DOCUMENT RESUME ED 473 865 EF 006 195 Getting Mercury out of Schools. TITLE PUB DATE 1999-00-00 NOTE 24p.; Produced by Massachusetts State Department of Environmental Protection, Massachusetts State Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, and Northeast Waste Management Officials Association. AVAILABLE FROM For full text: http://www.newmoa.org/newmoa/htdocs/ prevention/mercury/schools. PUB TYPE Guides Non-Classroom (055) EDRS PRICE EDRS Price MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Child Health; Cleaning; *Hazardous Materials; Laboratory Safety; *School Safety IDENTIFIERS Fact Sheets; Massachusetts; *Mercury (Metal) ABSTRACT This guide was prepared while working with many Massachusetts schools to remove items that contain mercury and to find suitable alternatives. It contains fact sheets on: mercury in science laboratories and classrooms, mercury in school buildings and maintenance areas, mercury in the medical office and in medical technology classrooms in vocational technical schools, mercury in HVAC laboratories in vocational technical schools, establishing hazardous and universal waste collection areas, and mercury-free purchasing policies. The fact sheets contain information on items that contain mercury, non-mercury alternatives, storing unwanted items, how to handle a spill, and additional resources. (EV) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Out of Schools U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDU ATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND CENTER (ERIC) DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS his document has been reproduced as BEEN GRANTED BY received from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to William F. Cass improve reproduction quality. ° Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES official OERI position or policy. INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 1 Where it is. Why it's a problem. What to do. Full text available at: http://www.newmoa.org/newmoa/ htdocs/prevention/mercury/schools/ Lc.) C) The Commonwealth of Massachusetts co Jane Swift, Governor Executive Office of Environmental Affairs Bob Durand, Secretary Department of Environmental Protection BEST COPY AVAILABLE 1-1-1 Lauren A. Liss, Commissioner Getting Memory Out of Schools Mercury is poisonous and can cause damage to the Where are items containing mercury in schools commonly found? nervous system, kidneys, liver and immune system. Typical exposures to mercury come from breathing its fumes during Medical offices an accidental spill or leak, or by eating fish contaminated Chemistry, Physics and Biology classrooms with mercury. Children are most at risk to mercury's toxic and laboratories effects and can suffer potentially serious neurological damage. School buildings and maintenance areas Heating, ventilation and air conditioning When products containing mercury are broken or leak, shops/laboratories in vocational-technical mercury can evaporate and be inhaled by people in the schools area. When products containing mercury are thrown in the trash or dumped down the drain, mercury can Do you work with any of these items that may or the ocean. It contaminate can lakes, ponds contain mercury? concentrate in certain fish, potentially causing harm to Fever, laboratory, candy or oven thermometers people who eat them. Even small amounts of mercury can Thermostats contaminate the environment. One pound of mercury may be enough to render more than 1,000,000 pounds of fish Blood pressure devices unsafe to eat. Mercury Switches Items that contain mercury and jars of elemental mercury Relays are a liability for schools. Improper handling of mercury Gauges: manometers, barometers, vacuum gauges and spill incidents can cause significant financial and Laboratory chemicals legal problems. At a school in Connecticut, the simple act of cleaning out a supply closet resulted in 12 broken Thermostat probes The school was mercury laboratory thermometers. Fluorescent lamps evacuated and paid clean-up costs totaling $6,000. At Mercury vapor lamps another school, a broken mercury barometer resulted in clean-up costs totaling $200,000. Metal halide lamps High pressure sodium lamps Because of mercury's toxicity, especially to children; its ability to bioconcentrate into fish and its persistence once If you do, take note. It is unsafe and, in many cases illegal, released into the environment, mercury pollution has to dispose of mercury products in the trash, down drains been the target of extensive pollution prevention efforts or outdoors. Many products containing mercury must be In June 1998, the in Massachusetts and the northeast. handled as universal waste (a special designation of New England Governors and the Eastern Canadian hazardous waste) or, in certain cases, hazardous waste. unanimously Premiers adopted (NEG-ECP) a As municipal entities, schools may take advantage of comprehensive regional Mercury Action Plan (http:// state purchasing contracts with certain vendors that calling for the virtual www.cmp.ca/press-neg.htm) provide mercury recycling and disposal services at a elimination of anthropogenic mercury releases. Interim negotiated rate. For information on these state contracts, mercury reduction goals of 50% by 2003 and 75% by 2010 see the Massachusetts Operational Services Division were also Massachusetts established. played an (OSD) publication "A Guide to Massachusetts State important role in developing the NEG-ECP Mercury Action for Material Contracts Collection Hazardous and Plan and has adopted its own state-wide Zero Mercury A copy can be downloaded from Management." Strategy. Reducing the use of mercury in products and www.state.ma.us/osd/enviro/material.htm, or contact getting mercury out of schools are priorities of both the 617-720-3356 Marcia at Deegler or regional and state plans. [email protected]. How to Use this Guidance The fact sheets are also stand-alone informational This Guidance was prepared while working with pieces and are intended to be distributed to the many Massachusetts schools to remove items that appropriate personnel within the school or school contain mercury and to find suitable alternatives. system. This piece itself is a stand- alone informational piece written for the Superintendent, Principal or For example, "Establishing a Hazardous and Business Manager of a school or school system. The Universal Waste Collection Area" may be most following fact sheets may accompany this piece: appropriate for the science chairperson or the facilities manager or both if a school needs two or Mercury in Science Laboratories and Classrooms more collection areas to be set up. "Mercury in the Medical Office" may be most useful to the nurse. Mercury in School Buildings and Maintenance Areas Mercury in the Medical Office Mercury in Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Laboratories in Vocational Schools Establishing a Hazardous and Universal Waste Collection Area Sample Mercury-Free Purchasing Policy and Resolution Additional Information: Toxics Use Reduction Case study on Burlington, Mass. schools by the Mass. Office of Technical Assistance http://www.mass.gov/ota/cases/ burlington.htm Massachusetts Fish Consumption Advisories from the Mass. Department of Public Health http://www.mass.gov/clph/beha/fIshlist.htm http://www.mass.gov/dph/beha/mercury/merchp.htm Regional Mercury Projects on the website of the Northeast Waste Management Officials' Association http://www.newmoa.org/prevention/mercury/schools "Mercury in Massachusetts: An Evaluation of Sources, Emissions, impacts and Controls," Mass. Dept. of Environmental Protection hftp://www.mass.govidep/files/mercury/hgtoc.htm Burlington, Mass. Board of Health hftp://208.58.133.9/hea Ith/Mercury.htm Contact the Massachusetts Mercury Hotline at 1-800-866-9MERCURY (1-866-963-7287). Prepared by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, and Northeast Waste Management Officials' Association (NEWMOA). _4 Science Chairperson Mercury in Science Laboratories and Classrooms including Physics, Chemistry, Biology, General Science Items that contain mercury: bulk elemental mercury laboratory chemicals (e.g., mercury oxide, mercury chloride (Zenker's solution), mercury sulfate, mercury nitrate, mercury iodide) mercury laboratory thermometers, fever thermometers, sling psychrometers mercury barometers molecular motion demonstration devices with liquid mercury I - - . mercury switches - Mercury Laboratory Chemicals and Non-Mercury Alternatives Mercury is a common chemical in school laboratories. Elemental mercury has I been used to demonstrate the concept of density, and mercuric salts may be used ' 1 1 in various experiments. Many people can remember seeing the mercury beads roll across the desk of the science lab out of a broken thermometer or even playing with mercury. People know better now. Mercury spills can cost schools tens of thousands of dollars to clean up. The educational benefit of using mercury in the classroom is not worth the potential risk of having the mercury on-site. Non-mercury experiments can adequately demonstrate the concept of density. For example, "Discovering Density" (publisher: Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California at Berkeley) offers comprehensive information on five visual representations of the concept. A microscale, non- mercury density experiment is also offered in "40 Low-Risk, Low-Waste Chemistry Labs" (publisher: J. Weston Walsh, see http:// www.cheminfonet.org). In addition, the "Ask Eric" website offers a non-mercury density experiment. (See http://www.askeric.org). (over) BEST COPY AVAILABLE Copper catalyst Mercury (II) Oxide Mercury (II) Chloride Magnesium Chloride/Sulfuric Acid or Zinc Formalin, Freeze Drying Silver Nitrate/Potassium/Chromium (III) Sulfate Mercury (II) Sulfate Phenate method Mercury Iodide Ammonia/Copper Sulfate, Neosporin, Mycin Mercury Nitrate - for corrosion of copper alloys or for antifungal use (mercurochrome) Zenker's solution Zinc Forma lin Mercury Manometers and Vacuum Direct replacements for mercuric salts also exist, depending Gauges and Non-Mercury Alternatives on the experiment. The table above offers some alternatives found in the Wisconsin Department of Manometers, barometers, vacuum gauges and U- Natural Resources Mercury Sourcebook: Educational tubes with a visible silver liquid contain mercury. Institutions. (See http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/ Liquid mercury in the gauges responds to air pressure p2.html). in a precise way that can be read on a calibrated scale. Mercury Laboratory Thermometers Non-mercury alternatives are widely available. Electronic (digital) gauges and aneroid (e.g., Bourdon tube, and Non-Mercury Alternatives diaphragm, piston or capsule) pressure gauges are Laboratory thermometers with the silver bulb contain available and effective for most applications. between 1.5 and 3 grams of mercury and should not Storing Unwanted Items be thrown in the trash. Unwanted mercury laboratory chemicals (including Non-mercury alcohol and mineral spirit-filled jars of elemental mercury) must be managed as laboratory thermometers are effective for most hazardous waste, not universal waste, and must be applications and are available from laboratory supply disposed of according to federal and state hazardous vendors. These alternatives may cost slightly more waste regulations. or less than mercury laboratory thermometers depending on the accuracy required. Unwanted thermometers and gauges and other devices that contain mercury can be managed as universal wastes. Universal wastes are a subcategory of hazardous waste, with streamlined handling Preservatives requirements. None of these materials should be Mercury compounds were often used as disposed of in the regular trash. Every school should preservatives in reagents, buffers, stains and saline have a protocol for handling and managing hazardous solutions. The mercury compound may be listed and universal wastes. as thimersol, merthiolate, or by specific mercury Until you arrange for proper disposal, save old or broken compound name. Take care not to purchase mercury laboratory thermometers and gauges in two solutions containing a mercury preservative. sealed, non-breakable containers (e.g., two sealed, BEST COPY AVAILABLE 6 If a spill is greater than two tablespoons, you should plastic bags, one inside the other). Label the containers "Universal Waste Mercury-Containing Devices" and get professional spill response assistance. First, close off the area immediately. Call the Massachusetts indicate the date that they were stored. See the fact DEP's Spill Response Center at 888-304-1133, or sheet "Establishing Hazardous and Universal Waste Collection Areas" for more infomation on storage your local fire department. To reduce volatilization, turn down the temperature below 65 degrees requirements. Fahrenheit. Open windows and ventilate the area. How to Handle a Mercury Spill Surround and contain the spill as much as possible. For a release to the environment of one pound If a thermometer or gauge breaks and the spill is less (approximately two tablespoons) or more, reporting than two tablespoons, you may be able to clean it up to the state's Spill Response Center is required. yourself. (Almost all thermometers contain less than this amount.) If you have a mercury spill kit and know how to use it, follow the instructions that come with NEVER use a vacuum cleaner or broom to the kit. Otherwise, follow these instructions: clean up a mercury spill as this causes mercury First ventilate the room to the outdoors and keep to vaporize into the air, causing greater people and animals out of the area. potential for health risks. NEVER pour mercury down the drain. Mercury is heavier Remove all jewelry from hands and wrists. than water and may get trapped in the Wear rubber gloves to avoid contact with the skin. plumbing system and continue to vaporize into the room, causing potential health risks. Use an eyedropper or two pieces of stiff paper to scoop the mercury into an unbreakable container. Place all contaminated cleaning materials in two For more information, contact the Massachusetts Mercury sealed, non-breakable containers (one inside the Hotline at 1-866-9MERCURY (1-866-963-7287). other). Remove contaminated carpeting and store with contaminated cleaning materials. Label the containers "Hazardous Waste Mercury Spill Clean Up Materials" and indicate the date that they were stored. Store the containers in an appropriate location. Dispose of all contaminated materials as hazardous waste. (See the fact sheet "Establishing Hazardous and Universal Waste Collection Areas" for more information.) Replace the item with a non-mercury alternative. 7 Additional Information The University of Wisconsin's Solid and Hazardous Waste Education Center has developed a website called "Mercury in Schools." (See http://www.mercury-k12.org). Through their "Rehab the Lab" project, King County Washington's Local Hazardous Waste Management Program developed a collection of "Least Toxic Chemistry Labs." (See http:// www.metrokc.gov/ hazwas to /rehab). Prepared by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA), Facilities Manager Mercury in School Buildings and Maintenance Areas Items that contain mercury: fluorescent lamps high intensity discharge lamps including mercury vapor, metal halide, and high pressure sodium lamps mercury thermostats mercury switches and relays (e.g., silent light, fire alarm) mercury thermostat probes and flame sensors Fluorescent and High-Intensity Discharge Lamps Fluorescent and High-Intensity Discharge (HID) lighting does provide the environmental benefit of energy efficiency; it can use up to 50 percent less electricity than incandescent lighting. The most common fluorescent lamp is the tube style, used as overhead lighting in offices and businesses. Compact globe styles are used in homes and offices. HID lighting is used in security, outdoor, or warehouse applications (e.g., parking lot light poles and warehouse rafters). Waste fluorescent and HID lamps release mercury when they are broken, burned in waste-to-energy plants, or buried in landfills. Therefore, waste lamps should be properly managed and recycled. There are currently no mercury- free fluorescent light bulbs manufactured. There are "low- mercury" bulbs available, and they are sometimes mistakenly thought to be "mercury-free." However, all fluorescent bulbs available today still contain some mercury. Therefore, DEP recommends that all fluorescent bulbs be recycled. (over) 9 BEST COPY BLE AVAI fi For more information, consult the DEP fact sheet: The Massachusetts Universal Waste Rule [310 CMR 30.1000] was adopted to encourage recycling by "Fluorescent Lamp Management for Businesses and Institutions," at http: / /www.mass.gov /dep /files/ streamlining requirements. It includes the following handling requirements for spent mercury- lamps.htm. Also, see http://www.lamprecycle.org containing lamps: Store unbroken lamps inside a box or fiber Mercury Thermostats and drum to prevent breakage, and in a protected Non-Mercury Alternatives area. Mercury-containing tilt switches have been used Label the containers "Universal Waste in thermostats for more than 40 years. The Mercury Containing Lamps." If lamps are thermostats provide accurate and reliable accidentally broken, store them in a sealed temperature control, require little or no container. Collect spilled powder using a maintenance, and do not require a power source. disposable rag, and add it to the However, each switch contains approximately three sealed container. Mop the area clean. grams of mercury. Some thermostats may contain It is not necessary to have a special mercury several switches. spill kit for cleaning up broken lamps because To determine whether a thermostat contains the mercury in the lamps is not in a liquid mercury, carefully remove the front plate and look form. for the small glass ampules that contain silver liquid. Once a sufficient quantity of lamps is Because the mercury in thermostats is completely enclosed, it does not pose an immediate threat to collected, contact a lamp recycler to collect health or to the environment, unless the glass them. breaks or the product is disposed of in the regular Some lamp recyclers in the northeast trash. are listed below: Non-mercury thermostats, including air-controlled, reed switch, vapor-filled diaphragm, snap-switch Superior Special Services 218 Canton Street and programmable electronic, are readily available. Stoughton, MA 02072 (781) 341-6080 Northeast Lamp Recycling 250 Main Street East Windsor, CT 06088 (860) 292-1992 Superior Special Services is currently on state contract, available to schools and municipalities, for mercury recycling. In June 2001, the price for recycling fluorescent lights was 9.5 cents per foot for less than 7500 feet or 8.5 cents per foot for more than 7500 feet. Containers for storing the bulbs, pick up, and recycling are included in the price. To obtain the state contract pricing, contact Superior (2001 contact Amanda Poverchuk 781- 341 -6080 x213) and reference state contract #ST7J211. BEST COPY AVAILABLE 0