Inhaling mercury vapors can cause permanent damage to the body. To date, however, dental fillings containing the heavy metal are only prohibited for children and pregnant and breastfeeding women. The EU wants to extend the ban from 2025.
In the EU, dental fillings containing mercury are to be largely banned from 2025. The aim is to protect health and the environment from the harmful effects of mercury, said the Belgian EU Council Presidency.
There should be exceptions if a dentist considers such a filling to be absolutely necessary due to the patient’s medical needs, as the European Parliament in Strasbourg announced. Negotiators from Parliament and the EU states agreed on the new requirements. The two institutions still have to approve the project. Most of the time it’s a formality.
So far only a very limited ban
Despite mercury-free alternatives, around 40 tonnes of mercury are still used for dental amalgam in the EU every year, according to Parliament. Current regulations only prohibit such fillings for children under 15 and pregnant and breastfeeding women.
The EU Parliament’s chief negotiator, Marlene Mortler (CSU), spoke of an “important step towards a mercury-free future”. “A derogation has been granted to some Member States to mitigate the socio-economic consequences of the amalgam ban,” she said, according to a statement.
According to her, it was also agreed that lamps containing mercury may only be exported to countries outside the EU until June 30, 2026. “This ensures that products that are already banned in the EU are not sold to third countries and have environmentally harmful consequences there,” said Mortler.
Mercury can damage the brain
The agreement is based on a proposal from the EU Commission that the authority presented in the summer. According to EU information, the heavy metal mercury is highly toxic.
Inhaling mercury vapor can cause permanent damage to the brain, lungs, kidneys and immune system. In the past, the heavy metal was used, for example, in batteries, thermometers and fluorescent tubes.