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Consumer Products and Recycling John Rogers

Consumer Products and Recycling John Rogers. Mercury is in the Home. Mercury is in the Home. Thermostats 46.7% Dental Amalgams 21.0% Light Switches 14.1% Auto switches 4.7% Thermometers 4.7% Appliances switches 2.4% Batteries 0.6% Fluorescent Lights 0.5%. Mercury is in Schools.

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Consumer Products and Recycling John Rogers

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  1. Consumer Products and Recycling John Rogers

  2. Mercury is in the Home

  3. Mercury is in the Home • Thermostats 46.7% • Dental Amalgams 21.0% • Light Switches 14.1% • Auto switches 4.7% • Thermometers 4.7% • Appliances switches 2.4% • Batteries 0.6% • Fluorescent Lights 0.5%

  4. Mercury is in Schools • Lamps • Thermostats • Laboratory store rooms in jars • Chemistry classroom p-traps • Laboratory thermometers • Nurses offices in thermometers and Sphygmomanometers (blood pressure devices) • Switches • Barometers and manometers

  5. Mercury is in Hospitals • Fever Thermometers • Laboratory Thermometers • Sphygmomanometers • Gastroenterology instruments (Cantor and Miller Abbot tubes) • Non-Clinical barometers, repair kits, switches. • Other (thermostats, manometers, lamps)

  6. Thermometers • Contains about ½ gram of mercury. • Small portion of total mercury but often improperly disposed. • Broken thermometers in red bags may be incinerated. • Most common source of mercury spills • Most patient and staff device contact • Alternatives available

  7. Sphygmomanometers • Contain 70-90 grams of mercury • Located in heavy use areas where there is high exposure potential • Often contains the largest amount of mercury in one device • Can be inaccurate without regular maintenance • Alternatives readily available

  8. Gastroenterology Instruments • Second largest concentration • FDA- 58 incidents where tubes broke and released mercury inside patients (1991 to 2000) • Alternatives available. Tungsten weighted just as effective and are opaque on x-rays

  9. Sphygmomanometers and gastroenterology instruments can be as high as 90% of the elemental mercury in a hospital.

  10. Mercury is in Automobiles • Convenience Lighting Switches • ABS Sensor • Instrument lights • Family entertainment system • Hood and trunk • Navigational display (option)

  11. Other Mercury Products • Weather stations (amateur & professional) • Laboratories • Medical, Dental & Veterinary Offices • Flow meters • Plumbers • Gas metering • Dairies

  12. Consumer Products Safety Commission • Oversees compliance with mercury labeling requirements. • Issued 135 Consumer Safety Alerts • Requires consumer sales of mercury to be properly labeled properly labeled. • the sale of mercury for household use is not recommended by the CPSC.

  13. For more information regarding mercury in consumer products and recycling please contact: John Rogers john.rogers@la.gov (225) 219-3266 (800) 305-6621

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