's total.
[...]
Chinese mercury expert Feng Xinbin says mercury is a big issue because it can cause pollution beyond national boundaries.
[Feng Xinbin, Mercury Expert]:
"With the large circulation of air in the atmosphere, this can bring about pollution that transcends national boundaries. Once it settles on the surface of the earth, especially in lakes or oceans, mercury will get into the food chain. Mercury can harm the human brain, and the central nervous system. It can also have an influence on the mental development of children and in serious cases people can die."
Mercury is produced widely as a waste product in industrial sectors. While emissions are falling in the West, emissions in developing countries are rising. China faces serious challenges to deal with the waste.
[Feng Xinbin, Mercury Expert]:
"For generating electricity you must burn coal, but for smelting metals, this produces mercury. Right now it is the developing countries, like China and India that have relatively higher (mercury) emissions. The amount that developed countries are producing is slowly decreasing. Why does this attract concern? It is because it can get into the food chain and have an influence on people's health."
UNEP mercury treaty negotiations will go on in Nairobi until November 4th. The UN Environment Program hopes to eventually reach a legally binding agreement on mercury emissions and transparency of information on mercury emissions from the oil and gas sector.
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Representatives of over 130 countries are now meeting at the UN Environment Program's headquarters in Nairobi to discuss a treaty on mercury emissions. In the run up to the meeting, several Chinese mercury experts have raised their concerns over mercury emissions in China where it's at 25 percent of the world's total.
[...]
Chinese mercury expert Feng Xinbin says mercury is a big issue because it can cause pollution beyond national boundaries.
[Feng Xinbin, Mercury Expert]:
"With the large circulation of air in the atmosphere, this can bring about pollution that transcends national boundaries. Once it settles on the surface of the earth, especially in lakes or oceans, mercury will get into the food chain. Mercury can harm the human brain, and the central nervous system. It can also have an influence on the mental development of children and in serious cases people can die."
Mercury is produced widely as a waste product in industrial sectors. While emissions are falling in the West, emissions in developing countries are rising. China faces serious challenges to deal with the waste.
[Feng Xinbin, Mercury Expert]:
"For generating electricity you must burn coal, but for smelting metals, this produces mercury. Right now it is the developing countries, like China and India that have relatively higher (mercury) emissions. The amount that developed countries are producing is slowly decreasing. Why does this attract concern? It is because it can get into the food chain and have an influence on people's health."
UNEP mercury treaty negotiations will go on in Nairobi until November 4th. The UN Environment Program hopes to eventually reach a legally binding agreement on mercury emissions and transparency of information on mercury emissions from the oil and gas sector.
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