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'[The patients] stare blankly at the wall. You cannot talk to them, they are not conversant, nothing. They are like zombies' (Photo: Wikipedia)

Mercury treaty: High time for action on health

Mercury is an ancient metal rich in history, cloaked with mystery and power. It is liquid metal at room temperature, with an almost mystical silver hue, and was known to the ancient Greeks, Romans, Chinese, and Hindus.

Today, mercury is used in industrial production, in medical and cosmetic products, and in small-scale gold mining—just to name a few areas of use.

Mercury is also highly toxic. It attacks the central nervous system and other body functions, and is particularly h...

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The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s, not those of EUobserver

Author Bio

Andrew Rettman is EUobserver's foreign editor, writing about foreign and security issues since 2005. He is Polish, but grew up in the UK, and lives in Brussels. He has also written for The Guardian, The Times of London, and Intelligence Online.

'[The patients] stare blankly at the wall. You cannot talk to them, they are not conversant, nothing. They are like zombies' (Photo: Wikipedia)

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Author Bio

Andrew Rettman is EUobserver's foreign editor, writing about foreign and security issues since 2005. He is Polish, but grew up in the UK, and lives in Brussels. He has also written for The Guardian, The Times of London, and Intelligence Online.

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