Mercury treaty adopted

Delegations from some 140 countries have agreed to adopt a ground-breaking treaty limiting the use of mercury.  The world's first legally binding treaty on mercury, reached after a week of talks in Geneva, will aim to reduce global emission levels of the toxic heavy metal also known as quicksilver, which poses risks to human health and the environment.
Countries will be asked to sign the treaty next October in Minamata, Japan. Mercury is found in products ranging from electrical switches to thermometers to light-bulbs, to amalgam dental fillings and even facial creams, and large amounts of the heavy metal are released from small-scale gold mining, coal-burning power plants, metal smelters and cement production.