Mercury Awareness for School Teachers
WHAT IS MERCURY?
Mercury is a silvery liquid metal at room temperature.
Mercury conducts electricity, expands uniformly with temperature and easily
forms alloys with other metals. For these reasons, it is used in many
products found in homes and schools. Mercury is also an element that occurs
naturally in the earth's surface. It does not degrade and is not destroyed
by combustion. Instead, mercury changes into a vapor that can travel long
distances when volatilized. Mercury cycles between soils, the atmosphere
and surface waters. Its toxicity can endanger living organisms and produce
adverse health effects in humans.
WHY IS MERCURY A CONCERN?
There have been many incidents involving mercury spilled
in schools, school buses or school property that cause alarm and require
cleanup. Sometimes mercury comes from inside the school, and sometimes
mercury is brought into the school from the community. Mercury that is
spilled or spread through a school creates an immediate health issue,
and may require expensive cleanup and monitoring.
Spilled mercury can evaporate at room temperature and easily
be inhaled by the room occupants. Spilled mercury can spread long distances
and settle in cracks and porous materials like cloth, carpet or wood,
slowly emitting vapors over a long period of time. Mercury vapor is colorless,
odorless and tasteless. Short-term exposure to a high concentration of
mercury or mercury vapors can lead to nausea, shortness of breath, bronchitis,
migraine headaches, and fatigue. Long-term exposure to mercury can result
in damage to the nervous system, kidneys and liver. Symptoms include tremors,
numbness in the fingers and toes, loss of muscle control, memory loss
and kidney disease. Children, fetuses, and women of childbearing age are
the most at risk for mercury poisoning. Mercury should be handled carefully,
especially around children.
 Mercury
is also a concern in the environment. Improper disposal of mercury-containing
products is one way that mercury is released into the air,land and water.
Mercury easily enters its vapor form, and can travel long distances. Mercury
that reaches lakes, rivers and streams can be converted into methylmercury
by bacteria in the water. Methylmercury builds up in wildlife tissue,
especially in fish. As larger fish eat smaller fish, the mercury concentrates
travels up the food chain. Methylmercury can move up the food chain and
create a risk for people who eat fish.
It does not take a lot of mercury to have negative environmental
consequences. Researchers estimate that if one gram of mercury-one-seventieth
of a teaspoon enters a 20-acre lake every year from the atmosphere, that
minute amount is enough to raise the mercury levels in the fish. Methylmercury
in large fish can be thousands of times greater than levels in the surrounding
water.
Mercury Awareness for School Teachers
WHAT CAN SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS DO TO REDUCE THE PRESENCE
OF MERCURY IN SCHOOLS?
 Help
educate students, other teachers and administrators about the health hazards
and environmental fate of mercury; promote proper management and recycling
of mercury and mercury-containing products; eliminate the use of mercury
wherever possible at schools; prevent mercury spills and know what to
do if a spill occurs; promote the use of alternative products that do
not contain mercury; and promote energy efficiency.
LEARN MORE ABOUT MERCURY
Teachers can educate students about mercury by including
it as part of their lesson plans. One of the best resources is the Mercury
in Schools Pollution Prevention project, located at http://www.mercuryinschools.uwex.edu
REDUCE THE USE OF MERCURY AND MERCURY-CONTAINING PRODUCTS
To reduce the presence of mercury at school, you have to
know where to find it. Interestingly, mercury can be found in a lot of
places, some obvious and some you would not expect. You would expect to
find mercury in science classrooms and the laboratory, but you can also
find it throughout the school, in the cafeteria and in the nurse's office.
It is worthwhile for schools to replace mercury-containing equipment or
choose to purchase products that contain less mercury to reduce the long-term
impact on the environment.
Pollution prevention examines the causes of waste and pollution
to figure out the best way to reduce it. Pollution prevention avoids generating
pollution at the source rather than trying to control it afterwards. This
is also called "source reduction." Always reduce waste before
recycling. Avoid products containing mercury if substitutes are available.
Classrooms, facilities and grounds
School classrooms and facilities may have mercury containing thermostats,
thermometers, barometers and silent wall switches. It is simple and economical
to find mercury-free alternatives for these. Approximately 75 percent
of thermostats currently in use contain mercury. Electronic devices are
often excellent alternatives, though many digital devices may have mercury-containing
batteries, so it is best to use devices that allow you to replace the
batteries with batteries free of mercury.
 The
lamps in the gymnasium and parking lot are generally referred to as high
intensity discharge (HID) lamps, and they contain mercury. Even fluorescent
and neon lamps have some mercury. However, greater energy efficiency of
fluorescent lamps reduces the amount of mercury discharged by power plants
generating electricity. There are also low-mercury alternatives that contain
less mercury than older lamps.
Other items that contain mercury include button cell batteries
and old microwave ovens that could be in the school's cafeteria. Newer
microwaves do not contain mercury. Batteries now contain much less mercury,
but the mercury content is still worth considering. Button batteries may
contain up to 25 milligrams of mercury per battery. Some lithium button
batteries may be free of mercury. It is always best to send old lamps
and batteries to a recycling facility.
The janitorial and grounds staff also need to be aware
of the materials they are using. Old latex paint produced before 1992
may contain mercury to act as a fungicide. Pesticides produced before
1994 may also contain mercury. If old mercury containing paints or pesticides
are still at the school, dispose of them properly as hazardous waste.
Newer paints and pesticides do not contain mercury.
Laboratories
 Unlike
other class- rooms, laboratories may have a lot of thermometers, air pressure
gauges, mercury compounds and elemental mercury for use by the students.
Mercury may have been used historically in a school's laboratory, and
the laboratory may still have containers of mercury or mercury compounds
in storage.
There are several mercury-free thermometers available,
including red alcohol and digital thermometers. Generally, alcohol or
electronic thermometers are sufficiently accurate and readily available.
If mercury is used in experiments, often it is possible to use other chemicals
to illustrate the same chemistry principles, or do microscale experiments
to reduce the amount of materials necessary and reduce the need to have
large quantities of mercury at the school. If mercury is used as part
of the curriculum, make sure to have a mercury spill kit available, and
that staff are trained in its use.
Nurse's Office
 The
nurse's office may have the most elemental mercury in the school, including
thermometers and blood pressure measuring devices. Blood pressure gauges
or sphygmomanometers may contain several pounds of mercury. Aneroid blood
pressure devices and digital thermometers are available, and are as accurate
as mercury-containing ones. There are also nasal sprays and contact lens
solutions that contain thimerosal, phenylmercuric acetate or phenylmercuric
nitrate. These compounds all have mercury in them, and have mercury free
alternatives.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
 Electricity
generation is currently the largest source of mercury emissions in the
United States. Practicing energy conservation by using energy efficient
products and practices reduces the amount of mercury released by power
plants and reduces the amounts of other pollutants released as well. Energy
efficiency also reduces carbon dioxide, sulphur oxide and nitrogen oxide
releases, and makes good economic sense.
PROPER MANAGEMENT AND RETIREMENT OF MERCURY-CONTAINING DEVICES
Many mercury-containing products can be recycled. Mercury
metal, thermostats, batteries, thermometers and fluorescent lights are
some products that can and should be safely recycled.
IN CASE OF A SPILL
By being aware of, and by properly maintaining and
replacing mercury products with mercury-free alternatives, the risk of
a mercury spill is greatly reduced. If a spill does occur, it is important
to have a plan to address it. The safest and best way to clean up a mercury
spill is by hiring a licensed professional contractor. When mercury spills
or an item containing mercury breaks, carefully evacuate the area around
the spill and move students to a different room. Mercury and its vapors
are very difficult to remove from clothes, carpet, floors, walls, and
furniture. Keep everyone away from the area to prevent them from inhaling
the mercury, since it can evaporate quickly. Never wear shoes or clothing
that are contaminated with mercury, since it is absorbed in cloth and
easily spread from one place to another. If possible, open windows to
ventilate the spill area to the outdoors. Close the doors and place signs
prohibiting entry on the entrances to the impacted rooms. Contact the
school maintenance personnel to turn off heating, air-conditioning systems
and fans. This will help avoid circulating contaminated air to other rooms.
NEVER clean up a spill with a vacuum cleaner. This contaminates the vacuum
and circulates mercury into the air. Do not use brooms or paintbrushes
to clean up, since mercury will disperse into smaller beads and be harder
to collect.
*information taken from Ohio EPA, Office of Pollution
Prevention http://www.epa.state.oh.us/opp/schoolt1.pdf
 Activity
2 - Case Study of Mercury Contamination in a
School
Purpose
To create an awareness within students that mercury
exposure in schools is occurring and can cause health risks.
Objective
Students will demonstrate their understanding of mercury
issues in schools by discussing a news story.
Materials
- Article from the Detroit Free Press, "Teacher placed
on paid leave after toxic science experiment"
*Note that state-specific case studies are available by clicking on
your state on the national map on the Mercury in Schools web site at
www.mercuryinschools.uwex.edu
- Press release from the Agency for Toxic Substances and
Disease Registry (ATSDR), "ATSDR and EPA Warn The Public About
Continuing Patterns Of Elemental Mercury Exposure"
Procedure
Assign the above article and press release to be read
prior to class. Assign different students to lead the discussion of any
or all of the following questions (and/or questions that you develop for
this activity). This involves preparing a brief introduction for the topic
and facilitating discussion of the question among the other students.
Discussion Questions
- Why should we be concerned about mercury?
- What are some of the symptoms of exposure to mercury?
- Why are young children and fetuses more vulnerable
to mercury exposure than adults?
- What are some of the different ways that we can be
exposed to mercury?
- How does mercury move around in the environment?
- What would you advise your parents to do if they discovered
a broken mercury thermometer in the house?
- What would you do if you
came across a jar of mercury in someone's garbage or in an abandoned
lot?
- What dangers are associated with the use of mercury
as folk medicine or for religious practices?
- What are some of the special properties of mercury
that make it different from other materials?
- Do you think there is mercury in this school? Where?
- Do you think there is mercury in your home? Where?
- Why is it so hard to clean up mercury after it has
spilled?
Article taken from Detroit Free Press:
"Teacher placed on paid leave after toxic science
experiment"
December 4, 2001 1:56 P.M.
|
GRAND LEDGE, Mich. (AP) --A
middle school teacher is on paid leave while district officials
investigate why he allowed students to touch mercury during an experiment.
Up to 27 sixth-grade science students at Hayes Middle
School were directly exposed to the toxic liquid metal while doing
a physical science experiment in teacher Paul Cherry's class last
week, district spokesman Steve Krumm told the Lansing State Journal
for a story Tuesday.
Officials in the Eaton County district about 10 miles
west of Lansing became aware of the exposure Friday and brought
in health officials to assess the health risks.
On Monday, Cherry's classroom was blocked off from
use. Superintendent Marsha Wells issued a news release on the incident
but refused to answer specific questions.
Cherry has declined comment.
Three Barry-Eaton District Health Department employees
worked about 16 hours Friday and Saturday to test for mercury and
advise school officials about what to do, said Jim Rutherford, Barry-Eaton
director of the environmental health division.
Health officials also visited the homes of the teacher
and students to make sure the mercury wasn't spread, he said. A
few book bags and clothing items were collected. "All in all,
it's a fairly contained situation," Rutherford said.
There were two bottles containing mercury in the
classroom, each with less than two tablespoons of mercury, Rutherford
said.
|
"Any amount of mercury can become very harmful
if it is vaporized," he said.
High levels of mercury -- found in old glass thermometers
and fluorescent lights -- can cause kidney failure, central nervous
system damage and even death.
Grand Ledge High School junior Alicia Arritt said
Cherry let her class touch mercury five years ago in a sixth-grade
science class at Grand Ledge's Beagle Middle School.
Cherry held the mercury and told the students then
they could touch it if they wanted to, Alicia said. "He didn't
make it seem dangerous at all," she said. Alicia didn't handle
the mercury.
The district hired Marine Pollution Control, a Detroit-based
environmental health consulting firm, to do the cleanup at Hayes.
Mercury traces were found in the classroom and lockers of five students,
according to the news release. Equipment and furniture are being
replaced in the affected classroom.
Barry-Eaton District Health Department will write
its report on the incident and provide copies for the Michigan Department
of Community Health and Grand Ledge Public Schools, Rutherford said.
By Dec. 31, 2004, Michigan school districts must
remove all instruments containing mercury that are handled by children,
according to recent state law.
"This is great information to go out in the
school system and tell people why we want mercury out of the schools
system," Rutherford said. "It does happen and it will
happen."
|
This can be found online at:
www.atsdr.cdc.gov/alerts/970626.html
|
For more information, contact:
Loretta Bush
ATSDR Office of Policy and External Affairs
(404) 639-0601
e-mail: lob3@cdc.gov |
ATSDR and EPA Warn the Public about Continuing Patterns
of Elemental Mercury Exposure
Elemental (or metallic) mercury is a hazardous chemical
that can cause serious health problems. Children (especially very young
children) and fetuses are most vulnerable. The Agency for Toxic Substances
and Disease Registry (ATSDR), part of the U.S. Public Health Service,
and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are jointly issuing an alert
to the general public. There is a continuing pattern of elemental mercury
exposure in children and teenagers and in persons using certain folk medicines
or participating in certain ethnic or religious practices.
ATSDR and EPA strongly advise against the use of
uncontained elemental liquid mercury (that is, mercury not properly enclosed
in glass as it is in thermometers) in homes, automobiles, day care centers,
schools, offices, and other public buildings.
It is important for the general public to understand
that either short-term or long-term exposures to elemental mercury can
lead to serious health problems. Human exposure to elemental mercury occurs
primarily from breathing contaminated air. Other forms of mercury can
be absorbed by drinking contaminated water, eating food (usually fish
containing mercury), and from skin contact. At high levels, elemental
mercury can effect the nervous system and may harm the developing fetus.
Other forms of mercury can damage other organs. Even at low levels, elemental
mercury can cause health problems. Elemental mercury exposure can cause
harm before symptoms become evident. Once released into the environment,
mercury is very hard to clean up. If it is left unattended where exposures
can occur, it can have dangerous effects on human health.
Incidents involving Schoolchildren
- In recent years, increasing numbers of elemental mercury
spills and contamination involving schoolchildren have been reported.
- In August 1994, more than 500 students in Belle Glade,
Florida, were contaminated with elemental mercury after three children
found 4 jars (totaling 55 pounds) of mercury in an abandoned van. The
local hazardous waste materials team decontaminated the children (removed
contaminated clothing and washed the elemental mercury from their skin).
More than 20 families had to be evacuated while their homes were decontaminated.
- In November 1994, college students at Florida Atlantic
University in Boca Raton, Florida, removed elemental mercury from one
of the school's laboratories. Students living in the dormitory were
evacuated and housed in a local hotel while the dormitory was decontaminated.
- In June 1996, elemental mercury was taken from a middle
school in St. Joseph, Missouri, and used in and outside of school by
a group of teenagers. Approximately 200 children were tested for mercury
exposure; one child was hospitalized and another five underwent outpatient
treatment to remove the mercury from their systems; 20 other children
had mildly elevated mercury levels. Two homes and a car required extensive
decontamination.
- In October 1996, a high school in Oskaloosa. Kansas
and a convalescent home in Johnson County, Kansas, were contaminated
with elemental mercury; 52 students and an unknown number of residents
of the home were tested. On the basis of ATSDR recommendations, the
school was closed for a week until indoor air levels were safe. A month
later, sampling at the school identified an increase in air mercury
concentrations. ATSDR re-evaluated the school and did additional cleanup.
- In November 1996, ATSDR again assisted state health
officials and EPA in evaluating contamination at a high school and a
home in Dallas, Pennsylvania, near Wilkes-Barre. Four areas in the school
had levels of elemental mercury contamination that required cleanup.
- In March 1997, a middle school student on his way to
school found elemental mercury on the street in front of his home in
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The student took the mercury to school
and shared it with three to four classmates. Also, in March 1997 a broken
mercury thermometer was discovered after school on the floor of a bathroom
stall in the boys' bathroom. One thermometer was confirmed missing from
the science department's inventory. The school was found to be clear
of contamination with the exception of one science laboratory and the
carpet in a classroom. Two homes required decontamination.
Schoolteachers, particularly science teachers, and administrators
need to be aware of students' interest in mercury, especially elemental
mercury, and take steps to ensure that children are aware of its dangers
and that any mercury kept in school is safely and securely contained.
Incidents involving religious practices
Persons who use elemental mercury in ethnic folk medicine
and for religious practices are at risk. Elemental mercury is sold under
the name "azogue" in stores (sometimes called botanicas), which
specialize in religious items used in Esperitismo (a spiritual belief
system native to Puerto Rico), Santeria (a Cuban-based religion that venerates
both African deities and Catholic saints), and voodoo.
The use of azogue in religious practices is recommended
in some Hispanic communities by family members, spiritualists, card readers,
and santeros. Typically, azogue is carried on one's person in a sealed
pouch prepared by a spiritual leader or sprinkled in the home or automobile.
Some botanica owners suggest mixing it in bath water or perfume and placing
it in devotional candles.
General facts
The following are general facts about elemental mercury
and its risks, as well as information about how people can protect themselves
from exposure and resulting health effects.
What is mercury and how is it used?
Mercury occurs naturally in the environment in several
forms. Elemental mercury is the liquid form used in thermometers. Mercury
is also used in other common consumer products such as fluorescent light
bulbs, barometers, medical equipment such as blood pressure measurement
instruments, and mercury switches in children's sneakers that light up.
This alert concentrates on elemental mercury, but hazards are also associated
with other types. Of these, the most common is methylmercury contamination
of fish.
How could I be exposed to mercury?
In the previously described school-associated cases,
children were unaware of the dangers involved in exposing themselves and
their families to this deadly poison. Adults are also often unaware of
the hazards associated with mercury; some have even brought it home from
work for children to play with. Just one-half teaspoon of mercury spilled
in the home can be dangerous.
Adults using certain folk medicines or participating in
certain religious or ethnic practices may also expose themselves and their
families to elemental mercury's effects. Because elemental mercury vaporizes
into the air at room temperatures, it presents an immediate health risk
to anyone spending a significant amount of time in a room where elemental
mercury is sprinkled or spilled onto the floor, or where opened containers
of elemental mercury are present. Very small amounts of elemental mercury
(for example, a few drops) can raise air concentrations to levels that
may be harmful to health.
How does mercury affect health?
At high levels, elemental mercury can cause effects
on the nervous system and the developing fetus. Other forms of mercury
can damage other organs. Even at low levels, elemental mercury can cause
health problems. Mercury exposure can begin to cause harm before symptoms
become evident. Once symptoms do arise, health problems related to elemental
mercury poisoning can include tremors, changes in vision or hearing, insomnia,
weakness, difficulty with memory, headache, irritability, shyness and
nervousness, and a health condition called acrodynia. Acrodynia, which
results from acute and/or intermediate duration dermal exposures to elemental
mercury, is characterized by itching, swelling, and flushing; pink-colored
palms and soles of the feet; excessive perspiration; rashes; irritability;
fretfulness; sleeplessness; joint pains and weakness. Children exposed
to elemental mercury for long periods may have trouble learning in school.
Exposure to mercury can result in communication and learning disabilities
that may be irreversible. Pregnant women and their fetuses and women of
childbearing age are especially vulnerable to the toxic effects of elemental
mercury because it readily passes from the mother to the fetus. Mercury
may accumulate in higher concentrations in the unborn baby than in the
mother. Young children, who often play on the floor where metallic mercury
may have been spilled, are particularly at risk for effects on the central
nervous system. Mercury vapors are readily absorbed into the bloodstream
from the lungs, and the human central nervous system, which is still developing
during the first few years of life, may be damaged.
Health effects can result from short-term or long-term
exposure. The body gets rid of mercury through the urine and feces. Removal
of this substance from the body can take up to several months after exposure.
When mercury levels in the body are extremely high, "chelation"
therapy is necessary. Chelation therapy is an unpleasant treatment that
involves putting a chemical into the bloodstream; the chemical combines
with the mercury to aid in its removal from the body. Prevention is
the key to avoiding poisoning in homes, schools, and families.
What is mercury contamination and how can I prevent
it?
Mercury contamination results from exposure through
the air, water, food, soil, or direct contact. Exposure to elemental mercury
occurs when it is not stored in a closed container. Contamination may
include the spilling of elemental mercury on clothes, furniture, carpet,
floors, walls, the natural environment, and even the human body. Elemental
mercury and its vapors are extremely difficult to remove from such items
as clothes, furniture, carpet, floors, and walls. The vapors will also
accumulate in walls and other structures in contaminated rooms. The contamination
can remain for months or years, posing a risk to exposed individuals.
The use of elemental mercury in a home or apartment not only poses a threat
to persons currently residing in that structure, but also to those who
subsequently occupy that dwelling and are unaware of the past mercury
use.
Avoid using elemental mercury. Appropriate substitutes
are available for nearly all uses of elemental mercury. Therefore, be
sure you need to use it. If substitutes are not available, make arrangements
to safely dispose of whatever elemental mercury you might have by calling
your local poison control center. If you do need to use elemental mercury,
make sure it is safely stored in a leakproof container. Keep it in a secure
space (e.g., a locked closet) so that others cannot easily get it. Use
of elemental mercury in a controlled environment helps to reduce the risk
that contamination will occur.
Can I clean up mercury with a vacuum cleaner?
Never use a vacuum
cleaner. Using a vacuum cleaner causes elemental mercury to vaporize in
the air, creating greater health risks. It also ruins the vacuum cleaner.
Can electronic equipment collect mercury vapors?
Elemental mercury vapors can accumulate in electronic
equipment, especially computers. When the computer is turned on, the mercury
revaporizes. This cycle of elemental mercury collecting and vaporizing
from computers has been seen in several incidents in schools.
Mercury vapors are very dangerous and are virtually undetectable.
Avoid breathing mercury dust, vapor, mist, or gas. Avoid contact with
eyes, skin, and clothing. If you feel you have been exposed directly to
elemental mercury, wash thoroughly after handling. Remove contaminated
clothing and wash before reuse. If someone has breathed in mercury, provide
as much clean air as possible.
What should I do to keep my home safe?
Care must be taken in handling and disposing of all
items in the home that contain elemental mercury. Elemental mercury is
used in a variety of household and industrial items including thermostats,
fluorescent light bulbs, barometers, glass thermometers, and some blood
pressure machines.
Example
If a thermometer breaks, remove children from the
area. Clean up the bead of elemental mercury by carefully rolling it onto
a sheet of paper or sucking it up with an eye dropper. After picking up
the mercury, put it into a jar or airtight container. Do not wash it
down the drain or throw it outside. The paper or eye dropper should
also be bagged and disposed of properly according to guidance provided
by environmental officials or your local health department. Try to ventilate
the room to the outside and close off from the rest of the home. Use fans
for a minimum of one hour to speed the ventilation. If larger amounts
of elemental mercury are found (for example, a jar), make sure that the
mercury is in an airtight container and call your local health department
for instructions in how to safety dispose of it. If a larger amount is
spilled, leave the area and contact your local health department and fire
authorities. Do not simply throw it away, but instead seek professional
guidance from environmental officials or your local health department.
Important Telephone Numbers
 |
? Agency for Toxic Substances and
Disease Registry (ATSDR) Emergency Response
? Hotline (24 hours): (404) 639-0615
? National Response Center: 1-800-424-8802
? Superfund Information Hotline: 1-800-424-9346
? You may also call your local health department |
Activity 3 - School Mercury
Audit
Now it is time to conduct a Hg school audit!!
Purpose
Schools are places where mercury and children may come
together. They are also places where we can model appropriate health and
environmental protection behaviors. Lastly, schools can also be catalysts
for reducing mercury in homes of their students (and staff.)
Objectives
- Involve students in a meaningful,
real-life opportunity to do something about an environmental problem
at their school.
- Reduce or eliminate opportunities for students and
staff to come in contact with mercury.
- Prevent the release of mercury into the environment
from mercury or mercury-containing devices at school, by properly disposing
of Hg.
Materials
- "Mercury At School: Where To Look And What To Look
For", information about conducting a school mercury audit.
- Copies of Mercury Audit Checklist (one per team)
Procedure
- Obtain approval from your principal.
- Discuss the audit with your school's engineering and/or
janitorial staff.
- Introduce the topic of mercury to the class, using
any or all of the materials included in the Focus
on Mercury section of this package.
- Hand out copies of "Mercury at School: Where To
Look And What To Look For" to students and ask them to review it
ahead of time.
- Divide your school or classroom up and assign research
teams to cover specific areas. (Obtaining the building blueprint would
be very helpful but is not necessary.)
- Now have the students develop an audit "plan,"
i.e. what will they look for, who will they talk to, and what will they
ask? They may wish to map the locations of mercury or suspected locations.
- Conduct the audit using the mercury audit form or a
form designed by
the students.
- Have students discuss the results with the principal,
science teachers, school nurse, and engineering and/or janitorial staff.
Make recommendations for safely recycling mercury and replacing mercury-containing
products or equipment, as appropriate.
Mercury at School: Where to Look
and What to Look For
Science, Chemistry, Physics and Biology Classrooms
Check for: pure
mercury, mercury compounds, thermometers, barometers, or other devices
that may contain mercury
Why?: Mercury and mercury compounds
were used in various experiments. They may or may not be used now, but
they may still be in the cabinet or chemical closet. Mercury thermometers,
barometers, or other mercury containing devices may be used in science,
chemistry, biology and physics classes.
Alternatives: Other chemicals
can be used in class experiments to illustrate science or chemistry principles.
Alcohol or electronic thermometers are readily available and sufficiently
accurate.
Who to Talk to: Chemistry and
other science teachers
 Questions
to Ask:
(1) Are mercury or mercury compounds currently used in class?
(2) If they are being used, could other chemicals replace them?
(3) Do you know if these have been used in the past in science classes
in this school?
(4) Are these being stored in a closet, cabinet or elsewhere
(5) How many mercury thermometers or
other mercury devices are in the classroom?
(6) Have you ever experienced a spill of mercury or a broken thermometer
in your class room?
(7) Is a spill kit readily available, if a spill occurs?
(8) Are you familiar with the proper spill control procedures for mercury?
Possible Actions: Make sure
any mercury, mercury compounds, or thermometers are in non-breakable containers.
These should all be collected by school engineering and/or janitorial
staff, held in a safe, secured area prior to recycling them.
Your school should not wait for mercury thermometers
to break before replacing them with non-mercury alternatives. If a barometer
is to be retained, make sure it is protected by a Plexiglas or similar
enclosure. If mercury thermometers or barometers will not be replaced
at this time, obtain spill kits for the science classrooms and storage
rooms. Make sure that at least several staff people are trained in proper
spill control procedures.
Nurse's Office
Check for: thermometers,
blood pressure measuring device(sphygmomanometer), nasal spray and contact
lens solution
Why?: Mercury thermometers are used to check for
fever. Sphygmomanometers can contain up to several pounds of mercury.
Nasal spray and contact lens solution may contain thimerosal (an ingredient
that has mercury in it), phenylmercuric acetate or phenylmercuric nitrate.
Alternatives: Alcohol or electronic thermometers
are readily available.
Aneroid blood pressure devices are just as effective as the mercury versions.
Many brands of nasal spray and contact lens solution do not contain mercury,
however the labels do not always indicate which ones are mercury free.
Who to Talk to: School Nurse
Questions to Ask:
(1) How many mercury thermometers are in the nurse's office?
(2) Have you ever experienced a broken thermometer?
(3) Is a spill kit readily available, if a spill occurs?
(4) Are you familiar with the proper spill control procedures for mercury?
(5) Do you use a sphygmomanometer? If yes, have you considered replacing
it with an aneroid blood pressure device that does not contain mercury?
(6) Do you stock nasal spray or contact lens solution?
If yes, have you contacted the manufacturer to make sure they do not contain
mercury?
Possible Actions:
Make sure mercury thermometers are in non-breakable containers.
These should all be collected by school engineering or janitorial staff
and held in a safe, secured area prior to recycling them.
Do not wait for mercury thermometers to break before replacing them with
alcohol or electronic alternatives.
Replace sphygmomanometers with aneroid blood pressure devices.
If mercury thermometers or sphygmomanometers will not be replaced at this
time, obtain a spill kit for the nurse's office. Make sure that the nurse(s)
are trained in proper spill control procedures.
Use up existing stock of nasal spray or contact lens solution containing
mercury and then purchase mercury-free alternatives.
Electrical And Heating Equipment
Check for: thermostats, "silent" light
switches and recycling of fluorescent light bulbs
Why?: Thermostats are used to control the temperature
in buildings. Approximately 75% of thermostats in use today contain mercury.
Many "silent" light switches contain mercury. Each fluorescent
tube in overhead lighting fixtures contains a minute amount of mercury.
However, your school probably uses a large number of these fluorescent
bulbs throughout the building, so the total amount of mercury can be significant.
Alternatives: Electronic thermostats and non-mercury
switches are widely available. Fluorescent bulbs should be recycled, rather
than thrown out.
Who to Talk to: School engineering or janitorial
staff
 Questions
to Ask:
(1) How many thermostats and "silent" light switches are there
in your school building?
(2) How many of these contain mercury?
(3) How are used fluorescent bulbs managed? Are they recycled
or thrown out in the trash?
(4) If they are recycled, how and where are they stored
before they are taken from the building for recycling? How are they protected
to avoid breaking them?
Possible Actions:
Place stickers (designed by the students) on any mercury thermostats or
silent switches that indicate:
(1) This device contains mercury.
(2) When this device is disposed of, the mercury should be recycled.
(3) When purchasing a replacement, a mercury-free model should be chosen.
Notify the purchasing department to try to get mercury-free
thermostats or light switches when purchasing replacements. Many HVAC
contractors will recycle mercury thermostats.
Your school should recycle used fluorescent bulbs
by replacing them in their original box in a safe, secure storage area
until they are picked up by a recycling contractor.
Fluorescent & High-Intensity Discharge (HID)
Lamps
 Which
Lamps Contain Mercury?
o fluorescent lamps
o mercury vapor lamps
o metal halide lamps
o high-pressure sodium lamps
o neon lamps
Why Use Fluorescent and HID Lighting?
Fluorescent and HID lighting is an excellent business and environmental
choice because it can use up to 50 percent less electricity than incandescent
lighting. However, used fluorescent and HID lamps must be managed properly
because they contain mercury.
How Do I Dispose of the Lamps?
- Store lamps in an area and in a way that will prevent
them from breaking, such as in boxes the lamps came in or boxes supplied
by lamp recyclers.
- Mark the lamp storage area with the words "Fluorescent
lamps for recycling."
- Do not break or crush lamps because mercury may be
released.
- If lamps are accidentally broken, store them in a sealed
container. Pick up spilled powder and add it to the
sealed container.
- Take lamps to a consolidation site* or arrange
with a lamp transporter to pick them up. Contact your city, county or
state environmental office or solid waste office for services available
in your area. To protect yourself from future liability, save the invoices
that track your used lamps and include the following information:
- the date of shipment
- the number of lamps
- the location from where the lamps are being shipped
- the destination of the shipment
*These services may not be available in your area.
Mercury Audit: Assessment
Checklist for Schools
| Science, Chemistry, Physics, Biology
Rooms |
|
Item
|
No
|
Yes
|
Use?
|
How Many/ How Much?
|
Location?
|
| Elemental Mercury |
|
|
|
|
|
| Mercury Thermometers |
|
|
|
|
|
| Mercury Barometers |
|
|
|
|
|
| Mercury Vacuum Gauges |
|
|
|
|
|
| Hg Spectral Tubes |
|
|
|
|
|
| Mercury Molecular Motion Device |
|
|
|
|
|
| Mercury Sling Psychrometer |
|
|
|
|
|
| Mercury Compounds |
|
|
|
|
|
Mercury oxide
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mercury (II) chloride
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mercury (II) sulfate
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mercury nitrate
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mercury iodine
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Zenker's Solution |
|
|
|
|
|
| Other Mercury Materials |
|
|
|
|
|
| Nurse's Office/Medical |
|
Item
|
No
|
Yes
|
Use?
|
How Many/ How Much?
|
Location?
|
| Mercury Fever Thermometers |
|
|
|
|
|
| Sphygmomanometers (Blood Pressure Devices) - with silver
liquid |
|
|
|
|
|
| Nasal Spray |
|
|
|
|
|
| Contact lens solution |
|
|
|
|
|
| Facilities |
|
Item
|
No
|
Yes
|
Use?
|
How Many/ How Much?
|
Location?
|
| Fluorescent Lamps |
|
|
|
|
|
| Mercury Thermostats |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mercury Vapor Lamps, Metal Halide Lamps, High-Pressure Vapor Sodium
Lamps
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Mercury Gauges |
|
|
|
|
|
| "Silent" Light Switches |
|
|
|
|
|
| Mercury Float Control Switches (e.g. on Sump Pumps) |
|
|
|
|
|
| Flow Meters with Mercury Switches |
|
|
|
|
|
| Other equipment with mercury switches |
|
|
|
|
|
| Older fungicides and pesticides (prior to 1991) |
|
|
|
|
|
| Other |
|
Item
|
No
|
Yes
|
Use?
|
How Many/ How Much?
|
Location?
|
| Mercury Cooking Thermometer |
|
|
|
|
|
| True Vermillion Paint (contains mercuric sulfide) |
|
|
|
|
|
| Cadmium Vermillion Red |
|
|
|
|
|
| Mercury Oxide/Mercury Zinc Batteries (old alkaline type,
prior to 1996 and button batteries) |
|
|
|
|
|
*form attained from newmoa.com at http://www.newmoa.org/Newmoa/htdocs/prevention/mercury/schools/checklist.cfm
|
Mercury
has been used for thousands of years for a wide variety
of purposes. Historical uses, which are no longer prevalent,
include: preparing felt for hats, controlling mildew
in paints, killing weeds as a component of herbicides,
and various medical uses-teething powder, antiseptic
ointments and syphilis treatment. It's toxic effects
on workers in hat factories in the late 1800's led to
the term "mad as a hatter." Mercury is still
used for folk medicine and ceremonial purposes in several
cultures.
