WE ACT for Environmental Justice, in partnership with the National Medical Association and the Children’s Environmental Health Network, convened the Environmental Injustice of Mercury: Challenges & Opportunities for Addressing Mercury in Cosmetics and Dental Amalgam international conference on August 27 and 28, 2024 at the headquarter offices of the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The conference brought together over 60 participants comprised of advocates, experts, and government officials from across the United States and international agencies to create a joint strategy to bring an end to mercury exposure.
Over two days, participants examined the drivers of racial and class disparities in mercury exposure, challenges to efforts to limit these exposures, and strategies for overcoming these challenges. Day 1 focused on the use of mercury in skin lightening products and Day 2 focused on use of mercury in dental amalgam. While medical researchers focused on the health effects of and intervention strategies for reducing and eliminating mercury exposure particularly in low-income communities of color, policy experts described the efficacy of international, federal, and local efforts to regulate mercury in cosmetics and dental amalgam.
The discussion revealed areas of tension and agreement regarding efforts aimed at tackling the reduction and eventual elimination of mercury in skin lightening products and dental amalgam. Disagreements centered on the question of when action was necessary. While some participants believed that research to further understand the health effects of mercury exposure is necessary, others saw research as delay tactics to avoid legal action. On the other hand, participants also had many points of agreement. First, participants overwhelmingly agreed that efforts aimed at education must be prioritized to ensure that the public, healthcare professionals, and decision-makers are well-informed about the potential health risks and health consequences of exposure to mercury. Second, participants generally agreed that to be successful, interventions that aimed at limiting availability of mercury-containing require collaboration across sectors and at all levels of government. Third, participants agreed that while the effectiveness of regulations is limited by enforcement capacity, legal action remains an essential tool to reduce mercury exposure. Finally, participants committed to take action to raise the collective voice of minority stakeholders advocating for stronger government action at the state and local levels, including tracking and data collection to understand the scope of the issue and inform regulatory action.
This report outlines goals and action items participants identified as necessary to address the environmental injustice of mercury, as expressed by presentations and discussions that took place during this convening. Please note that this report is based on WE ACT’s analysis of the conference proceedings and does not represent the views of the convening attendees or their organizations.