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Wastewater Treatment Plants 602 DRAFT WISCONSIN MERCURY SOURCEBOOK: WASTEWATER PLANTS ▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼ MERCURY USE: Table of Contents 1 A Component in Equipment ...............602 WASTEWATER About this Handout .............................. 603 Why Should I Be Concerned About Mercury? .............................................. 604 TREATMENT PLANTS Mercury Product Focus: Batteries ..... 606 Mercury Product Focus: Detergents & Mercury is Potentially Used or Released at Wastewater Cleaners ............................................... 608 Treatment Plants in Three Different Areas: Mercury Product Focus: Gauges - Manometers, Barometers, and Vacuum 1 A component in equipment (e.g., switches, gauges, thermometers) Gauges ................................................. 609 Mercury Product Focus: Lamps ........ 609 2 An ingredient in chemicals or laboratory chemicals (e.g., thimerosal) Mercury Product Focus: Switches and Relays ................................................... 611 3 A contaminant in treatment chemicals (eg., ferric chloride) Mercury Switches in Electrical Applications ......................................... 612 Mercury Product Focus: Thermo-electric Devices ................................................. 613 Mercury Product Focus: Thermometers ...................................... 613 ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Mercury Product Focus: Thermostat Probes .................................................. 613 2 Mercury as an Ingredient in Chemicals A COMPONENT IN or Laboratory Chemicals .................... 614 Mercury-Containing Chemicals and EQUIPMENT Alternatives .......................................... 614 Work by The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority ............................. 615 1✔ Batteries 3 A Contaminant in Raw Materials .......617 ✔ Cleaning solutions Chlorine Production & the Mercury Cell Process .......................................................617 ✔ Gauges and manometers Ferric Chloride .................................... 617 ✔ Other Concerns at Wastewater Treatment Fluorescent lamps Plants .................................................... 618 ✔ Specialty lamps Does Mercury Methylate in Wastewater Treatment Plant Processes? ................ 618 ✔ Switches, relays, and sensors Mass Balance Studies .......................... 619 ✔ Thermometers Mercury Spills ...................................... 620 Action Steps for Wastewater Treatment ✔ Thermoelectric devices Plants to Consider ............................... 621 ✔ Thermostat probes Sample Proclamation .......................... 623 Bibliography ........................................ 625 Current Mercury Work ....................... 627 WLSSD Mercury Plant Balance .......... 629 DRAFT WISCONSIN MERCURY SOURCEBOOK: WASTEWATER PLANTS 603 ▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼ ABOUT THIS HANDOUT This is one chapter of the “Wisconsin Mercury SourceBook.” The Sourcebook was written as a guide for communities to help identify and reduce the purposeful use of mercury. The SourceBook contains background information on mercury contamination and provides a seven-step outline for drafting a mercury reduction plan. This handout is one of the nineteen sectors that were highlighted in the SourceBook as a potential contributor of mercury in any given community. What you will find in this handout: « Information on mercury-containing products and that are unique to wastewater treatment plants « Information on mercury-containing products that are found both in wastewater treatment plants and in a wide variety of other sectors (e.g., fluorescent lamps, switches) « Case studies that describe the source substitution experiences of other wastewater treatment plants « Action ideas that describe pollution prevention, recycling, and management practices for a mercury reduction plan for a wastewater treatment plant. This provides a good overview of the types of mercury-containing products and alternatives that may exist in wastewater treatment plants. « A sample proclamation that explains the mercury issue and possible mercury minimization options for a wastewater treatment plant « Current mercury projects in this sector For more information, please contact: 604 DRAFT WISCONSIN MERCURY SOURCEBOOK: WASTEWATER PLANTS ▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼ WHY SHOULD I BE CONCERNED ABOUT MERCURY? HEALTH EFFECTS OF ELEMENTAL MERCURY Some of you may remember playing with mercury when you were a The toxicity of mercury has long child. Its silvery white shimmer was entrancing, and the ability of its been known to humans. Hat glistening mass to split and come back together again was magical. makers during the 19th century But scientists are now beginning to realize that there is another side developed symptoms of shaking to mercury’s wily nature. In fact, it is some of mercury’s most and slurring of speech from elemental qualities that make it a difficult substance to handle. exposure to large amounts of inorganic mercury, which was Mercury is a common element that is found naturally in a free state used to give a metallic sheen to or mixed in ores. It also may be present in rocks or released during felt hats. This gave rise to the volcanic activity. However, most of the mercury that enters the term “mad as a hatter.” environment in Wisconsin comes from human uses. The hat makers were suffering Because mercury is very dense, expands and contracts evenly with from neurological damage from temperature changes, and has high electrical conductivity, it has been the inhalation of mercury fumes. used in thousands of industrial, agricultural, medical, and household Exposure to elemental mercury applications. vapors can cause acute respiratory problems, which are It is estimated that half of the anthropogenic mercury releases in followed by neurologic Wisconsin are the result of the purposeful use of mercury. The other disturbances and general systemic half of mercury emissions originate from energy production. effects. Acute exposure to inorganic mercury by ingestion Major uses of mercury include dental amalgams, tilt switches, may also cause gastrointestinal thermometers, lamps, pigments, batteries, reagents, and barometers. disturbances and may effect the When these products are thrown in the trash or flushed down a drain, kidneys. the mercury doesn’t go away. ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ SO WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL? The good news is that the source reduction. Source majority of products that use reduction allows us to eliminate Mercury is a bioaccumulative, mercury purposefully have the use of mercury in certain persistent, toxic substance that acceptable alternatives. For waste streams. This is especially threatens the health of humans example, electric vacuum gages, beneficial considering the volatile and wildlife throughout North expansion or aneroid monitors nature of mercury, because America. The USEPA, Environment Canada, the are good alternatives to mercury mercury can so easily transfer International Joint blood pressure monitors. from air to soil to water. Commission, the Commission Mechanical switches, magnetic for Environmental dry reed switches, and optic Practicing source reduction in Cooperation and many state sensors can replace mercury tilt combination with recycling the and provincial governments switches. mercury already in the waste have identified mercury as one stream can have a significant of the most critical pollutants Replacing mercury-laden impact on reducing mercury for significant elimination and/ products with less toxic levels in the environment. or reduction. alternatives is referred to as DRAFT WISCONSIN MERCURY SOURCEBOOK: WASTEWATER PLANTS 605 ▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼ Mercury Transport and Bioaccumulation Mercury Direct Air Emissions Solid Waste Disposal Incineration Sludge Land Disposal Wastewater Disposal Methyl Mercury Mercury can enter the environment from a number of paths. For example, if a mercury-containing item is thrown into the garbage, the mercury may be released into the atmosphere from landfill vapors or leachate, or the mercury Fish Consumption may vaporize if the trash is incinerated. If mercury is flushed through a Advisories wastewater system, the mercury will likely adhere to the wastewater sludge, where it has the potential to volatilize and be deposited elsewhere. Mercury There are currently 260 lakes can enter the atmosphere through these various means because it evaporates and more than 350 miles of easily. It then travels through the atmosphere in a vaporized state. rivers in Wisconsin that have fish consumption advisories Once mercury is deposited into lakes and streams, bacteria convert some of the mercury into an organic form called methylmercury. This is the form of because of mercury. mercury that humans and other animals ingest when they eat some types of Approximately 1 out every 3 fish. Methylmercury is particularly dangerous because it bioaccumulates in sites that is tested is listed the environment. Bioaccumulation occurs when the methylmercury in fish on the advisory; no sites tissue concentrates as larger fish eat smaller fish. A 22-inch Northern Pike have ever been removed. weighing two pounds can have a mercury concentration as much as 225,000 Forty-eight states now issue times as high as the surrounding water. fish consumption advisories These concentrations are significant when one considers the potential toxic to protect human health. effects of methylmercury.
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