'Minamata' mercury treaty conference kicks off in Japan

The treaty has been named the Minamata Convention on Mercury, in honor of the Japanese city around 2,000 people died and many more were made sick by mercury dumped by a local factory.
Delegates are to visit Minamata on Wednesday, October 9 to mourn the victims.
The treaty will take effect once ratified by 50 countries – something organizers expect will take three to four years.
Mercury, also known as quicksilver, is found in products ranging from electrical switches, thermometers and light-bulbs, to amalgam dental fillings and even facial creams.
Serious mercury poisoning affects the body's immune system and development of the brain and nervous system, posing the greatest risk to fetuses and infants.
The treaty sets a phase-out date of 2020 for a long line of products including mercury thermometers, while the text gives governments 15 years to end all mercury mining.
But environmental groups say the treaty falls short in addressing artisanal small-scale gold mining, a major source of large amounts of the heavy metal, which also directly threatens the health of miners
http://www.rappler.com/world/regions/asia-pacific/40753-minamata-mercury-treaty-conference-japan