Friendly Tips and Resources For Our Community

A Pollutant of Historic Proportions:

Have you ever noticed warnings posted at docks and fishing piers about not eating large amounts of fish that were caught there?  These warning signs are becoming increasingly more prevalent.  This is due largely from methylmercury which is formed from inorganic mercury through a natural process of anaerobic organisms that live in aquatic environments including lakes, rivers, the California Delta, sloughs, retention basins, sediments, and soils.  It can form just about anywhere there is decaying vegetation and slow water.  Because Central Valley municipalities, like the City of Livingston are predominately in or downstream of Gold Country, they have the likelihood of having methylmercury present.  During the years of the Gold Rush, hopeful miners collectively used elemental inorganic mercury by the tons to extract gold.  Much of this inorganic mercury was lost to the environment during the process. Since water flows downhill, much of that mercury has ended up in the waterways of the Central Valley and in the California Delta where it sits and slowly converts to methylmercury.  There are other sources of mercury today that can add to the accumulative problem.  These sources include e-waste, florescent light tubes and high density discharge lamps (such as mercury vapor lamps), older thermostats and switches, and other electronic equipment.  Methylmercury is a “bio-accumulative”, meaning that it never really goes away and that it accumulates in the new host.  For example, if it is in microscopic organisms that are ingested by fish, which in turn get ingested by a bird or a human – it carries through the various hosts and accumulates in the tissues of the final host. 

What Is Being Done About It?

The State down to local municipalities are still evaluating the magnitude and scope of contributing sources of mercury in our local waterways.  However, over the last several decades’ regulations on several of the mercury containing products have increased and have phased out many of these products.  Even though these products have largely been taken off the market, large numbers are still in use and being replaced with low or no-mercury alternatives on a daily basis.  So this is where crucial handling and disposal of these materials is needed.

You Can Be a Part of the Solution:

You can educate yourself by knowing and understanding which products historically and currently contain mercury.  The EPA has developed a list of products that can contain mercury -  https://www.epa.gov/mercury/mercury-consumer-products#list

You can educate yourself by knowing and understanding how mercury enters the body by ingestion and how it may adversely affect women and children. - https://oehha.ca.gov/fish/women-and-children

You can educate yourself on disposal options for mercury containing products.  There are many free and low cost disposal options for mercury containing items.  There are even some incentives for collecting and recycling some of these items.

 

 

Mercury Thermostats

Some wall mounted thermostats use mercury switches to sense and control room temperature in heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment. Mercury thermostats were widely used in California prior to 1992 and were legal to buy until 2006. The mercury switch is a glass vial with mercury in it which conducts electricity to the temperature control equipment. Replace mercury thermostats with non-toxic programmable (digital) thermostats.

Why should mercury thermostats be recycled?

Approximately 3 grams of mercury is used in a thermostat. Disposing of old thermostats, using traditional methods (throwing out in the trash) result in breakage, allowing mercury to be released into the environment.  Elemental mercury is a powerful neurotoxin and does not break down, but builds up in fish, birds and people.  Inhaling or ingesting mercury over time can cause irreversible damage to the brain, kidneys, or to developing fetuses. The safe recovery of mercury-containing thermostats prevents pollution and protects public health.

About the Mercury Thermostat Collection Act of 2008

AB 2347 requires that beginning July 1, 2009 all heating and air conditioning wholesalers with physical locations in California will be required by law to collect end-of use thermostats from the public at no charge.

Thermostat Recycling Incentives –

Bring your mercury-containing thermostat to any TRC collection location for proper disposal. There are over 350 Collection Locations currently in California. At certain HVAC distributors you can earn points for every mercury thermostat recycled to redeem online for merchandise. For more information on this program and participating locations visit www.recycle-scratch-earn.com.

Mercury Product Take Back Locations –

Many retail locations, manufactures will take back used mercury-containing products from their customers and then the products are properly recycled, disposed or reused. http://productstewardship.net/products/mercury/resources/programs/business

 Household Hazardous Waste Collection -

Many household products contain mercury, from CFLs to button batteries to some thermometers. While mercury isn’t recyclable, many of these products are. You will likely have to utilize your local household hazardous waste (HHW) facility or events to properly dispose of and recycle items containing mercury.

Merced County Regional Waste Authority

Landfill

7040 CA-59, Merced, CA 95348

(209) 723-4481 ext. 24

http://mcrwma.org/

 

Do not dump your trash!  Any load that is contaminated by trash or garbage is rejected, and the entire load is sent to the landfill at taxpayers’ (your) expense.

Additional Guidance:

https://www.thermostat-recycle.org/statelaws/california

http://www.recyclenow.org/toxics/mercury.asp

http://earth911.com/recycling-guide/how-to-recycle-items-containing-mercury/

 

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