Consumer Products and

Recycling

John Rogers

Mercury is in the Home

• Thermostats 46.7%

• Dental Amalgams 21.0%

• Light Switches 14.1%

• Auto switches 4.7%

• Thermometers 4.7%

• Appliances switches 2.4%

• Batteries 0.6%

• Fluorescent Lights 0.5%

Mercury is in the Home

Mercury is in Schools

• Lamps • Thermostats• Laboratory store rooms in jars• Chemistry classroom p-traps• Laboratory thermometers• Nurses offices in thermometers

and Sphygmomanometers (blood pressure devices)

• Switches• Barometers and manometers

• Fever Thermometers

• Laboratory Thermometers

• Sphygmomanometers

• Gastroenterology instruments (Cantor and Miller Abbot tubes)

• Non-Clinical barometers, repair kits, switches.

• Other (thermostats, manometers, lamps)

Mercury is in Hospitals

Thermometers• Contains about ½ gram of

mercury.

• Small portion of total mercury but often improperly disposed.

• Broken thermometers in red bags may be incinerated.

• Most common source of mercury spills

• Most patient and staff device contact

• Alternatives available

Sphygmomanometers• Contain 70-90 grams of mercury

• Located in heavy use areas where there is high exposure potential

• Often contains the largest amount of mercury in one device

• Can be inaccurate without regular maintenance

• Alternatives readily available

Gastroenterology Instruments

• Second largest concentration • FDA- 58 incidents where tubes

broke and released mercury inside patients (1991 to 2000)

• Alternatives available. Tungsten weighted just as effective and are opaque on x-rays

Sphygmomanometers and

gastroenterology instruments can be as high as 90% of

the elemental mercury in a

hospital.

Mercury is in Automobiles

• Convenience Lighting Switches

• ABS Sensor

• Instrument lights

• Family entertainment system

• Hood and trunk

• Navigational display (option)

Other Mercury Products

• Weather stations (amateur & professional)

• Laboratories

• Medical, Dental & Veterinary Offices

• Flow meters

– Plumbers

– Gas metering

– Dairies

Consumer Products Safety Commission•Oversees compliance with

mercury labeling requirements.

• Issued 135 Consumer Safety Alerts

•Requires consumer sales of mercury to be properly labeled properly labeled.

• the sale of mercury for household use is not recommended by the CPSC.

For more information regarding mercury in

consumer products and recycling please contact:

John Rogers

john.rogers@la.gov

(225) 219-3266

(800) 305-6621