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Mercury 2013 Creates Launchpad for New UNEP Minamata Convention
The organisers of the Mercury 2013 International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant (UK) have described this year's event as a triumph - with over 900 delegates from over 65 countries, 417 oral presentations and 530 posters, the week- long Edinburgh event was a hive of activity.
The conference covered all issues relating to mercury and its potential negative effects on the environment and comprised a record 7 parallel sessions running twice a day all week. The theme of the conference was ‘Science informing global policy’ and as such provided a launchpad for the new UNEP Minamata Convention on Mercury, drafted in Geneva earlier this year. Many of the papers and posters concentrated on how the text of the new convention could be put into practice through research and development activities.
Expressing her delight with the success of the event, Conference Chair Dr Lesley Sloss said: “It is essential that political decisions are based on sound science, so it is very encouraging to see such a large volume of work in the field of mercury research.
“Many of the most impressive presentations were given by young researchers and students, which is very encouraging because these are the people that will endorse changes and monitor mercury for compliance with the treaty.
“As a Scot, I am especially proud that Edinburgh has been the focus of global attention; a lot of hard work went into the organisation of this event and I am extremely grateful to all concerned. As a result of this effort, delegate feedback has been extremely positive; not just for the Conference but also for the hospitality and charm of this beautiful historic city.”
The conference began with a free open day at which members of the public were able to learn more about mercury and even have their breath and hair tested for this toxic element. This was followed by a press conference, highlights of which can be viewed at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyVvXhYNHyQ.
The conference itself was launched with welcoming addresses from Mr Paul Wheelhouse, Scottish Minister for the Environment and Climate Change; Mr Anders Flanking (via Loic Viatte), State Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Sweden; and Mr David Piper, Department Head, UNEP Chemicals Branch.
Naturally, the major sources of mercury emissions, such as coal incineration and artisanal gold mining, were the subjects of greatest attention, but with so many presentations it would be impossible to summarise the Conference in a single article. However, several agenda items created the highest levels of interest. For example, the panel discussions on mercury in dental amalgams and vaccines led to lively debates and Dr Pal Weihi's presentation drew a large crowd and a film crew. Dr Weihi described the health effects of pilot whale meat consumption in the Faroe Islands and explained that a reduction in dietary whale meat has led to lower mercury levels in the Faroese people.
One of the presentations which gathered the most interest was given by Prof. Philippe Grandjean. He described a research project which studied a Bristol (UK) cohort, and showed that IQ deficits at school age linked to prenatal methylmercury exposure may be much greater in subjects which have mutations in certain genes. As a result it appears that there is a high degree of variability in susceptibility to methylmercury exposure which has very important health and environment implications.
The next International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant will take place in Jeju, Korea during 2015 and the following event will take place during 2017 in New England, USA.
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26854pr@reply-direct.com Rotronic Opens Branch Office in Singapore
Rotronic (Switzerland), specialist providers of measurement solutions, is opening its tenth subsidiary on 1st of September 2013 in Singapore. With the foundation of Rotronic Instruments Pte Ltd., the Rotronic Group is looking to further strengthen their position in this market.
Rotronic has ambitious plans. “By teaming up with a strong distribution partner, we have already established a comfortable position for ourselves over recent years in South-East Asia. By taking the decision to open a subsidiary of our own, we are aiming to tap into further excellent development opportunities in pursuing our strategy of further expanding our global distribution network” says Gary Gähwiler, Head of Measurement Solutions at Rotronic. The newly appointed Asia Sales Director, Sinna Sinnathurai, who has already been working with Rotronic for numerous years, has excellent knowledge of the Asian market and will be helping Rotronic to forge their position in South-East Asia.
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Battery Ventures Portfolio Company Industrial Safety Technologies to Acquire Oldham from Industrial Scientific Corporation
Battery Ventures (USA) portfolio company Industrial Safety Technologies (UK) has reached an agreement with Industrial Scientific Corporation for the proposed purchase of its Oldham fixed-point gas detection business. Oldham provides a comprehensive portfolio of fixed system gas detection monitors and controllers and will be the fifth acquisition for IST since its inception in 2011. The sale encompasses Oldham headquarters’ operations in Arras, France along with fixed systems support operations in China, Germany, India and the United States. No financial details were disclosed.
Adam Markin, President of Industrial Safety Technologies, said that “Oldham offers IST a great European presence and market share including production capabilities in France and China that complement IST’s existing locations and other group companies. We are excited about Oldham and are looking forward to working with management to grow the business and meet their long term objectives.”
The Oldham brand will remain intact and will operate as an independent company within the IST Platform. IST’s mission is to create a full line of integrated technology-based detection products and services. Oldham joins other leading brands in the IST family, which together create a comprehensive portfolio of detection products with global reach: Simtronics (based in Norway and France, acquired March 2013): sophisticated gas and flame detection) for use in applications ranging from plant boiler rooms to offshore petrochemical facilities; DSA Detection (headquartered in Massachusetts, acquired October 2012): consumables for leading brands of explosives and narcotics trace detectors (ETD); Detcon (headquartered in Texas, acquired September 2011): gas detection sensors and control systems, with strength in fixed products for the oil and gas market; Gas Measurement Instruments (GMI) (headquartered in Scotland, acquired August 2011): gas detection with a particular strength in portable products for gas distribution, oil and gas, and shipping markets.
Justin McElhattan, President and CEO of Industrial Scientific Corporation, said “Industrial Scientific people are dedicating their careers to ending death on the job. The sale of Oldham is part of our strategy to accelerate promising technologies that further preserve human life in the workplace. I firmly believe that Oldham will thrive under Industrial Safety Technologies. The company has strong synergies in fixed gas detection and supports the vision of the company.”
“We’ve made quick strides in scaling IST and integrating a number of the leading brands in the global gas detection market,” said Jesse Feldman, Battery Ventures General Partner. “Oldham follows this pattern, with a great reputation for innovation and quality that we expect to maintain and grow under the IST umbrella. Industrial safety technology is a large and strategic opportunity with tremendous potential upside, and we are working hard to build a leading global player with a full portfolio in both fixed and portable gas detection products for customers worldwide.”
The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2013.
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IET September/October 2013
www.envirotech-online.com
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