Mercury, the only metal that is a liquid at room temperatures, has been put to use in many products. From thermometers to thermostats, from switches that turn on the lights in house to switches in automobile hoods and trunks, from blood pressure devices to medicines, from hearing aid batteries to fluorescent lamps, mercury has been added to these and other products.
But besides being useful, mercury is also a very toxic material that can cause great harm to plants, animals and people when it escapes into the environment. In people, kidney, nerve and brain damage can result from exposure to mercury. The term "Mad Hatter" is based on the mercury induced health problems of workers in the hat making industry, when mercury was used in the production process. Probably best known to many people is the buildup of methyl mercury in fish, which has resulted in fish consumption advisories being issued for all water bodies in Wisconsin. Less well known are situations where mercury has been spilled at schools, in school buses and in homes, where clean up costs have been over $200,000 for even just a few ounces of mercury.
For almost all products that contain mercury, there are readily available, economical and equivalent mercury free products. For example, rather than buying a mercury containing thermometer, a digital thermometer can be used. Mercury thermostats can be replaced with programmable thermostats. Hospitals are replacing blood pressure devices and other mercury containing products with non-mercury devices. And hearing aid batteries have now become virtually mercury free. Local and state governments have adopted legislation to ban or limit the use of mercury in products. In Wisconsin, a bill to ban the sale of mercury fever thermometers is expected to be introduced at the state level; already, at least a dozen local units of government have adopted similar ordinances.
In addition to avoiding mercury-containing products, consumers should also recycle those items that contain mercury, including fluorescent lamps. Retailers and community solid waste and recycling staff can provide information on local options for recycling mercury containing products. In some communities, retailers have set up take-back programs for the mercury containing products that they sell. In other communities, there may be a Clean Sweep center that will take these products for either free or a small fee. And throughout the state, there are also private firms that collect mercury containing products for recycling.
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