Some items, like light bulbs, and even old TVs and appliances, can contain hazardous metals like lead and mercury. When a mercury thermometer breaks, liquid mercury may spill out and can separate into small beads and can roll some distance away. For information about these programs, contact your local officials to find out when and where a collection will be held in your area. Open windows in the room and allow fresh air to flow. If there is no HHW disposal program available in your county or nearby counties, call the DEQ solid waste technical assistance staff member in the nearest DEQ regional office regarding free pick-up of mercury from your home by a DEQ hazardous waste contractor. The disposal of hearing aid batteries depends on the type of battery and if it contains mercury. Seal the bag and place it in another bag. Check with the waste disposal regulations where you live. Deposit the breakage into a glass jar with a lid or a sealable plastic bag. RCRA designates some widely generated hazardous wastes as "universal wastes.” This term includes mercury-containing wastes like certain batteries, thermostats, barometers, manometers, temperature and pressure gauges, certain switches, and light bulbs. ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Contact your town or county officials for information about hazardous waste disposal … Place kitty litter or oil-absorbent matter around the product to protect it from breaking or sudden shocks. Find resources for getting rid of mercury. New York State Rules and Regulations control the disposal of mercury-containing items and waste. We maintain more than 3,400 collection locations nationwide that will recycle mercury thermostats at no cost to you. Remove contaminated shoes and clothing and place them in a plastic bag. Mercury-contaminated items should not be placed in the regular household trash. And, the warning that they also contain small amounts of mercury comes right along with that knowledge, making them a little irksome to dispose of. Keep people and pets away and open windows to ventilate the area. Vacuum only after all visible remains have been cleaned up and then dispose of the bag or debris with the rest of the clean-up. Fluorescent bulbs and compact fluorescent bulbs contain small amounts of mercury. See “Applicability-Mercury-Containing Equipment” in the universal waste regulations, specifically section 66273.4, Title 22, of the California Code of Regulations. Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. Experts say there isn't much danger from the mercury, so just be careful not to cut yourself. An official website of the United States government. Don't vacuum up the spill or breakage. If you must transport in the passenger compartment, make sure there is adequate ventilation. For more information specific to your state, enter your location's ZIP code into the Earth911.com recycling locatorExitto contact your local waste collection agency; the agency can tell you if such requirement exists in your state or locality. Here are some things not to do, plus recommendations for the best way to clean up after a mercury release or spill. See the next two sections of this page to find how to package, transport and dispose of mercury. Do not allow children to help you clean up. The first step of proper collection and disposal of mercury components is to collect the amalgam. If that is not available, use a throwaway glass or plastic container. Do not spend time in areas where mercury has been spilled until you are prepared to clean it up. You may also bring them to a … Through this program, health care professionals are educated about mercury reduction and pollution prevention opportunities. Many household products contain mercury, from CFLs to button batteries to some thermometers. Drop the used tape into the jar or bag. Some places will allow you to throw away broken fluorescent bulbs with other trash while others have more stringent requirements for this type of waste disposal. Dry-Cell Batteries are used in a variety of electronics and include alkaline and carbon zinc … It can clog your plumbing and seriously pollute your septic system … Fluorescent and high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps use less electricity per unit of light emitted than incandescent lighting which means lower levels of air pollutants such as mercury, lead, nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxides from electrical generation plants. Transport containers in the back of a pick-up truck or in your car's trunk. While paper and tape should be sufficient to clean up breakage on a hard surface, you may need to vacuum a carpet or rug. By now you probably see a theme. Place all mercury-containing products or containers of mercury inside a larger container with a tight fitting lid. more information about universal wastes and the RCRA regulations that apply to them. Practice Greenhealth is designed to help hospitals improve their environmental performance. Some states and local jurisdictions have elected to pass regulations that are more stringent than the federal hazardous waste regulations. Secure the containers so that they do not tip over, and to minimize shifting or sliding during sudden stops or turns. To find a mercury thermostat recycling location, go to the TRC website and type your zip code into the locator tool at the top of the page. 1. Clearly label storage container as "Mercury - DO NOT OPEN.". Proper disposal of fluorescent and HID lamps. If you are replacing a thermostat, check to see if the old thermostat has a mercury switch. Don't sweep or vacuum spilled mercury up! Make it easy on yourself and let The Home Depot take care of the hazardous part by taking advantage of its CFLs Recycling Initiative program. If you break a mercury thermometer, thermostat, or fluorescent bulb you need to be a lot more careful cleaning up the accident than you might think. Eventually they wear out, and it's important to know how to dispose of batteries properly, whether they're rechargeable AA batteries or disposable akaline batteries. Packaging Mercury for Storage and Transportation Place all mercury-containing products or containers of mercury inside a larger container with a tight fitting lid. Cleaning up a broken mercury thermometer is somewhat more involved, so I'll post those instructions separately. Batteries. Avoid putting mercury-containing products in the trash or down the drain. This Home Depot guide has information on proper disposal, plus gives tips about where to recycle batteries. If you must wait for a hazardous waste collection day, store products safely in their original containers with the labels intact, and keep them out of reach of children and pets. Isolate the area – get children and pets out of the room where the breakage occurred so that the beads of mercury are not accidentally eaten or tracked throughout the home. There must be space left inside the container after placing the mercury thermostat there. Use a sheet of paper or cardboard to scoop up glass and metal pieces. How Can I Dispose of Mercury Waste? Once your results populate, click on a location to get business hours, phone numbers, and directions. If the items in the home that contain mercury are not in good condition, or are likely to break when they are moved, people may want to call in a professional to perform a more thorough mitigation of the problem. How to recycle mercury thermostats If your home thermostat has a digital readout, rest assured: It is new enough to be mercury-free. Many people have found containers of elemental or metallic mercury in their homes. Then take your mercury thermostat and drop it off at your chosen location and you're done! Drop-off thermometers at: West Valley College Student Health Services - 14000 Fruitvale Ave, Saratoga Store mercury added products (fabricated products) in a designated area which is separate from solid waste disposal. The important thing to remember is that mercury-containing waste must not be thrown into the household recycling bin, as it won’t be recycled correctly. By using ThoughtCo, you accept our, How to Dispose of a Broken Fluorescent Bulb, Why You Should Not Mix Alcohol and Bleach, Cross-Border Pollution: A Growing International Problem, Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College. Store items out of the way in bubble wrap or boxes until you can take them to the Disposal of Toxics facility; Spill Assistance (fabricated products do not include elemental mercury or mercury compounds) Signs must be posted on the storage area that are clearly visible. You can also use Earth911's Recycling Locator Exitto find a recycling center near you. Households are exempt from these regulations. The most fool-proof way to find out what is inside your thermostat is to remove its front cover. Never touch spilled mercury. Still other common household items, like electronics, should be recycled because they contain precious metals. Transport containers to a household hazardous collection center in a cardboard box. Open a window and allow the room to air out at least 15 minutes. Handling: Place the mercury thermostat you want to dispose of in a recommended dangerous waste container. In order to make sure that all the debris are collected safely, one can also use a vacuum cleaner to make sure space is cleaned thoroughly and there is no trace of mercury anywhere. It is advisable to double-check with the location you choose to confirm that they will accept your thermostat. Many states and local agencies have developed collection/exchange programs for mercury-containing devices such as thermometers, manometers, and thermostats. For more information on additional mercury-containing items, please call the Disposal of Toxics Program. Additionally, many parts of the country offer designated recycling facilities that are trained to safely handle items that contain mercury. Mercury-free battery options can be disposed of in household waste — to determine if your hearing aid batteries are mercury-free, refer to the packaging. Place them in a sealed plastic bag on top of their blue recycling cart; Drop-off lights at: Home Depot (CFLs only) - 975 S De Anza Blvd, San Jose; Batteries Plus Bulbs - 3410 Stevens Creek Blvd., San Jose, CA, 95117; Mercury Thermometers. If your vacuum has a canister, wipe it clean with damp paper towels and dispose of the used towels. Use sticky tape to pick up the smaller pieces of debris. The reason is explained in the next step. Mercury from medical applications can enter the environment through sewers, spills and land disposal of trash. There are many state and local programs for recycling or disposing items that contain mercury. Check product labels. Don't do anything that would spread the mercury or cause it to become airborne. Gather the clean-up kit: 2.1. a pair of disposable latex or plastic gloves 2.2. zip lock b… In case someone is working with mercury in a … Close all doors, windows, and vents leading to other rooms of the building, and open windows leading to the outside. Bring some sticky tape and use it to collect the smaller, finer pieces of the mercury and the broken container and put them along with the sticky tape in the jar or the plastic container. If you have metallic mercury in your home, you need to exercise extreme caution with it and package it to prevent any leaks or spills. Mercury is an extremely toxic heavy metal. Though you might not have any mercury thermometers in your home, chances are good you have other items that contain mercury, such as fluorescent or other mercury-containing light bulbs, or mercury-containing thermostats. Clear the room of people, especially children, and pets. Properly dispose of contaminated cleanup materials. Don't re-use any cloth or sponge that came in contact with the mercury, ever. You will likely have to utilize your local household hazardous waste (HHW) facility or events to properly dispose of and recycle items containing mercury. United States Environmental Protection Agency, What to do if you have mercury in your home, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) recycling and disposal requirements that apply to business and industry, Packaging mercury for storage and transportation, Recycling and Disposal After a CFL Burns Out, Frequent Questions about Recycling Items Containing Mercury (Earth911.com). Excerpt: What to Do if You Have Mercury in Your Home Many people have containers of elemental mercury in their homes left over from science projects or other sources. In the event mercury containing items are broken, keep children and pets away; immediately open windows in the exposed area (if possible); wearing gloves and a face mask clean up the area using rags and items that can be … She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels. Leave the room while you plan. To find out how to get rid of the mercury in your school: These items are accepted at the Environmental Service Center.. How to Dispose of Mercury if Thermometer Breaks? Dispose of contaminated items properly! Find your nearest location by entering your zip code below. Mercury can be found in compact fluorescent lights, thermometers, thermostats and old mercury switches. However, if your thermostat has knobs or small bars you slide to adjust the temperature, it probably contains mercury. Write "mercury--do not open," on the container with a permanent marker and place the container in a cardboard box. Some mercury-containing equipment or products cannot be regulated as a universal waste. Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem. Let everyone in the area know that the room is off-limits, or leave a sign on the door. You can visit the US EPA site for additional help in cleaning up after an accident involving mercury. For example, Vermont bans all mercury-containing waste from landfills, including mercury-containing waste generated by households. Place kitty litter or oil-absorbent matter around the product to protect it from breaking or sudden shocks. Wipe off any visible beads of mercury with the wet paper towels and then place them into the plastic bag. When handling products with mercury: Do not break, crush, or disassemble the items. The EPA has this page on how to contain and dispose of large amounts of mercury in the home. Now that you have an idea of what to avoid, here are some steps to take. Proper Collection and Disposal of Mercury Components. Some counties and cities also have household hazardous waste collection programs. You can start with our list of common items containing mercury, but also remember that computers, tablets, mobile phones and other items that rely on printed circuit boards may also contain some mercury and other toxic metals. Set a dry paper towel close to the spill so … Here's what to do if you break a bulb: If the break occurred over clothing or bedding, the material should be wrapped up and thrown away. Don't sweep up the ... Don't pour mercury down the drain. Pick up any pieces of glass and set them on a paper towel. Shut off the heater or air conditioner, is applicable. 2. Although a spill of a small amount of mercury is highly unlikely to cause any health problems, it is best to be prepared when handling mercury and to avoid direct contact with the skin, eyes or mouth. Businesses and industries that qualify as universal waste handlers must follow specific requirements for storing, transporting and disposing of these wastes. Several states and municipalities do not recognize the exemption for households; others regulate all fluorescent bulbs as hazardous, regardless of their mercury content. Some retail stores also offer collection points, so it’s best to check RecyclingNearYou.com.au where you can find your closest collection point for each type of waste. Find more information about universal wastes and the RCRA regulations that apply to them. From cell phones and laptops to power tools and children’s toys, batteries are used to power all types of portable devices. Make special effort to ensure that children stay away. Collection of the amalgam must be done carefully as it can prove hazardous to the patient and dental staff. Some states have laws that cover hazardous waste disposal. While mercury isn’t recyclable, many of these products are. 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