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INFORMATION
NOTICE 98-01
TO: All Laboratory
Supervisors
FROM: Patrick Wolf,
Assistant Director, Environmental
Management Division
SUBJECT: Disposal
of Mercury and Mercury
Containing Compounds
and Instruments The Environmental
Management Division
(EMD)
of Environmental Health
and Safety ensures the
proper disposal of all
mercury and mercury containing
compounds and instruments.
Mercury and mercury containing
compounds and instruments
should be segregated
into the following six
categories and given
to the EMD
for disposal: Raw Liquid Mercury -
Should be kept in a sealed,
rigid, plastic or glass container
with as little debris as
possible. The EMD
bulks this mercury into a
two liter metal shipping
container that is sent for
retorting and recycling. Mercury Contaminated Glassware
and Broken Thermometers -
Should be kept in a sealed,
rigid, plastic or glass
container. Organic matter
should not be included
with the glassware. NOTE:
There should be as little
free flowing mercury
as possible in the container.
Free flowing mercury
should be placed in a
raw liquid mercury container.
The EMD
combines all of the glassware
into a plastic shipping
container that is sent
for retorting and recycling. Mercury Contaminated Organic
Matter (paper, plastic,
cotton, etc.) - Should
be kept in a sealed,
rigid, plastic container.
This container can contain
inorganic matter but
should be kept to a minimum.
The EMD
adds this waste to other
hazardous waste and sends
it to a permitted hazardous
waste incinerator. NOTE:
The total amount of mercury
in the debris cannot
exceed 1 pound and there
must be NO free flowing
mercury in the container.
Free flowing mercury
should be placed in the
raw liquid mercury container. Mercury Spill Clean up -
When cleaning up a mercury
spill, use zinc based
mercury absorbent powers only.
Please DO NOT use sulfur.
Explosions have been know
to occur when the material
in the zinc based powder
and the sulfur are mixed
together. The clean-up material
should be kept in a sealed,
rigid, plastic or glass container.
Do not mix the clean-up material
with any other material.
The EMD
will send the clean up material
for recycling or incineration
at a permitted disposal facility
based on debris composition. Mercury Compounds and
Mercury Solutions -
It is best kept in a
sealed, rigid, plastic
or glass container. If
possible, do not mix
with any other material
and keep each compound
or solution separate
from each other. The EMD
will determine the appropriate
disposal method individually
based on the compound. Mercury Containing Instruments/Thermostats/Switches -
Remove the mercury containing
component from the instrument/thermostat.
If the component can be reduced
to a glass constituent containing
only mercury, it can be placed
directly into a Mercury Contaminated
Glassware container. Otherwise,
place the component into
its own sealed, rigid plastic
or glass container. The EMD
will determine the appropriate
disposal method based on
the inclusion of material
other than glass and mercury. For more information or if
you have any questions please
contact the Environmental
Management Division at
6-7207. |
