Online Training Programme #3
Laboratory management for mercury survey and monitoring
Background and Objectives
The Minamata Convention on Mercury, which entered into force on 16 August 2017, is one of the global treaties whose Secretariat is hosted by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). Japan, with the first-hand experience of Minamata disease, has committed to enhance its support to further implement the convention by making its knowledge and experiences available to other parties.
The project implemented by UNEP supports participating countries to improve their national mercury-related information base to implement mercury management, especially in the areas of information exchange, awareness and education, research development and monitoring. It also enhances Japan’s knowledge and experiences on sound mercury management.
The project is implementing an activity to evaluate the performance of mercury analyses conducted by the laboratories (proficiency testing), which provides individual proficiency levels and collective mercury monitoring capacity in the region. The Purpose of this training programme #3 is to provide support for enabling efforts of laboratories wishing to participate in the proficiency testing for their readiness to the proficiency testing. This is a part of continual improvement of quality data collection and analysis.
Due to COVID-19 situation, the international movement for most countries is severely restricted.
07, 08 and 09 December 2021
Virtural meeting, Webex
English only (no interpretation will be provided)
Public laboratories and laboratories in universities that undertake mercury analysis (or will undertake near future) for monitoring, survey or research purposes. The laboratories which are able to obtain analytical results by themselves without external resources/supports. No restriction of number of participants from each institution.
The training programme is composed of 3 sessions (3 hours each) in 3 days, which supports enabling efforts of the participating laboratories. The topic of the training is general mercury monitoring and analysis in environmental and bio media, which includes several presentations, Q&As, and discussions. Pre- and post-training questionnaire surveys using the online form, or other means will be requested. Each participating institution may choose suitable session(s) taking into consideration its own capacity and needs.
Draft Programme Agenda(UTC+7)
Opening remarks
Session 1: Atmospheric sampling analysis
- Atmospheric survey and analysis (manual active sampling method) part 1: sample collection
- Atmospheric survey and analysis (manual active sampling method) part 2: measurement, data processing and QA/QC
Session 2: Multimedia sampling analysis
- Solid sample (soil, sediment and biota) survey and analysis
- Water sample survey and analysis
- Human biological sample analysis
Session 3: Advancement of qualified laboratory
- Methylmercury analysis
- Quality management
- Laboratory safety / environmental management
Time zone table
| Location | Session 1 | Session 2-3(08:00-11:00) |
|---|
| Suva (UTC+12) | 7pm – 10pm Tue. 7 Dec. | 1pm – 4pm Wed.-Thu. 8-9 Dec. |
| Tokyo, Koror (UTC+9) | 4pm – 7pm Tue. 7 Dec. | 10am – 1pm Wed.-Thu. 8-9 Dec.
|
| Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Ulaanbaatar (UTC+8) | 3pm – 6pm Tue. 7 Dec. | 9am – noon Wed.-Thu. 8-9 Dec.
|
| Bangkok, Jakarta, Hanoi (UTC+7) |
2pm – 5pm Tue. 7 Dec. |
8am – 11am Wed.-Thu. 8-9 Dec. |
| Kathmandu (UTC+5:45) | 12:45pm – 3:45pm Tue. 7 Dec. | 6:45am – 9:45am Wed.-Thu. 8-9. Dec.
|
| New Delhi, Colombo (UTC+530) | 12:30pm – 3:30pm Tue. 7 Dec. | 6:30am – 9:30am Wed.-Thu. 8-9. Dec. |
| Malé (UTC+5) | Noon – 3pm Tue. 7 Dec. | 6am – 9am Wed.-Thu. 8-9. Dec. |
| Nairobi (UTC+3) | 10am – 1pm Tue. 7 Dec. | 4am – 7am Wed.-Thu. 8-9 Dec. |
| Cape Town (UTC+2) | 9am – noon Tue. 7 Dec. | 3am – 6am Wed.-Thu. 8-9 Dec. |
| Vienna, Geneva (UTC+1) | 8am – 11am Tue. 7 Dec. | 2am – 5am Wed.-Thu. 8-9 Dec. |
| Sao Paulo (UTC-3) | 4am – 7am Tue. 7 Dec. | 10pm – 1am Tue.-Wed. 7-8 Dec. |
| Washington DC (UTC-5) | 2am – 5am Tue. 7 Dec. | 8pm – 11pm Tue.-Wed. 7-8 Dec.
|
| Chicago (UTC-6) | 1am – 4am Tue. 7 Dec. | 7pm – 10pm Tue.-Wed. 7-8 Dec. |
| Los Angeles (UTC-8) | 11pm – 2am Mon. 6 Dec. | 5pm – 8pm Tue.-Wed. 7-8 Dec. |
| Honolulu (UTC-10) | 9pm – 0am Mon. 6 Dec. | 3pm – 6pm Tue.-Wed. 7-8 Dec. |
