Posted for Laura Starr

The US has introduced legislation to stop exports of elemental mercury, in an attempt to protect the environment and people’s health. The ban will take effect from 2013 and comes only days after the European Union announced similar plans, with a ban on mercury exports taking effect in 2011.

Pick up in the mainstream press has been light, but it has made it into the Chicago Tribune, which tells us that the bill’s main sponsor is one Senator Obama.

Mercury is used in the production of certain plastics, as well as in thermometers and dental amalgams. It’s an incredibly toxic element that can easily evaporate into the atmosphere when transported. Eventually the mercury rains down on Earth, polluting water sources.

Europe is the largest exporter of the substance, and concerns about moving mercury prompted the EU to introduce its ban, to both reduce mercury pollution and set an example to the rest of the world. It seems to have worked. The US, also a major exporter, has followed suit and will now have its internal stockpiles safely stored. The EU also plans to lower contamination levels by supply and demand, and protecting the population against exposure.

Image: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation