Valparaiso City Utilities M.A.P. Mercury Awareness Program
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Where Is Mercury In My Home? How Do I Dispose Of Mercury Valparaiso City Utilities Containing Items Safely? Many household items may contain mercury. Use the M.A.P. Mercury Search checklist to conduct your home in- You should first contact Porter County Recycling & Mercury Awareness Program ventory. These items pose no threat to you or your Waste Reduction at (219) 465-3694 or visit their web- family when used properly. They can be hazardous if site www.itmeanstheworld.org. Go to “Services” and misused or improperly disposed. Look for these mer- then to “ Hazardous Waste.” cury containing items in your home: Things to remember when disposing of objects contain- Fever thermometers and antiseptic products that contain thimerosal or merbromin in the bath- ing mercury: room, kitchen or bedroom. Fluorescent lights in the bathroom, basement, Never break open items that contain mercury. garage or shed. Mercury thermostats. Never pour mercury down the drain. Clothes irons in the broom closet, kitchen, laun- Never burn mercury. dry room or bedroom. How Can I Prevent Mercury Pollution? Never put mercury in the trash. Minimizing mercury releases from all sources is im- portant. Local and state governments are working in partnership with businesses to develop collection sys- tems for mercury. Here’s what you can do: Know which items contain mercury. Use the Mercury Checklist that accompanies this bro- chure to do an inventory of mercury containing items in your home. Avoid buying products that contain mercury, except fluorescent light bulbs. Fluorescent lights www.ci.valparaiso.in.us use less electricity than incandescent bulbs. Label or use a “Contains Mercury-Recycle” sticker to identity mercury containing items. Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator Conserve energy to reduce coal burning for elec- Valparaiso City Utilities tricity generation. Water Reclamation Department Properly recycle mercury containing items, such 1251 Joliet Road as batteries or thermostats. Valparaiso, IN 46385 What Is Mercury? Mercury Checklist: A Little Bit of Mercury is a Lot Thermometers: silver colored liquid inside. Mercury is toxic in small quantities. It only takes 3 Mercury, also known as quicksilver, is one of 92 natu- grams (approximately 1/25 of a ral occurring elements in our world. It is a metal that Thermostats: nonelectric. teaspoon) of mercury to contam- conducts electricity and is liquid at room temperature. inate a 60 acre lake. Because of these properties, mercury has been used in Fluorescent and other Mercury Vapor Light- ing: HID (high intensity discharge), metal many household, medical, industrial and scientific halide, high pressure sodium and neon bulbs. A typical mercury fever products. thermometer contains about 0.6 grams of mercury per Automotive Headlamps: blue tint when lit. USEPA. Although mercury does perform many useful functions in our workplaces and homes, it is toxic and can im- Pilot Light Sensors: in some gas appliances: A mercury switch contains about 3.5 grams of pair the way we see, hear and function. stoves, ovens, clothes dryers, water heaters, fur- naces and space heaters. mercury. Mercury evaporates slowly. If Gauges: barometers, manometers, blood A mercury thermostat contains about 3 grams spilled or improperly stored, the pressure and vacuum gauges with silver colored of mercury. evaporation of mercury will cause liquid. continuous contamination of the air Switches and Relays: in some chest freezers, 100 4 foot fluores- you breathe. pre-1972 washing machines, sump pump and cent bulbs contain bilge pumps, electric space heaters, silent light about 4 grams of switches, vehicles and farm equipment. mercury. Clothes Irons: automatic or tilt shut offs. Mercury poisoning via breathing contaminated air will attack the central nervous system in all humans. Chil- Elemental Mercury: silver colored liquid dren, especially those under the age of 6, are most sus- metal sometimes found in children’s chemistry ceptible to mercury poisoning. sets. For More Information Or Assistance Call: Less than a third of the mercury in the environment is Vintage Toys: paint on toys and mercury maze games. naturally occurring. The majority of mercury in the Porter County Recycling and Waste Reduction environment is released through human activities. It LA Gear Athletic Shoes: made before 1997 can enter the atmosphere, lakes and streams from coal with flashing lights in soles. District (219) 465-3694. www.itmeanstheworld.org burning for power generation, from industrial sources and by improper disposal of mercury containing scien- Batteries: mercuric oxide and some alkaline tific and household products. batteries. Indiana Department of Environmental Management Paint: latex manufactured before 1990, and (317) 232-8603. www.in.gov/idem/4245.htm When mercury seeps into lakes and some oil base paints; check label. waterways, it undergoes a natural Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator chemical process and is converted to Thimerosal or Merbromin: in some antibac- –methyl mercury. It can contaminate terial products. Valparaiso City Utilities the food chain by building up in the tissue of fish and animals. The State of Indiana will Look for Other Items: this list is not com- Water Reclamation Department issue fish consumption advisories due to high mercury plete. (219) 462-6174 x1366 concentrations found in fish. The advisories are availa- ble from your local health department. www.ci.valparaiso.in.us .