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toxicsfree.bsky.social
IPEN: toxics-free
@toxicsfree.bsky.social
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We are a global network of 600+ public interest orgs in 129 countries working to eliminate toxic substances and places #PlasticsTreaty
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toxicsfree.bsky.social
While #COP6 delegates agreed to phase out mercury in dental fillings, they failed to act on the biggest source of mercury pollution—small-scale gold mining.

Read IPEN’s full response and our call to end mercury use in gold mining: ipen.org/news/mercury...
Graphic from IPEN highlighting a statement about the Minamata Convention on Mercury COP6. The image shows delegates in a conference hall holding “No More Mercury” reports. The text reads: “Read: Mercury Treaty Fails to Address the Gold Mining Crisis,” followed by a quote from IPEN Technical and Policy Advisor Lee Bell criticizing the lack of action on mercury pollution in the Amazon and urging decisive action at COP-7 to end mercury trade and artisanal and small-scale gold mining.
November 10, 2025 at 5:57 PM
toxicsfree.bsky.social
ICYMI last week, you can watch Health, Human Rights and Mercury Impacts of ASGM: Prioritising Health Interventions on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQoR...

This webinar highlighted urgent health impacts of mercury, explored strategies for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, and more.
Health, Human Rights and Mercury Impacts of ASGM: Prioritising health interventions
YouTube video by Geneva Environment Network
www.youtube.com
November 9, 2025 at 8:13 PM
toxicsfree.bsky.social
Steven Grattan at The Associated Press reports on the sharp criticism of the latest mercury summit for failing to take stronger action against mercury use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining.

Read here: apnews.com/article/merc...
Mercury treaty summit criticized for inaction on gold mining crisis
A global mercury summit in Geneva has faced criticism from environmental and Indigenous groups for failing to act on mercury use in small-scale gold mining, the world’s top source of mercury pollution...
apnews.com
November 8, 2025 at 2:06 PM
toxicsfree.bsky.social
Read our report from the Minamata Convention on Mercury COP6: ipen.org/news/mercury...

The ban on mercury in dental fillings is a positive step, but small-scale gold mining will remain the largest global contributor to mercury pollution without urgent action.

#MercuryTreaty #MinamataCOP6
Graphic promoting an IPEN report from the Minamata Convention on Mercury COP6. The image shows a river scene with a wooden gold mining structure and several people working along the shore, surrounded by dense forest. Text above reads: “Read our report from the Minamata Convention on Mercury COP6: Mercury Treaty Fails to Address the Gold Mining Crisis,” alongside the IPEN logo and tagline “for a toxics-free future.”
November 7, 2025 at 4:41 PM
toxicsfree.bsky.social
A hidden source of mercury pollution: the oil and gas industry.

IPEN’s new briefing exposes how this fuels global mercury contamination and urges urgent action to stop it.

📘 Read more: ipen.org/documents/me...

#Mercury #FossilFuels #ASGM #ToxicsFreeFuture
Graphic promoting IPEN’s briefing titled “Mercury Pollution from Oil and Gas.” The design features a red background with the IPEN logo at the top and bold white text that reads: “Download IPEN’s Briefing, ‘Mercury Pollution from Oil and Gas.’” Below, an image of a tablet displays the briefing’s first page, which discusses mercury emissions from fossil fuel extraction and includes a map illustrating affected regions.
November 7, 2025 at 9:58 AM
toxicsfree.bsky.social
The Minamata Convention must be strengthened to end the world’s mercury crisis.
IPEN’s brief outlines two amendments needed to protect health and the environment:
• End the global mercury trade
• Phase out mercury use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) by 2032
ipen.org/documents/en...
Graphic promoting IPEN’s briefing titled “Ending Mercury Pollution: The Need to Strengthen the Mercury Treaty.” The design features a green background with the IPEN logo and a tablet displaying the document. White bold text encourages readers to download the briefing, which discusses the need to end the global mercury trade and phase out mercury use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM).
November 6, 2025 at 2:38 PM
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A new IPEN study reveals alarming mercury levels among Indigenous women in Peru and Nicaragua in communities living near small-scale gold mining areas and relying on fish for food.
ipen.org/documents/me...
Mercury pollution from gold mining is a human rights and public health crisis.
November 5, 2025 at 11:06 PM
toxicsfree.bsky.social
Most mercury being traded today ends up in artisanal and small-scale gold mining. This contaminates rivers, fish, and communities worldwide. It’s time to end this toxic trade once and for all.

Download IPEN’s Quick Views on the Mercury Treaty COP-6: ipen.org/documents/qu...
Graphic promoting IPEN’s “Quick Views on the Minamata Convention on Mercury – Sixth Conference of the Parties.” The design features a tablet displaying the Quick Views document and text encouraging users to download it. The message reads: “Download: Quick Views Mercury Treaty COP6. Learn how governments can act now to stop mercury trafficking and close loopholes in global trade rules,” alongside the IPEN logo and a blue background.
November 5, 2025 at 10:10 AM
toxicsfree.bsky.social
The Associated Press reported in October that the United Nations has warned of a “serious and ongoing human rights crisis” in Colombia’s Atrato River basin, where mercury from illegal gold mining has poisoned communities and ecosystems.
apnews.com/article/un-c...
UN warns Colombia over mercury contamination in Atrato River, calls crisis a human rights emergency
A United Nations letter to Colombia warns that mercury contamination from illegal gold mining in the Atrato River basin is causing a grave human rights crisis for Indigenous and Afro-descendant commun...
apnews.com
November 4, 2025 at 11:41 PM
Reposted by IPEN: toxics-free
genevaenvironmentnetwork.org
#Live now!

Join this #MinamataCOP6 Knowledge Lab focusing on #HumanRights of groups in vulnerable situations, the health impacts of mercury, and strategies for prevention & guidance to strengthen health systems.

▶️ tiny.cc/COP6KnowledgeLab4Nov25
📺 www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQoR...
November 4, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Reposted by IPEN: toxics-free
genevaenvironmentnetwork.org
It's Day 2⃣ at #MinamataCOP6!
 
Participants gather for regional meetings, as delegates delve into discussions on key items:
 
🟡 #ASGM
🟡 Mercury waste
🟡 Programme of work and budget
🟡 National reporting
🟡 Effectiveness evaluation
🟡 & more
 
▶️ tiny.cc/GENRoadtoMinam…
November 4, 2025 at 8:27 AM
toxicsfree.bsky.social
A Minamata Convention COP-6 Knowledge Lab is happening today, Tue, Nov. 4, from 18:00-18:45 CET.

Health, Human Rights and Mercury Impacts of ASGM: Prioritising health interventions
For those in Geneva it is in CICG, Room 3.
It will also be online.
www.genevaenvironmentnetwork.org/events/healt...
Promotional graphic for an informal meeting at COP6 of the Minamata Convention on Mercury. The event, titled “Health, Human Rights and Mercury Impacts of ASGM: Prioritising Health Interventions,” is scheduled for Tuesday, November 4, 2025, from 18:00–18:45 CET at Room 3, Level -1, CICG. The design features logos of the UN Human Rights Office, IPEN, and the Minamata Convention, with a photo of a woman holding a child inside a wooden home and a bright yellow and white color scheme. Informational flyer for a COP6 Minamata Convention meeting co-organized by IPEN, OHCHR, the UN Special Rapporteur on Toxics and Human Rights, and Mexico. The text explains that the event will address gaps in implementing Article 16 of the Minamata Convention, focusing on the human rights and health of vulnerable groups, including women, children, and Indigenous Peoples. It lists speakers such as Dr. Marcos Orellana, Mrs. Miriam Gabriela Medel García, Mr. Lucas Infantozzi Albertoni, Dr. Rüdiger Krech, Ms. Rochelle Diver, Ms. Yuyun Ismawati, and Ms. Ana Paula de Souza, who will moderate the session.
November 4, 2025 at 11:18 AM
toxicsfree.bsky.social
Mercury is used by miners in small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in a process called amalgamation. The ASGM sector is the primary source of mercury contamination globally, impacting millions of lives.

IPEN POs developed ASGM reports on the situation in their countries: ipen.org/documents/me...
Graphic promoting IPEN’s ASGM (artisanal and small-scale gold mining) reports. The top section has a red background with the IPEN logo and white text that reads, “Read ASGM reports from work happening in Bolivia, Colombia, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, the Philippines, and Uganda.” The bottom image shows a close-up of water flowing down a sluice with a pan containing silvery material, a plastic bottle nearby, and a person’s bare feet at the edge.
November 3, 2025 at 9:30 PM
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IPEN warns that the use of mercury in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) continues to be the leading global source of mercury pollution.

Read our briefing about the global mercury trade: ipen.org/documents/gl...
The cover page shows a report titled “The Global Mercury Trade,” published in October 2025. The design features a blue and white layout with charts referencing Chatham House data sources and mentions that mercury trade increased from 1,200 tonnes in 2017 to 1,700 tonnes in 2022. The page includes the IPEN logo and references to figures illustrating legally traded mercury quantities by year.
November 2, 2025 at 4:40 PM
toxicsfree.bsky.social
As this latest IPEN study exposes, Indigenous women in Peru and Nicaragua that live where small-scale gold mining takes place have high levels of mercury in their bodies.

Download the report here: ipen.org/documents/me...
The cover image shows a river in a forested area with people working near the shore and a wooden gold mining structure in the water. Below, smaller images show thatched huts along a tropical riverbank and a person wearing gloves placing a sample into a plastic bag. The title reads “Mercury Exposure of Women in Two Latin American Gold Mining Countries,” with a subheading about elevated mercury levels, the IPEN logo, and the publication date, October 2025.
November 1, 2025 at 6:19 PM
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IPEN and its participating organizations (POs) worldwide joined forces with local and global partners for the 2025 International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (ILPPW) from October 19-25.

Read about what the organizations did around the world for ILPPW: ipen.org/projects/int...
The image combines a green background featuring the IPEN logo and text with an abstract splash of vivid red, yellow, and green paint on the right. The text reads: “Read about what IPEN Participating Organizations did for International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week 2025.” It visually connects IPEN’s campaign messaging with the creative, colorful imagery of paint to highlight advocacy around eliminating lead exposure.
November 1, 2025 at 2:18 AM
toxicsfree.bsky.social
The Sixth Conference of the Parties (COP-6) to the Minamata Convention on Mercury takes place Nov 3–7 in Geneva.

IPEN’s Quick Views outline key decisions and call for bold action to end global mercury trade and phase out ASGM by 2032.

Read and download: ipen.org/documents/qu...
A red background with diagonal blue lines frames the text: “Download Quick Views – Mercury Treaty COP6.” Below, a tablet screen displays a document titled “Quick Views on the Minamata Convention on Mercury Sixth Conference of the Parties,” with the IPEN logo in the header. Another IPEN logo and the tagline “for a toxics-free future” appear in the bottom right corner.
October 31, 2025 at 12:38 AM
toxicsfree.bsky.social
California has sued three major plastic bag manufacturers for falsely marketing their products as recyclable, while reaching a $1.8 million settlement with four others.

Valerie Volcovici explains in Reuters: www.reuters.com/sustainabili...
www.reuters.com
October 29, 2025 at 8:12 PM
toxicsfree.bsky.social
Carey Gillam reports in The New Lede that U.S. imports of paraquat, a pesticide linked to Parkinson’s disease, have surged, even as dozens of countries have banned it.

www.thenewlede.org/2025/10/para...
Paraquat imports climb despite concerns about health impacts
The US has been importing increasing amounts of paraquat, a pesticide widely used in farming that is linked to Parkinson’s disease, even as other countries have banned the chemical amid growing concer...
www.thenewlede.org
October 28, 2025 at 6:31 PM
toxicsfree.bsky.social
Environmental Health News shares that new research in the Journal of Chromatography A shows recycling increases toxic chemical levels in polyethylene terephthalate (PET), commonly used for food packaging: www.ehn.org/test-recycli...
October 27, 2025 at 2:57 PM
toxicsfree.bsky.social
Invest in our children’s health. Demand governments’ and industries’ commitment to eliminating lead in all paints.

Their future is worth it.

#BanLeadPaint
#ILPPW2025
#LeadSafePaint
#NoSafeLeadLevel
#ToxicsFree
A child’s hand dips a paintbrush into a cup of blue paint beside colorful brushes and paint containers on a white table. Text on the left reads: “Invest in our children’s health and future. Mobilize resources and get governments and industries to commit to the global elimination of lead in all paints.” The image features the IPEN logo and the hashtag #BanLeadPaint.
October 26, 2025 at 7:44 PM
toxicsfree.bsky.social
Hazardous chemicals belong nowhere near children or homes.

The Rotterdam Convention ensures safe decisions and keeps toxic imports in check. 🛡️

#BanLeadPaint
#ILPPW2025
#LeadSafePaint
#NoSafeLeadLevel
#ToxicsFree
An image shows open paint cans filled with bright red, yellow, and orange paint alongside stacked shipping containers. Text on the left reads: “Hazardous chemicals like lead chromates should never be sent across borders without the knowledge of the recipients. The Rotterdam Convention provides countries with information they need to decide about imports of toxic chemicals, which pose significant health hazards to children, adults, and industry workers in their countries.” The IPEN logo and #BanLeadPaint hashtag appear at the top and bottom.
October 26, 2025 at 2:59 PM
toxicsfree.bsky.social
Global trade of lead chromates and lead paints continues. Stronger international controls can curb it.

Countries with lead paint laws can report to the Rotterdam Convention to stop hazardous exports. 🌐

#BanLeadPaint
#ILPPW2025
#LeadSafePaint
#NoSafeLeadLevel
#ToxicsFree
A close-up of bold, colorful paint streaks in green, yellow, orange, and blue covers the left side of the image. Text on the right reads: “The continuous global trade of lead chromates and lead paints can be mitigated if there are stricter international controls in place to curb them. Countries that have adopted lead paint laws can submit lead chromate notifications to the Rotterdam Convention, which will subject lead chromates and lead paints under the treaty’s Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Procedure.” The IPEN logo and #BanLeadPaint hashtag appear at the top and bottom.
October 25, 2025 at 2:32 PM
toxicsfree.bsky.social
Many countries still lack legal restrictions on lead paint. We need laws with strong penalties to stop the manufacture and sale of toxic paints. 🏛️

Act now for safer communities!

#BanLeadPaint
#ILPPW2025
#LeadSafePaint
#NoSafeLeadLevel
#ToxicsFree
A close-up image shows a cluster of brightly painted miniature houses in red, yellow, blue, pink, and green tones. Text on the left reads: “Many countries still lack legal restrictions on lead in paint with penalties for non-compliance. Take steps now to enact and enforce lead paint laws to end the manufacture and sale of lead paints.” The IPEN logo and the hashtag #BanLeadPaint appear at the bottom.
October 25, 2025 at 5:15 AM
toxicsfree.bsky.social
The fossil fuels/petrochemical /plastic industry complex are allied against a meaningful Plastics Treaty, and in New York, they are lobbying to stop legislation that would reduce plastic packaging and pollution.
View the report released by @beyondplastics.bsky.social: bit.ly/prria-lobbying
October 24, 2025 at 6:54 PM