| Room
Type |
Could
Contain Mercury |
Alternative |
|
Classroom or Lab
|
|
Biology, Physics, Chemistry, or other Science |
|
|
| |
Elemental mercury |
No alternative, properly dispose |
| |
Mercury compounds (mercury chloride, mercury iodine, mercury
nitrate, mercury oxide, mercury sulfate) |
Magnesium Chloride/Sulfuric Acid or Zinc Formalin Freeze
Drying Phenate method/Ammonia/Copper Sulfate, Neosporin,
Mycin Copper Catalyst Silver Nitrate/Potassium/Chromium
(III) Sulfate |
| |
Mercury barometer |
Aneroid or digital barometer |
| |
Mercury gas law apparatus |
Charles’ law apparatus |
| |
Mercury hydrometer |
No alternative, properly dispose |
| |
Mercury hygrometer |
Spirit-filled glass bulb, digital and aneroid |
| |
Mercury lab thermometer |
Alcohol and mineral spirits glass bulb thermometers, and
digital thermometers |
| |
Mercury molecular motion device |
No alternative, properly dispose |
| |
Mercury sling psychrometer |
Mineral spirits glass bulb thermometers |
| |
Mercury spectral tube |
16 alternative gases are available |
| |
Mercury vacuum gauge |
Needle or digital gauge |
| |
Zenker’s Solution (mercury chloride) |
Zinc Formalin (see above for other alternatives to mercury
compounds) |
| |
Mercury-containing solvents |
Water-based or bio-based solvents |
|
Home
Economics |
|
|
| |
Mercury cooking thermometer |
Spirit-filled glass bulb thermometer, and digital
thermometer |
| |
Washing machine switch (with power shut off |
Mechanical switch |
| |
Freezer light |
Mechanical switch |
| |
Flame sensor (on gas ovens) |
Electronic ignition |
| |
Steam iron with tilt switch (found in irons with 15-minute
shut-off) |
Iron with non-mercury switch |
|
Art |
|
|
| |
Cadmium Vermillion Red Paint |
Mercury-free and cadmium-free paint |
| |
True Vermillion Paint |
Mercury-free paint |
| |
Ceramic glazes |
Look for lead and cadmium-free glazes |
| |
Dyes (cold water and commercial) |
Vegetable dyes |
| |
Solvent-based glues |
Water-based glues |
| |
Solvent-based paints |
Water-based paints |
|
 |
Wood stains |
Water-based wood stains |
| |
Misc. Inhalation Hazards (e.g. clay in dry form, powdered
paints, glazes, pigments, wheat paste and aerosol products |
Wet or liquid non-aerosol products |
|
Auto, Wood, and Metal Shops; other
Industrial Arts |
|
|
| |
Mercury gauges |
Electronic or aneroid gauges |
| |
Manometers, Carburetor synchronizers, and other
pressure-measuring devices |
Aneroid and electronic manometers and analog gauges |
| |
Switches found in: electrical equipment, relays, boilers,
cooling and heating equipment, wall-mounted light switches
manufactured before 1991 (“silent” switches) |
Mercury-free switches, temperature devices, and relays, and
gas equipment with electronic ignitions |
| |
Solvent-based products |
Water-based or bio-based solvents |
| Room
Type |
Could
Contain Mercury |
Alternative |
|
Nurses Office |
| |
Fever thermometers |
Digital, gallium-indium-tin thermometers, dot matrix
thermometers |
| |
Blood pressure devices |
Digital or aneroid pressure devices |
| |
Topical disinfectants containing mercurochrome or tincture
of merthiolate |
Alcohol or hydrogen peroxide |
| |
Contact lens solution containing thimerosol, phenylmercuric
acetate or phenylmercuric nitrate |
Thimerosol-free, phenylmercuric acetate-free or
phenylmercuric nitrate-free contact lens solution |
| |
Nasals sprays containing thimerosol, phenylmercuric acetate
or phenylmercuric nitrate |
Thimerosol-free, phenylmercuric acetate-free or
phenylmercuric nitrate-free nasal sprays |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| Room
Type |
Could
Contain Mercury |
Alternative |
|
HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning) in
Facilities, Labs, and Classrooms |
| |
Mercury thermostats |
Air-controlled, reed switch, vapor-filled diaphragm,
snap-switch and programmable electronic thermostats |
| |
Mercury U-tubes |
Electronic and aneroid gauges |
| |
Mercury switches |
Hard-contact switches, solid state switches, electro-optical
switches, inductive sensors, capacitive sensors,
photoelectric sensors, and ultrasonic sensors |
| |
Mercury thermostat probes |
Electric flame sensors, electronic ignition |
| |
Float switches |
Magnetic dry reed switches, optic sensors, and mechanical
switches |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| Room
Type |
Could
Contain Mercury |
Alternative |
|
Devices and Items Found in School Facilities, Indoor and
Outdoors |
| |
Mercury toys and novelties:
Maze toys; light-up shoes purchased before 1994; toys with
button batteries; jewelry with mercury inside |
Mercury-free toys and novelties |
| |
Mercury thermostats |
Air-controlled, reed switch, vapor-filled diaphragm,
snap-switch and programmable electronic thermostats |
| |
Fluorescent lamps |
No alternative, properly dispose |
| |
Mercury vapor lamps |
No alternative, properly dispose |
| |
Metal halide lamps |
No alternative, properly dispose |
| |
High-pressure vapor sodium lamps |
No alternative, properly dispose |
| |
Mercury gauges |
Electronic or aneroid gauges |
| |
Mercury light switches (“silent” switches) |
New light switches (post 1991) that do not contain mercury |
| |
Mercury switches and relays |
Electronic switches and relays |
| |
Mercury thermostat probes and flame sensors |
Hard-contact switches, inductive sensors, capacitive
sensors, photoelectric sensors, and ultrasonic sensors |
| |
Old latex paint (purchased prior to 1992) |
New paints; properly dispose |
| |
Fungicides prior to 1994 |
Properly dispose |
| |
Pesticides |
Properly dispose |
|
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