Dental professionals, government representatives and environmental leaders yesterday urged the government for phasing out the use of mercury from dental practices by 2018.

They came up with the call at a workshop styled "Mercury Free Dentistry: Way Forward" organised by Bangladesh Dental Society (BDS), and Environment and Social Development Organisation-ESDO in association with Asian Center for Environmental Health at a hotel in the capital.

Dr Humayun Kabir Bulbul, secretary general, BDS, said, "We need cooperation from all the quarters to phase out mercury use from dentistry."

Charles G Brown, president of the World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry, said due to mercury exposure from amalgam at workplace, dentists, students, technicians and patients might suffer from the problems of elevated mercury level in blood.

In 2013, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)'s Intercessional Negotiating Committee formalised a global, legally-binding treaty named “Minamata Convention on Mercury” to protect human health and environment from the adverse effects of mercury. The treaty has now been signed by over 128 countries, including Bangladesh.

"I urge the government to implement law against the dental amalgam in order to protect mass health and environment from mercury pollution," said Syed Marghub Murshed, former secretary to the government and chairperson of ESDO.