Nepalese market has been flooded with several registered un registered cosmetics products by authorized as well as authorized dealers and retailers. As there is low level of awareness and completely absence of any regulatory authority as well as any regulatory legal framework, an indicative study Mercury in Skin Whitening Cream and Moisturizer Lotion has been conducted by laboratory testing of seven selected national, multinational and international products of skin whitening creams and moisturizing lotion.

Certain brands of skin whitening creams and moisturizing lotion found in Nepalese market and mostly used by the general public have been found to be contained some amount of mercury hazardous for health of people.

The healthcare system is a key consuming sector of mercury's global demand and also major sources of emissions. The healthcare sector is one of the major consumers of elemental mercury (Hg). In liquid state, Hg is used especially in instruments like thermometers and sphygmomanometers in the health care sector that are still being imported and used in very large numbers in all different level of health care facilities in the country. As the mercury columns of these instruments are made of glass, there are quite significant amount of mercury is found to be released from these up on often breakage. Mercury is also widely used in dental filling. Since mercury is liquid at room temperature and pressure, spilled Hg, for example, from a broken thermometer, can vaporize into the surrounding air and the concentration is largely subject to ventilation provision and uses, temperature of the locations, numbers and frequencies of breakage and handling of the spilled mercury there after etc.Apart from breakage of these instruments, in-house calibration practices of mercury-containing sphygmomanometers can be the source of mercury in indoor air as large amount of liquid mercury has been seen stored in the repair, maintenance and calibration department of certain health care facilities. Bad ventilation inside the room or wing can lead to acute exposure to mercury, not only to patients, patients care takers but also to healthcare staff at large including nurses, doctors, and ultimately waste handlers.

Humans become exposed to Hg and methylmercury primarily through the consumption of fish. Many national and international health organizations recognize the risks associated with a diet high in fish and international guidelines for the maximum amount of Hg in fish have been established. However, adhering to and enforcing these guidelines is very difficult, particularly in developing and transition countries where data on Hg in fish are rare or unknown.

The primary goal of this reports prepared under Global Fish and Community Mercury Monitoring project is to generate new data, raise awareness about global Hg pollution, and identify specific hot spots, primarily from developing and transition countries.

CEPHED contributed to Global Fish and Community Mercury Monitoring by carrying out the biomonitoring of fish and human hair about the presence of mercury in them from Nepal. For study of Hg concentration in Fish and Human body all together 20 human hair samples and 19 fish samples were collected. 15 fishes sample were collected from Fewa Lake whereas 4 fishes sample were from Kalimati market in Kathmandu suspected to be imported from India have been incuded. Include the common and scientific names of the fish species we had collected. Similarly, 15 human hair samples were collected from the fishing community of Khapaudi,Sarangkot-2, Kaski and 5 samples from nurses and doctors working in the dentistry health care services at National Dental Hospital, Kathmandu were included in the study. Samples were collecfted and sent to Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI), Gorham, USA lab for mercury testing. Mercury has been found in fish found in Phewa Lake as well as sold in Kathmandu Market and also in the human body including that of dentist doctors and nurses.

Study was conducted among the dental doctors and nurses as to assess their occupational exposure of the mercury from their day to day use of mercury based dental filling preparation, filling and removing as well as lack of any proper waste handling practices.

Samples were collected and sent to Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI), Gorham, USA lab for mercury testing. A total of 56 hair samples from 56 individual exposed to mercury due to their dental health problem as well as occupational exposure largely among the Dental Doctor including the high level government officials such as Secretary from Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP) and Joint Secretary from Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (MOSTE) has been studied. This time joint initiatives of CEPHED and NDA bio-monitoring of mercury among 50 Dental Doctors and 4 Dental Assistant and other 2 once again confirmed the 100 % positive mercury contamination results ranges from 0.097 to 0.547 among all the dental health care professionals.

Mercury has been found in people with mercury dental filling in their mouth as well as also in the health care professional such as Dental Doctors, Dental Assistant and Housekeeping in charge working in several dental hospitals of Nepal.