Special Topic - Mercury
Your home is no place for it.
Mercury is found in glass fever thermometers, some
thermostats, and fluorescent lamps. Mercury is a poison that is especially
harmful to babies, small children, and pregnant or nursing women.
Broken mercury thermometer? Broken fluorescent bulb?
Do not put it in the garbage. For what to do next, call
Anoka County Integrated Waste Management at (763) 323-5730, Mon – Fri, 8
a.m. – 4:30 p.m. or see
Cleaning up spilled mercury in the home (an Adobe Acrobat file on the
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Web site).
Questions about other items containing mercury? Call Anoka
County Integrated Waste Management at (763) 323-5730, Mon – Fri, 8 a.m. –
4:30 p.m.
How to identify a mercury fever thermometer
Mercury fever thermometers are glass and have about the same diameter as
a drinking straw. The liquid inside appears black or silvery gray. This
liquid is mercury.
Don’t put mercury in the garbage or down the drain!
Do not put mercury in the garbage or pour it down the drain, in the
sewer, or on the ground. If you no longer want items with mercury in your
home, do not throw them in the garbage. In Minnesota, it is illegal to put
mercury in the garbage (Minnesota Statutes § 115A.932).
Take household items that contain mercury to the
Anoka County Household Hazardous Waste
Facility
Anoka County residents may drop off mercury thermometers, mercury
thermostats, or other household hazardous waste at no charge. Fluorescent
lamps are not accepted. (For locations that accept fluorescent lamps, see
Fluorescent Bulbs
in our recycling directory.)
Transport your mercury thermometer in its original case or in a rigid
container to avoid breakage. If you don’t have the case or a rigid
container, put the thermometer in a small plastic bag.
Recycle fluorescent lamps
Do not put used or broken fluorescent lamps in the garbage. In Minnesota,
it is illegal to put an intact or broken fluorescent lamp in the garbage
(Minnesota Statutes § 115A.932).
To find out where to recycle fluorescent lamps, see
Fluorescent Bulbs in our recycling
directory.
Why be concerned about mercury?
Mercury is a nerve toxin that affects the brain and spinal cord. It is
especially dangerous when mercury vapor is inhaled.
Mercury is particularly toxic to the developing nervous system of a fetus
or young child. Having a mercury fever thermometer in your home can be a
potential risk to the health of your family and community. If mercury
spills from a thermometer and is not cleaned up properly, it evaporates and
could reach dangerous levels in indoor air. It is very difficult to clean
up spilled mercury completely.
Mercury in the air will fall with rain into lakes and streams. It is
converted to methyl mercury in the environment. Once it is in the water,
methyl mercury may build up in the tissues of humans and animals, including
certain types of fish. When fish consumption advisories are not followed,
eating mercury-contaminated fish can lead to mercury poisoning.
Minnesota retailers can no longer sell mercury fever thermometers
(Minnesota Statutes § 116.92).
It’s in your hands: You can help keep mercury out of your home, the air
we breathe, our lakes and streams, and the fish we eat.
Anoka County Integrated Waste Management
Government Center
2100 Third Avenue, Room 340
Anoka, MN 55303-2265
Phone: (763) 323-5730 | Fax: (763) 323-5731 | E-mail:
use the Contact Us page