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Mercury: It's a BIG Problem That Stays in the Environment
Mercury is a neurotoxin that attacks the central nervous system and can impair
the way humans see, hear, think, and function. A mercury thermometer contains a
little less than 1 gram, which is said to be enough to contaminate all the fish
in a lake with a surface area of 20 acres. Mercury thermometers are the largest
single source of mercury discarded annually in the United States’ municipal
solid waste stream, estimated at 17 tons of mercury per year.
When a mercury thermometer breaks in the home and the consumer fails to properly clean it up, it will eventually evaporate and can reach dangerous levels in indoor air, especially in a poorly ventilated room. The risks increase if the consumer attempts to clean up a mercury spill with a vacuum cleaner or a broom. If the mercury waste is thrown into the trash and the trash is burned in an incinerator (as Sherborn’s trash is), the risks are increased again because it is dispersed into the air as mercury vapor and spreads throughout the atmosphere, eventually making its way into the food chain by being directly deposited into lakes or as run-off from soil after rain. When mercury seeps into the waterways, a natural chemical process converts it into methyl mercury, which is more deadly to humans because it builds up in the muscle tissue of living beings.
In 2006 our state passed the Massachusetts Mercury Management Act designed to keep mercury out of our trash and wastewater. In 2008 and 2009 there will be a planned phase-out of the sale of specific products containing mercury, including thermostats, thermometers, barometers, switches and relays. Starting in 2008, if products do contain mercury, they must be clearly labeled so that we will know to recycle or dispose of properly as hazardous waste.
It is already illegal to discharge mercury into water or wastewater without meeting state, federal and local requirements. As of May 1, 2008, disposal of mercury-containing products in the trash is prohibited.
Mercury: From your thermometer to the food you eat:
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When a mercury thermometer is broken, liquid mercury begins to turn into a gas. The gas can reach dangerous levels, especially in a poorly ventilated room
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If the spill is not cleaned up properly, the gas will contaminate the home. Do not use a vacuum cleaner or a broom. Click Mercury Cleanup to know the proper steps to take.
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If mercury is thrown in the trash and taken to the curb, it will eventually be burned with the rest of the trash and go into the air.
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Rain carries mercury from the air to the ground where it flows to a body of water.
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Bacteria in the water absorb the mercury and turn it into a more dangerous organic type of mercury, methyl mercury.
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Fish eat the bacteria and it accumulates in their flesh. This is called bioaccumulation.
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Accumulation of mercury is dangerous because mercury is more concentrated at the top of the food chain. The larger and older the fish, the more mercury it is likely to have. In the early 1990’s, mercury pollution in local bodies of water was so severe that citizens - especially those who were pregnant or were children - were warned not to eat fish from the Charles River. Adult men were warned not to eat more than one fish per month from the Charles and to avoid the bigger, older predatory fish (trout, bass, walleye, pike and pickerel) that store methyl mercury. Other nearby waters showing high fish methyl mercury levels included the Concord and Sudbury Rivers, Walden Pond, the Quabbin and Wachusett Reservoirs. Warnings against eating large predatory fish such as swordfish were also published in newspapers. Jean Mayer, head of the Tufts Department of Nutrition, suggested eating no more than one serving of tuna per week. Efforts to reduce mercury releases into the environment have improved fish contamination somewhat, but more needs to be done.
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For this reason, it is unhealthy to eat some types of fish more than once a week.
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Exposure to mercury can cause birth defects and nervous system damage, including: hand tremors, deafness, digestive disorders, irreversible brain and kidney damage, learning problems, personality disorders, hallucinations and death.
What to
Do if a Mercury Thermometer Breaks?
· Evacuate the area, making sure that no one walks through the mercury. Make sure to evacuate pets as well. Open all windows and doors to the outside and close all doors to other parts of the house. DO NOT allow children to help with the clean up.
· Assemble cleanup supplies. These include disposable gloves, an eyedropper, two stiff pieces of paper or cardboard, two plastic bags, duct tape, a flashlight and a wide-mouth container. What you will use for cleanup will need to be disposed of with the mercury.
· Remove watches and jewelry. Mercury will bond to metal. Wear gloves for protection.
· Clean the spill. First remove watches and jewelry because mercury will bond to metal. Wear disposable gloves for protection.
· On hard surfaces: Mercury can be cleaned up easily from hard surfaces. Use a flashlight to find the loose mercury beads. Gently scoop the mercury together and lift the beads into the wide-mouth jar with the stiff paper. Pick up remaining mercury with with sticky tape and place contaminated tape in a plastic bag along with the eyedropper, stiff paper, and gloves. Put that bag into another plastic bag. Seal and label the bag as mercury waste. Place this bag and sealed container in the second bag. Label it as mercury waste and call your State agency for appropriate disposal.
· On absorbent surfaces: If a spill occurs on carpet, curtains, upholstery or another absorbent surface, the mercury-contaminated section should be cut out. This cut-out section, along with all cleanup items, should be placed in a plastic bag. Label it as mercury waste and call your State agency for appropriate disposal.
· In water: Mercury will sink to the bottom. Gently remove as much water as possible and recover the mercury with an eyedropper and put it in a wide-mouth container. Close the lid, seal with tape, label the jar and call your State agency for disposal instructions.
· In a drain: Mercury will get caught in the sink trap. Working over a tray, remove the trap and pour the contents into a wide-mough container. Close the lid and seal with tape. Contact your State agency for disposal instructions.
Be informed:
For more information about Mercury go to http://www.epa.gov/mercury
When shopping, look for the mercury
symbol Hg.
For information on
other mercury products found in the home and how to recycle them, visit
www.mass.gov/dep or call the Mercury
Hotline at
866-9-MERCURY.