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Fact Sheet
May 2008
Mercury Alert for Plumbing, Heating and Cooling Contractors Association
INTRODUCTION
This fact sheet was created to address issues with elemental mercury only. Mercury exists in three forms: elemental or metallic mercury, inorganic mercury compounds, and organic mercury compounds.
Sometimes referred to as quicksilver, elemental or metallic mercury is a shiny, silver-white metal and is liquid at room temperature. When dropped, elemental mercury breaks into smaller droplets, which can go through small cracks or become strongly attached to certain materials.
This is the first of a series of four fact sheets on mercury. EPA will be offering informational fact sheets on thermostats, heat generators, and gas regulators in an attempt to prevent mercury releases from occurring and to alert you to the potential health risks and liability issues related to a mercury release.
BACKGROUND
Over the past several years, an increasing number of residential mercury releases have been reported to the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7, which includes the states of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. Mercury releases have occurred from mercury pressure gauges, some types of home thermostats, and mercury gas regulators found in some styles of older gas meters.
Other mercury releases, which required significant cleanup efforts, resulted from plumbers working on old boiler-style heating systems such as the Honeywell heat generator. These plumbers (perhaps unfamiliar with these systems and the harmful effects of mercury) had been hired to repair an existing system or replace the old system with a newer one. Real estate agents, home inspectors, plumbers, contractors or anyone else who encounters the Honeywell heat generator in a home should be aware that the unit contains a large quantity of mercury – a hazardous material.
MERCURY CLEANUPS
EPA's response to mercury releases in homes has consisted of relocating the residents and providing temporary housing, gathering visible mercury with a special vacuum, and heating and ventilating the house to drive off the harmful mercury vapors. In some instances, walls, carpeting and floors of houses have had to be removed because they were grossly contaminated. Personal possessions have also been discarded if they became contaminated and the mercury could not be removed. Much of this contaminated material had to be sent to a special landfill or recycler at a substantial cost to EPA. Often mercury has been spread from the original release location into vehicles and other homes via shoes, clothing and the transfer of personal property and cleaning supplies. In Region 7, the cost of cleaning up contamination resulting from mercury releases from a mercury thermostat or mercury heat generator has ranged from $5,000 to $300,000 per release.
LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS
Section 104 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980 as amended, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 9604 (also known as the Superfund law), gives EPA the legal authority to respond to mercury releases. The Superfund law also gives EPA the authority to identify the party responsible for the release, order those who improperly handle mercury to take appropriate response, and/or compel them to pay for a cleanup.
CERCLA also requires that any release amount above the quantity of one pound – one pound of mercury is approximately two tablespoons – must be reported to the National Response Center at (800) 424-8802.
The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act requires that any release of mercury greater than one pound be reported to the local emergency planning committee, state emergency response commission, or local response personnel by the owner/operator.
HUMAN HEALTH EFFECTS OF MERCURY
Mercury releases present a serious environmental and health problem. Inhaling mercury vapors – which are colorless and odorless – can cause irreversible damage to the brain and kidneys. The relatively small quantity of mercury found in a common medical thermometer (approximately one gram) has the potential to cause adverse health effects if released and not cleaned up appropriately.
The central nervous system, eyes and respiratory system can also be affected by mercury. Developing fetuses and children are the most sensitive to mercury exposure. Mercury exposure can be detected in the body through blood and urine tests.
Mercury can also enter the body through contact with the skin (absorption) or by swallowing (ingestion), although these two routes of exposure are considered less harmful than inhalation with respect to mercury.
If released in a business or home, mercury can pose a danger to people if not properly cleaned up and removed. If not quickly and properly cleaned up and removed, it can easily spread by walking (tracking), sweeping or vacuuming, thereby presenting a potential health threat to occupants and others. Tracking throughout a building or into automobiles has spread mercury contamination to many other locations in many instances.
Health impacts will increase over time if the mercury is not properly removed. Mercury vapors are heavier than air and tend to remain near the floor or mercury source, but can get into the ventilation system and be spread throughout a house or business. Indoors, mercury vapors will accumulate in the air. People can absorb mercury into their bodies when they breathe the vapors. If mercury is released in a home, exposure to mercury vapors can be a concern, especially for young children and stay-at-home women who are or could become pregnant because of the amount of time spent in the home. Also, children five years of age and younger are considered to be particularly sensitive to the effects of mercury on the nervous system since their central nervous system is still developing. When pregnant women are exposed to mercury, the mercury can pass from the mother's body to the developing fetus; it can also be passed to a nursing infant through breast milk.
WHO TO CONTACT
If you have health questions related to mercury, please contact the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry at (913) 551-1310, or the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit Poison Control Center at (800) 421-9916.
You should contact your physician to be tested for mercury if you or others have been exposed.
In case of an emergency, please contact EPA's emergency spill phone at (913) 281-0991.
If you know of a mercury release that has occurred that was not cleaned up properly, or if you have questions regarding the proper disposal of mercury, please call the number in your area.
EMERGENCY MERCURY SPILLS
Iowa |
515-281-8694 |
Kansas |
785-296-1679 |
Missouri |
573-634-2436 |
Nebraska |
402-326-0231 |
MERCURY DISPOSAL QUESTIONS
Iowa |
515-281-8694 |
Kansas |
785-296-1600 |
Missouri |
573-634-2436 |
Nebraska |
402-326-0231 |
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
For additional information on mercury and mercury releases visit our web site at:
www.epa.gov/mercury/spills/index.htm
Also, there is a recycling program established specifically for thermostats.
For more information visit our web site at:
http://www.nema.org/gov/ehs/trc/
