Mercury thermometers are under a "ban", would you stock up on one?

Medicine Network October 23rd, recently, mercury thermometer will be banned from production of the topic caused heated discussion among netizens.
, China will ban the production of mercury-containing thermometers and mercury-containing blood pressure meters from January 1, 2026.
mercury thermometers have long been a constant health product in people's homes because of their low prices and accurate measurements.
the news of the "ban on production", many netizens were caught up in the tangle: on the one hand, they were really worried about the safety risks of mercury thermometers, and on the other hand, they wondered whether other temperature measurement products could achieve the accuracy of mercury thermometers.
the thermometer that accompanied generations to be out of print? Recently, the State Drug Administration issued a notice on matters related to the implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury.
notified that, in accordance with Proclamation No. 38 issued by the former Ministry of Environmental Protection in 2017 in cooperation with relevant ministries, the Minamata Convention on Mercury has entered into force in China since August 16, 2017, which clearly prohibits the production of mercury-containing thermometers and mercury-containing blood pressure meters as of January 1, 2026. The
" notice requires that the Drug Administration of the Production and Construction Corps of the provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government and Xinjiang should attach great importance to guiding the relevant enterprises in their jurisdictions to do a good job of banning the production of mercury-containing thermometers and mercury-containing blood pressure meters from January 1, 2026, and earnestly implement the requirements of the Mercury Convention and Proclamation No. 38.
days, the above-mentioned "ban on production" of mercury thermometers and blood pressure monitors has become a hot topic of public opinion.
many netizens confused, with several generations of growth mercury thermometer, how was under the "ban on birth" it? Small mercury thermometer, how many hidden dangers? In fact, when it comes to mercury (mercury), the first thing most people think about is a mercury thermometer in their daily lives.
according to the official website of the World Health Organization (WHO), mercury is a naturally generated element found in air, water and soil and is one of the top ten chemicals or categories of major public health concerns.
mercury (mercury) and its compounds are widely used in chemical, instrumentation, batteries, lighting, medical equipment and other fields.
mercury will be present for a long time after it is released into the environment and can be transmitted over long distances through the atmosphere, with biomassing causing significant adverse effects on human health and the environment.
, mercury is also the cause of minamata.
to effectively address and properly address global mercury pollution, China became one of the first signatories in October 2013 when the international community agreed on a globally legally binding mercury convention.
2016, the 20th session of the Standing Committee of the 12th National People's Congress ratified the Mercury Convention.
16, 2017, the Convention entered into force in China and other Parties.
China has banned the mining of new primary mercury mines since August 16, 2017, and local land and resources authorities have stopped issuing new mercury exploration and mining permits.
16 August 2032, there will be a total ban on the mining of primary mercury.
There are reports that China produces a large number of mercury-containing thermometers each year, and the annual mercury treated as waste due to the breakage of the mercury thermometer is not small, and in the daily life of the people, the mercury thermometer damage caused by dangerous events are also reported.
, Sweden was the first country to ban the sale of all mercury-containing medical devices as early as 1992.
, most countries in Europe and the United States have banned all mercury-related industrial products, including mercury medical devices.
, mercury thermometers will face a domestic ban, so what about the production and sale of products now? In terms of sales, the reporter in the multi-home appliance business platform search found that mercury thermometers are sold normally.
price, mercury thermometers have a clear price advantage over other electronic thermometers and non-contact infrared thermometers on the market.
, a mercury thermometer retails for between $3 and $10, while electronic thermometers, thermometers and other products sell for tens or even hundreds of dollars.
addition, the reporter consulted with the staff of a number of medical institutions in Beijing, learned that some hospital outpatients and inpatient departments have gradually replaced the use of electronic thermometers, but there are some hospitals continue to use mercury thermometers normally.
"ban" for enterprises, is undoubtedly the "transition countdown."
data from the enterprise survey show that there are currently 137,000 thermometer-related enterprises in China, With nearly 3,700 enterprises in Guangdong Province ranked first, Shandong and Hebei ranked second and third.
the past five years, the annual registration of related enterprises has generally shown a downward trend, with 840 new enterprises added in 2019, down 37.1% YoY.
, however, 1,170 new thermometer-related companies were registered in the first three quarters of this year, up 88.4 per cent year-on-year.
the largest number of registrations in the second quarter, at 513, compared with 181 in the third quarter, down 64.7% month-on-month.
In accordance with the notice of the State Drug Administration, mercury-containing thermometers and mercury-containing blood pressure meter products that have obtained a medical device registration certificate shall remain valid for the duration of the certificate;
who has continued to review and approve medical devices in accordance with the products of mercury-containing thermometers and mercury-containing blood pressure meters accepted by medical devices shall be issued with a medical device registration certificate, limiting the validity of their registration certificate to not exceed December 31, 2025.
1 January 2026, there will be a total ban on the production of mercury-containing thermometers and mercury-containing blood pressure meters.
an electronic thermometer VS mercury thermometer, how do you choose it? There is also a lot of controversy among netizens about the discontinuation of mercury thermometers.
voices argue that mercury-containing thermometers are unsafe, especially for families with children, and that if the thermometer is accidentally broken, there are likely to be serious consequences.
but on the other hand, the voice thinks that mercury thermometers are accurate and cheap, and that mercury thermometers are still preferred.
reporters found that at present, the public's biggest concern is that the future use of electronic thermometers, its accuracy is not as accurate as mercury thermometers.
many people in public places by the temperature gun temperature measurement, there are significantly lower values appear.
, what do professionals think of the accuracy of the thermometer? Wang Huixuan, head nurse of the Neurosurgery Emergency Center at Huashan Hospital affiliated with Fudan University, said in an interview with the media that the temperature measured by the traditional mercury thermometer was the most accurate, but it took just over five minutes to measure the temperature.
thermometer once broken, the mercury inside leakage, if not handled in a timely manner, will quickly evaporate into the air, endangering human health.
wang Huixuan said that there are now clinical replacements for traditional thermometers with electronic thermometers.
compared with ear temperature measurement and forehead temperature measurement, ear temperature measurement accuracy is higher, but the measurement needs to be correct, and each time the ear temperature gun ear sleeve needs to be used, the cost is higher for large area use.
In addition, the amount temperature measurement data may be biased, mainly because the body temperature is low, and by the external environment temperature is relatively large, but the amount temperature gun is more convenient and fast, suitable for kindergartens, airports, railway stations and other places such as large traffic, the need for rapid screening of fever patients.
even so, many people who are used to mercury thermometers say they need to keep a mercury thermometer in their homes even if they have a "no-birth ban".
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