Mercury thermometers will be completely banned: Farewell, old friend!

When you mention a clinical thermometer, perhaps the first thing you think of is such a small glass stick, one end is a silver glass ball, one end is a glass tube with graduations, it is the collective memory of a generation of Chinese.

However, in a few years, China will no longer produce such thermometers.

According to the website of the State Food and Drug Administration, the General Department of the State Food and Drug Administration issued a notice on matters concerning the implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury. The notice requires that from January 1, 2026, the production of mercury-containing thermometers and mercury-containing sphygmomanometers is completely prohibited.
Why Say No to the Mercury Thermometer?

In mercury thermometers, the core substance used to measure body temperature is mercury, or "mercury". Mercury is a heavy metal with fluidity, which is toxic to digestive and nervous systems.

As we all know, mercury pollution has brought great harm to society, including "Minamata Disease", which is known as one of the world's eight major public hazards.

In 1956, a "strange disease" appeared in Minamata Bay, Japan. The patient's symptoms include slurred speech, staggering, vision loss, tremor, and deformity of hands and feet in mild cases; in severe cases, mental disorders, or sleepiness or excitement, bowed body, screaming, until death.