Spilling the truth about mercury at home

The mercury leak at St. Andrew’s School in Parañaque in February 2006 has left a nightmare of a memory. Following a mercury spill after an experiment went haywire in one of the school’s science classrooms, 25 students were hospitalized due to mercury poisoning  they were found to have detectable levels of mercury in their blood. Four American scientists from the US Environmental Protection Agency were called in to decontaminate St. Andrew’s School, where more than a hundred students and teachers were exposed to mercury.

Studies show that exposure to mercury, a toxic element, can permanently harm the brain, nervous system, heart, kidneys, liver,  and lungs as well as weaken the immune system.

It can cause memory loss, mental disturbance, muscle weakness, skin rashes, and mood swings. Very high exposure can lead to chronic headaches, ringing in the ears, tremors in hands, feet, etc., and birth defects in children of exposed mothers.

Just recently, another mercury spill occurred, this time in the supply room of Dr. Jose Fabella Hospital in Manila — the spillage coming from 18 broken vials of amalgam and mercury.

In the wake of this lamentable mercury spill, a waste and pollution  watchdog tells the public to be mindful of other mercury  spills that might be happening right in their own homes.

EcoWaste Coalition calls for increased  alertness/awareness on  the potential sources of mercury exposure at home and in the community, and the urgent need for preventive measures to protect the public as well as Mother Earth.

 â€œAside from avoiding fish or shellfish contaminated with mercury, we need to be on the lookout for other ways by which we can be exposed to mercury such as through mercury-added products,” says Thony Dizon, coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition’s Project Protect.

He adds, “By keeping ourselves informed and alert, we can prevent and reduce the adverse effects of mercury exposure to our health and that of the environment.”

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) warns, “The use of mercury in products can lead to releases of the metal during manufacture, usage, recycling, and disposal.”

UNEP, which has a campaign on toxic chemicals in products, gives a few examples of how mercury is inadvertently spilled due to the improper usage, recycling, and disposal of mercury-added articles such as fluorescent light bulbs, skin whitening cosmetics, and measuring devices.

Accidents can and do happen — such as mercury vapor being released from the glass tubing when new or used mercury-containing lights such as circline, compact, and linear fluorescent lamps are broken, or when busted lamps are crushed during waste collection and informal recycling activities.

Mercury, as found in some skin bleach, whitening cream, lotion, and soap, can be absorbed when applied to the skin while the mercury vapor from such cosmetics can be inhaled, exposing to mercury even the non-users.

Then there’s the mercury in fever thermometers and other measuring gadgets. When these devices break, mercury evaporates, exposing victims to the toxin.

Thus, UNEP zeroes in on its call to transition away from mercury-containing products to mercury-free alternatives.

EcoWaste Coalition echoes that call and enjoins the public “to responsibly handle and store products laden with mercury and to correctly dispose of mercury-containing discards as hazardous waste that should not be mixed with ordinary trash, dumped or burned.”

Likewise, everybody is urged to follow basic safety procedures for cleaning up mercury spills, as recommended by health and environmental authorities.

Here’s a list of  what NOT to do in case of a mercury spill, according to the US Environmental  Protection Agency:

• Never use a vacuum cleaner to clean up mercury. The vacuum will put mercury into the air and increase exposure.

• Never use a broom to clean up mercury. It will break the mercury into smaller droplets and spread them.

• Never pour mercury down a drain. It may lodge in the plumbing and cause future problems during plumbing repairs. If discharged, it can cause pollution of the septic tank or sewage treatment plant.”

• Never wash clothing or other items that have come in direct contact with mercury in a washing machine, because mercury may contaminate the machine and/or pollute sewage. Clothing that has come into direct contact with mercury should be discarded.

• Never walk around if your shoes might be contaminated with mercury.