Mercury Madness: Dangers of contaminated consumer products in Bangladesh

Mercury is a toxic heavy metal that is found in many products commonly used by humans and animals. In Bangladesh, many consumer products, such as skin-lightening creams, thermometers, and new gadgets and electronics, still contain mercury. If people do not understand the risks, mercury can have serious effects on both human health and that of their pets and wildlife.

Cosmetics are the main pathway for mercury exposure, particularly in skin-lightening creams sold in shops and markets, despite being banned in many countries. These hazardous products are sold to consumers who use them in the belief that having lighter skin will improve their appearance or social status. While these creams are heavily restricted due to their high mercury content, many remain widely available, putting consumers’ health at risk from mercury, which can cause kidney damage and skin problems.

While mercury is often associated with older electronics or scientific equipment, many everyday items still contain the shiny, silver-heavy metal. For example, most people picture old thermometers when they think of mercury. While digital thermometers are becoming more and more prevalent in homes, there are still many traditional glass mercury thermometers present in households. If these glass thermometers break, they can release mercury vapor or a pool of mercury into the environment, posing a threat of mercury exposure to nearby individuals.

In addition to industrial effluent and domestic sewage, common articles containing trace amounts of mercury, such as portable electrical instruments (radios, television sets), Automobile parts, Thermometers, Barometers, Electric Switches, Metallic Detectors, and electronic components, including batteries and fluorescent lamps, are all potential pollution sources if not discarded and managed properly. If such waste is buried in the ground, mercury can dissolve out and enter natural streams and rivers, polluting fresh water resources and affecting both wild and domesticated animals which are sources of food for man.

In absence of adequate regulations and proper enforcement, hazardous products continued to flood the market. Consumers in Bangladesh remained in the dark about the risk these products posed to both human and animal health and the environment. But recently, awareness about the real dangers of these products have started to surface, posing serious health risks.

This piece is also available in: Bengali Mercury, a toxic substance known to cause immense health hazards, is not just a product that people can choose to consume or not. It is a public health issue of serious proportions that requires urgent attention. Once a product containing mercury gets into the marketplace, it can easily contaminate the environment and affect people and animals alike. As the global population grows and more people use products containing mercury on a daily basis, the problem is slowly turning into a developing crisis for humans as well as wildlife. In Bangladesh, mercury exposure is a serious problem, particularly affecting children and pregnant women. The substance, when exposed to skin or ingested, causes numerous health threats.

For children, mercury exposure may lead to impaired brain development and consequent learning difficulties or a lower IQ, together with behavior problems. Exposure of pregnant women to mercury increases the risk of developmental problems in the fetus, such as impaired motor skills and speech development. Children under five years of age are particularly sensitive to toxic substances and therefore most vulnerable to mercury toxicity, which may affect their brain development.

Mercury can pose serious health risks to adults exposed to it. Neurological problems are most commonly reported. Symptoms include memory loss, a tremor, anxiety or depression. Adults with high or prolonged exposure to mercury can also be at risk for severe heart or kidney disease. With only a small amount ingested, mercury can build up over time to create health problems even from limited exposure.

Mercury can also affect animals and their habitat. Many wild and domesticated animals get exposed to mercury that can lead to serious health effects. Bird species exposed to mercury can experience reproductive failures, while fish populations may have reduced survival rates due to their accumulation of the toxic metal. For millions of Bangladeshis, fish is an important source of protein so this is a serious concern.

Once mercury enters the food chain, it can affect not only the animals that ingest it but also the people who eat them. As larger animals consume smaller ones that have already ingested mercury, the chemical concentration increases in the bodies of these predators through a process known as bioaccumulation. Eventually, top marine predators, such as sharks, have the highest concentrations of the toxin. But larger fish, like those that humans commonly eat, also contain high amounts of mercury. Regular consumption of these fish can lead to high levels of the toxin in the bodies of those who eat them — even if they don’t know it.

The impacts of mercury extend well beyond human health. Mercury affects entire ecosystems. Sick wildlife can alter the dynamic of the environment, driving changes in species populations and affecting plant and animal species that depend on them for survival.

Mercury pollution is wreaking havoc on both humans and animals in Bangladesh. And it’s not just limited to severe health effects on individuals. It’s affecting entire ecosystems as mercury is ingested through the food chain. So, it is high time to seriously address the matter before it causes irreparable damage. Mercury in consumer products is a serious issue for both human and wild life health in Bangladesh and the situation is alarming as exposure is found to be taking place in many locations.

A national health survey conducted in 2022 found that around 45% of households surveyed used skin-lightening creams, many of which contain high levels of mercury, a toxic substance known to cause poisoning. Many patients present to doctors with symptoms due to mercury poisoning from these products, and, typically, it is women and children who use these products most.

A new survey across more than 20 stores in multiple cities found that more than 30 percent of thermometers and blood pressure monitors contain some level of mercury. If these products break and leak mercury in homes, the mercury can cause severe health problems and, through the sewage system, impact pets and wildlife.

Mercury exposure can have severe health effects. In a recent case study, a cluster of ‘unexplained’ health effects in a local village was found to be caused by the use of a faulty mercury thermometer at the local health clinic. Subsequent tests found high levels of mercury in the soil and water, and a follow-up blood test on children in the area found they were also suffering from elevated levels of lead in their blood. The likely cause of the elevated levels of lead in the children’s blood was linked to the toxic effects of these damaged devices.

Mercury in cosmetics is causing real problems for thousands of families around the country. We've received heart-wrenching testimony from a mother who recently discovered that she may have caused her son''s learning disabilities and his persistent headaches from unknowingly using mercury-containing skin cream on him. After months of doctor visits and unexplained symptoms, it turns out she's not alone - many people are unknowingly exposing their children to toxic mercury found in commonly used products.

In addition to impacts on forests and waterways, environmental assessments conducted for the forest management plan highlight further concerns. For example, analyses of fish from nearby rivers and lakes found mercury above Safe Levels of Exposure. These findings raise concerns for both human health and wildlife through both consumption by humans of contaminated fish and impacts on fish-reliant species and communities that depend on fishing as their livelihood.

Informal markets in Bangladesh also contain second-hand electronic products, which may contain mercury and are being sold to consumers without due warning. Along with these products, batteries, fluorescent lamps, X-ray films and broken medical equipment such as thermometers and sphygmomanometers are also available in these markets. Without adequate management, these products constitute a significant waste management challenge, as they have the potential to cause adverse environmental effects following improper disposal.

We have the evidence of mercury exposure and its impact on the health of Bangladeshis from many scientific studies and surveys. But most importantly, we have the testimony of the people directly affected by exposure to this powerful toxic substance. The evidence is strong enough to call for better regulation and public awareness of the lurking health threat. To reduce mercury exposure to consumer products in Bangladesh, therefore, requires a concentrated effort and a concerted approach that involves governance, public awareness and community engagement. The first step in such an endeavour would be to regulate the sale and distribution of products that contain mercury in the market, to prevent excessive exposure.

This requires governance to upgrade and enforce existing laws and to conduct regular inspections of both local and imported products, including cosmetics, electrical, measuring devices and accessories. Products that contain mercury above permissible limit should be banned from the market. Those found guilty of violating the law should be penalised.

A public awareness campaign is crucial for health protection. Many segments of populations in Bangladesh are not aware of mercury risks and impacts. To protect lives and health of citizens, educational materials and campaign will be disseminated and discussed through community interaction programs in schools, markets, shopping areas, community centers etc., through which people and especially users will get opportunities to learn and will able to make right purchasing decision for safe use having basic knowledge of mercury risks and impacts.

A second approach would be to encourage the use of safer alternative materials for thermometers and barometers. There are many safe and effective mercury-free alternatives on the market today and the government could use several methods to encourage manufacturers to swap to these safer ingredients, such as offering subsidies or tax breaks. In addition, by supporting local shops and businesses that stock mercury-free alternatives, the government is also supporting the local economy and helping to protect the health of its citizens.

Addressing mercury pollution requires cooperation from all sectors. Government, NGOs, local communities and other groups must work together to share their expertise and resources. It is best to develop a comprehensive plan to reduce mercury pollution at the local level through collaboration and by forming local task forces to oversee monitoring and implementation of the plan.

Drawing lessons from positive experiences in other countries is also important. In the Philippines, the government banned mercury from skin whitening products and as a result, there has been a marked reduction in the potential for exposure to mercury among consumers. In Sweden, regulations on mercury have successfully reduced the level of environmental mercury and also prompted a range of educational initiatives and community-based monitoring of mercury in different locations. By studying such approaches, Bangladesh can gain important insights into how to tackle its own problems of mercury contamination in a constructive manner.

These solutions require commitment and coordination to reduce exposure and the health and environmental effects of mercury. Once successful examples are identified and described, lessons can be shared throughout Bangladesh to promote rapid progress to reduce mercury exposure and improve health and environmental sustainability.

* Shahriar Hossain is an environmental scientist, journalist, and Social Justice advocate, involved in the Minamata Convention and plastic treaty negotiations. Contact: shahriar25@gmail.com