MERCURY
Mercury, a metal which occurs in the earth's crust, exists as a liquid at room
temperature. It can be found in organic and inorganic compounds and in a variety
of products, such as thermometers, batteries, eye preparations to inhibit growth
of germs, eye makeup, mildew proof latex paint, fluorescent light bulbs, and a
pesticide coating on the seeds of many grains.
Mercury is dangerous if inhaled, if absorbed through the skin, or if it enters
through any part of the body. It can cause a variety of symptoms including
chronic inflammation of mouth and gums, personality change, nervousness, fever,
or a rash. Mercury accumulates in the food chain and can be toxic to higher
order animals that consume mercury-tainted plants or animals.
To avoid accidental mercury poisoning in your home, follow these tips.
- Never touch mercury.
- Seed grain is commonly coated with organic pesticides containing mercury
compounds to protect against harmful microorganisms. Never feed mercury-coated
grain to livestock or use it as a source of food to be eaten direct or ground
for flour.
- Be careful when you use exterior latex paint which is
mildew-proof. It is easy to think that all latex paints are
"safe" and become less careful than you should be abo
getting it on your skin or ingesting it (see the section on
Paint).
- If you break a small fever thermometer, the broken glass and loose mercury
can be vacuumed up with a plastic nozzle attachment for the vacuum cleaner.
Do not use the beater-bar attachment on your
vacuum cleaner because it can break up the mercury into small pieces and
contaminate the vacuum cleaner. Immediately and carefully place the contaminated
vacuum cleaner bag into the trash destined for the landfill. Although
mercury should not be sent to the landfill, there no better solution to deal
with broken thermometers at present.
- Unwanted mercury and mercury-containing products must be disposed of
through a licensed hazardous waste handler or through a professional household
hazardous waste collection.
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