Bengaluru, Aug. 12, 2025 – Health experts, environmentalists, and consumer rights advocates have renewed calls to phase out mercury-based thermometers and blood pressure monitors in India, warning of severe risks to human health and the environment.
The appeal came at a panel discussion hosted by Consumer VOICE and the Foundation for Sustainable Health India (FSHI) at Christ (Deemed to be University), focusing on mercury’s toxic impact, particularly on children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers.
Mercury devices, safe only when intact, release harmful vapours if broken or discarded carelessly—contaminating air, water, and soil, and entering the food chain. Dr. Dennis Xavier of St. John’s National Academy of Health Sciences cited the Kodaikanal mercury contamination case to highlight the dangers and the need for safe disposal.
Under the Minamata Convention on Mercury, India is working with WHO to eliminate mercury devices, replacing them with digital or aneroid alternatives. The WHO lists mercury among the top 10 chemicals of major health concern, with even small exposures capable of damaging the nervous, digestive, and immune systems.
Speakers including Dr. Anil Joseph Pinto CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Dr. Lalitha (M.S. Ramaiah Medical College), Dr. V. Nagappa (former Karnataka State Pollution Control Board) and Dr. Anitha Varghese, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), stressed public awareness, strict waste management, and a rapid switch to safer devices.
Environmental activist Akshay Heblikar and Nilanjana Bose of Consumer VOICE urged households to adopt affordable mercury-free products, a transition already embraced by the healthcare sector.
“Every family’s choice to go mercury-free is a step towards protecting both health and the planet,” said S.J. Chander, CEO of FSHI.
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