La contaminación por mercurio y los derechos humanos

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law examines the adverse health effects of mercury pollution and its implications for fundamental human rights, including the rights to life, health, food, and information. It highlights the vulnerability of children and fetuses, the impact of artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM), and specific historical disasters such as the Minamata event.

• Mercury is a highly toxic element with no known safe exposure level and no physiological function in the human body. Exposure can occur through various forms: inhaled metallic mercury vapor is largely absorbed by the respiratory system, while acute exposure to inorganic mercury salts can cause corrosive gastrointestinal and kidney damage.
• Methylmercury, which contaminates fish and seafood, is particularly dangerous for fetuses and children. Fetal brains can have significantly higher mercury levels than maternal blood, leading to impairments in cognitive thinking, memory, attention, language, and motor skills. In the US, it is estimated that between 300,000 and 600,000 children have lower IQs due to industrial mercury emissions.
• The Minamata disaster in Japan, caused by Chisso Corp.'s discharge of mercury-laden wastewater, led to 'Minamata disease,' characterized by brain atrophy, tremors, and congenital disorders. By 2009, 2,271 victims were officially certified. A similar disaster occurred in 1970 in Iraq, where mercury-coated grain from the US and Mexico caused an estimated 10,000 deaths and 100,000 cases of severe brain damage.
• Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) creates severe health risks for workers and communities. In Venezuela, air mercury concentrations averaged 183 µg/m³, with 26% exceeding the ACGIH threshold limit value. In Indonesia, studies on ASGM found that 55% of workers in Sulawesi and 62% in Kalimantan were diagnosed with chronic mercury poisoning.
• Mercury pollution threatens the right to food by contaminating fish and seafood, which are primary protein sources for 2.9 billion people. A US Geological Survey of 291 locations found mercury in all sampled predatory fish, with 27% exceeding the US EPA human health criterion of 0.3 micrograms of methylmercury per gram of wet weight.
• Lack of information and improper waste management contribute to environmental mercury release. In the Philippines, 88% of households dispose of mercury-containing lamps with domestic waste. Globally, burning mercury-added product waste adds 200 tons of mercury to the atmosphere annually.
• Child labor in mining is a critical human rights issue, with approximately 1 million children involved in mining exploitation. Some begin working with mercury as young as 7. Studies in Indonesia and Zimbabwe showed that children working in ASGM had high mercury levels and symptoms like ataxia.
• Worker rights violations are exemplified by the Thor Chemicals case in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The company used inexperienced Zulu-speaking workers to handle imported mercury waste. This resulted in worker deaths, comas, and permanent disability, as well as river contamination.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (n.d.). La contaminación por mercurio y los derechos humanos. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/HR_Mercury_SPA-1.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. La contaminación por mercurio y los derechos humanos. n.d. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/HR_Mercury_SPA-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=La contaminación por mercurio y los derechos humanos |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/HR_Mercury_SPA-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallawndcontaminacin, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{La contaminación por mercurio y los derechos humanos}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/HR_Mercury_SPA-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }