AUTHORITIES in Ghana have taken steps to phase out items and chemicals
that contain mercury in line with the Minamata Convention on Mercury, an official has said.

Sam Adu-Kumi, Director for Chemicals Control and Management Centre and Registrar of Pesticides of the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), stressed the need for some level of urgency in public education
and sensitization of decision makers to achieve this goal.

This, he said, was important considering the harmful effects of mercury on the environment and human
life.

“Mercury discharged into the atmosphere and in the environment contaminates the food chain for plants,
animals and finally affects humans who consume them,” he told the media at a workshop.

The Minamata Convention on Mercury, a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from
the adverse effects of mercury, was adopted by the Conference of Plenipotentiaries held in Minamata
and Kumamoto, Japan, in 2013.

“We were given up to 2020 to complete the phasing out or phasing down process, but looking at the
magnitude of work involved, we have requested for extension so we are now expected to complete
the process by 2025,” the official said. (Xinhua/NAN)

– Aug. 8, 2018 @ 17:19 GMT |

BE