Rod R. Blagojevich, Governor |
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Illinois EPA
MercuryMercury is a naturally occurring element that is a silver-colored liquid at room temperature. It is sometimes referred to as a "heavy metal". Historically, mercury has been valued for its ability to:
Because of these diverse properties, mercury has been used in a large number of household, commercial, medical and industrial applications, including:
While mercury use in the United States has declined, the U. S. Environmental
Protection Agency estimates that manufacturers use 500 - 600 metric tons
of mercury annually as part of their production processes or to create
products that rely on mercury's chemical and physical properties. |
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