Reducing exposure to mercury from thermometers and other devices Dispose of the mercury and any contaminated items in the rubbish, not in the recycling bin.Continue to air the room for 12 to 24 hours.Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes and place them in a glass jar or plastic bag.Use sticky tape to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.Put all the broken globe or tube into a rigid, sealed container.Wear gloves and scoop up all the glass fragments and powder.Commercial and public lighting uses many more lamps and FluoroCycle is a voluntary national scheme to recycle mercury-containing lamps for industrial and public lighting.įor information on lamps used at home, you can contact your local council to find out how best to dispose of light bulbs and lamps.īroken tubes, bulbs or lamps can be cleaned up as follows: The amount of mercury in a single bulb or lamp is very small and unlikely to harm people. The mercury-containing bulbs include fluorescent tube lamps and the compact low-energy bulbs mostly used in homes. This means that the number of low-energy bulbs has greatly increased and these bulbs contain small levels of mercury. In 2010, new standards were introduced for low-energy bulbs in Australia. Reducing exposure to mercury from fluorescent bulbs and lamps While it is better to get your omega-3 fats from fish rather than supplements, if you do use fish oil capsules, check to see if the product has been tested for mercury levels. Many people take supplements of fish oil to increase their intake of omega-3 fats. Pregnant women, nursing mothers, women planning pregnancy and children up to six years old should avoid fish high in mercury. The recommendations for the quantities of fish that can be eaten are different for pregnant women and children compared with the rest of the adult population. People in high-risk groups (such as pregnant women, children and people with kidney disease) should check the recommendations before eating these fish. Most people can still eat fish with higher levels of mercury, but Food Standards Australia New Zealand recommend that they should be eaten less often than fish species with lower levels of mercury. Goldmining has increased the level of mercury in the sediment of riverbeds, and this means that large brown trout and redfin in the Upper Goulburn and Lake Eildon (and surrounding rivers) may have high levels of mercury. This is because of Victoria’s goldmining history. Some freshwater species of fish in Victoria can have high levels of mercury. There are a number of precautions that you can take to minimise your exposure to mercury while also reducing the amount of mercury in our environment.Įducate yourself about the types of fish that are more likely to contain higher levels of mercury. batteries – some batteries contain mercury that can enter the environment if they end up in landfill.dental fillings – modern amalgam fillings have a low level of mercury, which is considered safe for most people.
#Mercury exposure x ray pictures skin
mercury thermometers – the pure mercury (or ‘quicksilver’) from broken thermometers could pose some risk to people if they inhale mercury vapour or have skin contact with mercury.fluorescent and low-energy light bulbs – if broken, there is some risk from inhaling mercury vapour and skin contact with mercury.larger fish species – if eaten in large quantities, these can increase the amount of mercury in your body.There are a number of common sources of mercury in our environment including: Preventing or minimising exposure to mercury in your environment is the best way to reduce your risk of mercury poisoning. The major threat to human health from mercury poisoning is from inhaling mercury as a vapour. The majority of exposure to humans is through organic methylmercury that has entered the food chain and accumulates at higher levels in larger species of fish. mercury is also produced as a waste product in various industrial processes. inorganic compound – naturally present in coal, mercury is released into the air when coal is burned to generate power.organic compound – mercury is converted by bacteria in the water into methylmercury and this enters the fish food chain.elemental metal – such as in mercury thermometers and dental fillings.In our environment, the three forms of mercury present are: Mercury is a natural substance present in the earth, but it is also produced in various industrial and medical uses.