What
Products Do I Use
That Contain Mercury?
That Contain Mercury?
Mercury has many useful properties. Because it is liquid at room temperature, combines easily with other metals, expands and contracts evenly with temperature changes and is electrically conductive, mercury has been used in many household, medical, and industrial products. A few examples are:
- Thermometers
- Thermostats
- Some household switches (silent switches) manufactured before 1991
- Fluorescent and high intensity discharge (HID) lamps
- Some alkaline batteries manufactured before 1994
- Some button batteries
- Latex paints manufactured before 1992
- Dental amalgam
- Old chemistry sets, mercury maze toys, and jewelry with liquid mercury
- Lighted athletic shoes (L.A. Gear's My Lil'Lights and L.A. lights purchased before June 1994 contain mercury. Other brands may contain button batteries)
- Some pesticides manufactured before 1994
- Some skin lightening creams illegally imported into the United States
- Some Asian medicinals
- Azogue (elemental mercury) used for Santeria or Esperitismo religious rituals and folk medicine
- Some septic tank and sump pump control switches
- Some dairy barn
manometers
.gif){kind=small}
Office of Energy and Technology Development Homepage
Download the Adobe® Acrobat Free Reader
.
 |
 |
 |
|||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
||