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Mercury-Related
Services:
Mercury in Your Home
Fish
is a great source of low-fat protein and vitamins. Unfortunately,
eating large quantities of fish may be unhealthy, especially
for a developing fetus, because many fish are contaminated
with mercury. Mercury is a neurotoxin that can cause developmental
problems. Because of the potential for mercury to bioaccumulate
(build up) in the human body just as it does in fish, the
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Department of
Health advise the public—especially children and women
of childbearing age—to limit their consumption of fish
from Minnesota lakes. Recommendations are published annually
in the state Fish Consumption Advisory (http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/fish/index.html).
There
is also evidence that mercury may be harmful to loons, otters,
and other fish-eating wildlife.
A
small percentage of mercury that reaches lakes is emitted
by natural sources such as volcanoes. Some mercury is emitted
by coal-fired power plants and other processes that heat large
quantities of raw materials containing low levels of mercury.
Taconite-ore processing also emits some mercury. Although
researchers are looking for ways to reduce mercury emissions
from these sources, the cost of doing so is expected to be
very high, perhaps over $10,000 per pound of mercury captured.
Barr
works on all kinds of mercury-related projects for our clients,
from stack testing and water sampling to drawing up plans
for communities to help them reduce the amount of mercury
that goes to a wastewater treatment plant. However, you don't
need to be a scientist to properly manage mercury in your
own home. Here
are things you can do that cost a lot less than $10,000 per
pound:
- Never
throw a product containing mercury in the trash or put it
into the sewer. This allows mercury to get into the environment,
and eventually into fish.
- If
you have a mercury thermometer at home, take it to a household-hazardous-waste
site and replace it with an another kind of thermometer.
- If
you're building or remodeling a home or cabin, ask your
contractor not to use products that contain mercury.
- Fluorescent
lights contain very small quantities of mercury. They should
be taken to a household-hazardous-waste facility, not discarded
as waste.
- Older household thermostats often contain
mercury, and so do many switches on the vehicles we drive
(especially dome and convenience lights and antilock braking
systems)—which becomes an issue when vehicles are scrapped
if the switches aren't removed prior to demolition. Some
communities host days when residents can swap their vehicles'
mercury-containing switches for safer switches—for
free!
- Ask your dentist if he or she uses a
high-efficiency amalgam collection system, which can capture
approximately 99 percent of amalgam—a significant source
of mercury in municipal sewer systems.
- If
mercury spills in your home, never use a vacuum cleaner
or shop vac to clean it up. Isolate the spill, open some
windows, keep pets and children away, and turn off heating
systems to reduce the temperature and prevent mercury vapors
from spreading throughout the house. Call the MPCA household-hazardous-waste
hotline (800-657-3864) for information on cleaning up the
spill and managing the waste.
- Mercury
concentrations are highest in large, predatory fish such
as walleye and northern pike. The Minnesota DNR and DOH
advise that you keep smaller fish for eating, substitute
a few panfish meals for the walleye or northern pike you
might otherwise eat, and eat small portions when you consume
big fish.
For
more information on mercury and its sources, a good Internet
resource is http://www.epa.gov/Region5/air/mercury/mercury.html.
Mercury-related
resources:
Experience
and Capabilities | Mercury
Specialists | Internet
Resources for Mercury | Mercury
in Your Home
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