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13th Asia-Pacific Mercury Monitoring Network Annual Meeting: Strengthening Technical Cooperation in Mercury Monitoring

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The 13th Annual Asia-Pacific Mercury Monitoring Network (APMMN) was officially opened today by Minister Chi-Ming Peng of the Ministry of Environment and Assistant Administrator Jane Nishida of the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). A total of over 50 government officials and scholars from 16 countries — comprising the United States, Australia, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Palau, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam — participated in the event, jointly discussing and sharing achievements related to mercury monitoring and management.

The Ministry of Environment stated that this year's conference marks the second consecutive year it has been hosted in Taiwan, highlighting the region's recognition of Taiwan's expertise in mercury monitoring technologies and management. The MOENV and the USEPA jointly established the Asia-Pacific Mercury Monitoring Network (APMMN) in 2012, to assist partner countries with enhancing their atmospheric mercury monitoring capabilities. Since its inception, the APMMN has supported partner countries by establishing 14 mercury wet deposition samplers and has analyzed over 1,700 samples. This has contributed to the steady decrease in atmospheric mercury concentrations. Moving forward, efforts will continue to expand cooperation in regional environmental monitoring, strengthen international joint monitoring mechanisms, and facilitate the exchange and sharing of monitoring technologies and data.

The 13th annual meeting was held via in-person and virtual sessions. The agenda featured reports on the latest developments and future outlook of the APMMN by David Schmeltz from the USEPA and Dr. David Gay from the National Atmospheric Deposition Program. The agenda also included: a report from the Minamata Disease Comprehensive Research Center on mercury research in the East China Sea and Northwest Pacific; an update from the Ministry of Environment's Chemical Administration on Taiwan's achievements and experiences in managing mercury under the Minamata Convention, and sharing of the status of mercury monitoring from various countries. The meeting also included training sessions on mercury wet deposition sampling and analysis techniques to enhance the mercury monitoring capabilities and data quality from partner countries, thus deepening Taiwan's collaboration with Asia-Pacific nations in mercury monitoring, and increasing Taiwan's international visibility in mercury monitoring efforts.

The Ministry of Environment emphasized that in response to global mercury management trends, it has initiated a cross-ministerial "The National Implementation Plan (NIP) " as the basis for Taiwan's mercury management efforts. Through collaborative efforts across ministries, Taiwan has effectively regulated nine major categories of mercury-containing products in accordance with the Convention. This includes controlling the flow and use of mercury from its sources, conducting environmental sampling and monitoring, regulating products and food items, and strengthening the management of mercury-containing waste. Educational outreach has also been intensified, and management measures are continually refined to ensure a healthy living environment for the public. As a member of the global community, Taiwan hopes to establish close partnerships through the annual APMMN meeting to advance the Minamata Convention on Mercury and build a sustainable future for future generations.

The 13th Annual Asia-Pacific Mercury Monitoring Network (APMMN) was officially opened today by Minister Chi-Ming Peng of the Ministry of Environment.jpg

The 13th Annual Asia-Pacific Mercury Monitoring Network (APMMN) was officially opened today by Assistant Administrator Jane Nishida of the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).JPG

The 13th Annual Asia-Pacific Mercury Monitoring Network (APMMN) was officially opened today by Assistant Administrator Jane Nishida of the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).JPG

Source: 
Ministry of Environment
Updated: 
2024-09-05
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