How to Dispose of Mercury

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Mercury is one of the most toxic and environmentally damaging elements we encounter in day to day use. Disposal of this liquid metal involves federal, state, and local laws, as well as a potential for environmental damage. That said, most household objects that contain mercury have only a small amount, and can be safely dealt with at home, then brought to a recycling center or some hardware stores for disposal. For any spill larger than a pea, a professional hazardous cleanup crew is recommended.

Part 1
Part 1 of 2:

Cleaning Up a Mercury Spill

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  1. Do not spend time in areas where mercury has been spilled until you are prepared to clean it up. Close all doors, windows, and vents leading to other rooms of the building, and open windows leading to the outside.
    • Let everyone in the area know that the room is off-limits, or leave a sign on the door. Make special effort to ensure that children stay away.
    • Only turn on a fan if you can blow the air to an outdoor window that does not lead to another residence.
    • If possible, lower the temperature in the room to reduce the spread of the mercury vapor.
  2. If more than 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) have been spilled, the spill should be handled by a professional when possible. This is about the size of a pea, or the amount in one mercury thermometer. If the spill is smaller, or finding a professional is not feasible, skip to the next step. Otherwise:
    • Check your local yellow pages or search online for "Hazardous waste cleanup," "environmental engineers," or "engineering services" in your area that you could hire.
    • If the mercury was spilled outdoors, phone our local, state, or national environmental response team. In the United States, call 1-800-424-8802.
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  3. Wear rubber, nitrile, latex, or vinyl gloves whenever handling mercury. Wear old clothes and shoes, as you may need to throw them away afterward. Because mercury can react with metals, remove all jewelry and piercings, especially gold.
    • If you do not have a spare pair of disposable shoes, put your shoes in sturdy plastic bags and fix them to your ankle with rubber bands.
    • If you have safety goggles, put them on. This is not vital for cleaning up mercury spills smaller than a pea, but a large spill may require professional-quality eye protection.
  4. This is not necessary for small home spills, but if you do find a mercury cleanup kit at a hardware store, the powdered sulfur will make the task easier. This yellow powder turns brown in contact with mercury, making detection of small spills easier, and binds with the mercury to make cleanup easier. [1]
  5. Begin by carefully picking up pieces of broken glass or other small objects that have come into contact with mercury. Place these in a disposable puncture-proof container such as a sharps container or glass jar.
    • If no disposable puncture-proof container is available, instead place a zip-locked bag inside a second zip-locked bag, and fold all broken material inside a paper towel before placing in the bag.
    • Leave tiny specks of broken glass alone for now. We'll handle them later.
  6. If the mercury has spilled onto an absorbent surface, you cannot save this material on your own. A trained professional may be able to help, but if you are cleaning up the spill at home, all you can do is cut out the affected area and discard it in a double trash bag.
    • Never wash this material, as it can contaminate your washing machine or pollute the water or sewage system. [2]
  7. Use index cards, small pieces of cardboard, or a disposable squeegee to slide beads of mercury along hard surfaces, pooling them into one location.
    • To locate more mercury, dim the lights and hold a flashlight low to the floor, looking for glints. [3] Mercury can scatter quite far, so check the entire room.
  8. Use an eyedropper to pick up the beads of mercury. Slowly squeeze each bead onto damp paper towel, fold the paper towel, and place it inside a zip-locked bag. [4]
  9. Small beads of mercury or tiny pieces of broken glass can be picked up with sticky tape. Wrap the sticky tape around your gloves finger, with the sticky side out, then pick up the contaminants and place the tap inside a zip-locked bag.
    • Alternatively, dab shaving cream onto a disposable paint brush and use the brush to pick up the mercury. Place the paint brush in the bag along with the mercury. Do not apply shaving cream directly to a mercury-contaminated brush.
  10. This includes shoes that walked over the contaminated area, clothing that mercury dripped on to, and any tools that came into contact with mercury.
  11. If possible, leave windows to the outside open for 24 hours after cleanup. Keep children and pets outside of the contaminated room during this time. In the meantime, continue to the next section for information on getting rid of your contaminated materials.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 2:

Disposing of Waste Containing Mercury

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  1. Tightly seal all containers used for mercury disposal. Clearly label them as "Mercury Waste Disposal — Do Not Open."
  2. Many household products contain mercury. While these are typically harmless unless the product breaks, these still need to be disposed of as hazardous waste, not in the regular trash. Refer to this abbreviated list of common household mercury-containing items:
    • Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFL)
    • Liquid Crystal Display monitors (LCD) on television or computer screens
    • Button batteries in toys or phones (but not lithium button batteries)
    • Any object containing a silver liquid.
  3. Visit search.earth911.com and enter the type of object you are recycling, and your city or zip code. A list of nearby addresses should appear that can recycle your mercury waste.
    • Earth911 provides best results for United States addressed, but some international cities are included.
  4. Some companies will take back their products for recycling. These include Lowes, Home Depot, and IKEA. [5]
  5. If you cannot find a nearby recycling center, search online for an "environmental regulation office" or "environmental health department" in your area that can inform you about legal disposal requirements. If you have a large amount of mercury to dispose of, you may be required to dispose of it through a professional or government cleanup service.
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  • Question
    I found 2 liters of Hg. How do I dispose of it?
    Community Answer
    A metal recycling center will pay you handsomely for that amount of mercury. Do not try a common plastic, glass, cans center. Look online in your area for a commercial or industrial recycler.
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  • Question
    Why do I need to lock it into two zip-lock bags?
    Community Answer
    Locking the mercury in two zip lock bags increases the protection against leakage very significantly.
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    Is it okay to dispose of mercury in a tightly sealed Ziploc bag and bury it?
    Community Answer
    No, it is not okay. Take it to a recycling center. Mercury is extremely toxic.
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      Things You'll Need

      • Rubber, vinyl, nitrile, or latex gloves
      • Old clothing and shoes
      • Safety goggles (optional for small spills)
      • Disposable, seal-able glass or plastic puncture-proof container, if broken glass is involved.
      • Two zip-locked bags
      • Damp paper towel, or sticky tape
      • Trash bags
      • Index cards, small pieces of cardboard, or disposable squeegee
      • Eyedropper

      Tips

      • Because of the serious nature of this situation, it is best if you are able to access the government link at the bottom of this page to go to it and get detailed, specific instructions on the procedure for gathering the spilled material!
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      • Be aware that many products used in the household contain hazardous materials that can be released into the environment and cause serious consequences. Mercury is a neurotoxin that can cause serious effects in tiny concentrations.
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      Warnings

      • Mercury can give off vapors that can accumulate to dangerous levels in unventilated rooms.
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      • Do not allow contact with skin! If you suspect your skin touched mercury, call a poison control center. You may call 1-800-222-1222 from anywhere in the United States, or look up your country's poison control center.
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      • Never use a vacuum cleaner or broom to clean up mercury spills.
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      References

      1. ↑ http://www.epa.gov/mercury/spills/
      2. ↑ http://www.epa.gov/mercury/spills/
      3. ↑ http://www.epa.gov/mercury/spills/
      4. ↑ http://www.epa.gov/mercury/spills/
      5. ↑ http://productstewardship.net/products/mercury/resources/programs/business

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      Since mercury is very toxic and harmful to the environment, it’s important to dispose of it safely. If your waste has mercury in it, seal it in a container and label it something like, “Mercury Waste Disposal. Do Not Open.” If you spill more than about 2 tablespoons of mercury, contact a hazardous waste cleanup specialist for help. For smaller amounts, use an eyedropper to pick up the mercury beads and squeeze them into a paper towel. Then, seal them in a container with any shards of glass or stained objects. Leave the windows open for at least 24 hours to ventilate the room, and always use gloves when handling mercury. Once you've packaged your mercury, take it to your nearest hazardous waste center. You can find this by searching Earth911 or asking your local environmental regulation office. For more tips, including how to dispose of carpet or other fabrics covered in mercury, read on.

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