However, there is a growing trend nationally and internationally to phase out or ban the use of mercury thermometers and other equipment containing mercury, such as sphygmomanometers, because of the toxicity of mercury to the individual and the environment. Many of the United States and European Union countries have already banned the use of ASTM thermometers in industrial applications. Students should not clean up broken glass on their own. These devices have a large bulb filled with mercury at the bottom of the thermometer, attached to a thin tube. Mercury used to be common in some products like switches, thermometers, and fluorescent lights. Those uses are less common now, but it’s still found in some products. Mercury is used in many everyday products like fluorescent lamps, thermometers, thermostats, blood pressure manometers and pleasure boat bilge pump float switches. To put this in a global perspective, France, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands have all banned the use of mercury thermometers nationwide. Mercury thermometers are being phased out as the metal is toxic if the thermometer breaks. of States have banned the sale of mercury containing instruments, including ASTM mercury thermometers, making it difficult for users in those States to comply with ASTM standards. As the temperature rises, the mercury expands, traveling up the tube. Mercury-in-glass thermometers are banned in many countries due to mercury exposure concerns. Environmentally safer and affordable alternatives to mercury fever thermometers are readily available, including digital electronic thermometers. Medical equipment containing mercury, such as mercury thermometers, has already been banned in some European countries, such as Sweden. These bans have reduced the sales of mercury thermometers. Many states and municipalities have banned the sale of mecury thermometers. With bans or severe The EPA recommends the use of mercury-free thermometers but it does not endorse any specific brand and suggests choosing a thermometer that is easy to use and read. Map of the countries of the European Union that banned mercury-in-glass thermometers according to Directive 2007/51/EC as of 22 January 2013. On July 1, 2004, a state law (The Mercury Fever Thermometer Prohibition Act, Public Act 93-0165) will go into effect that bans the retail sale and distribution of mercury fever thermometers and mercury-added novelty products in Illinois. Several states have banned the use of products containing mercury. All mercury-containing light bulbs and lamps must have the … I could not find any mercury-containing oral thermometers for sale online, so I think manufacturers are simply not selling them at all. Pure mercury and its compounds can cause neurological problems and other ailments in people exposed to them. Taiwan Republic of China – In March 2008, the Environmental Protection Administration announced a national policy to phase-out of mercury thermometers. uses mercury thermometers or other mercury-containing equipment such as blood pressure devices, give them a copy of this brochure and ask them to look for alternatives. Activities such as burning coal and processing taconite also release mercury into the air. You are probably most familiar with this type of thermometer: a thin stick of glass containing mercury. What does the sales ban do? By 2001, 20 states had banned mercury thermometers, and digital thermometers replaced them. Removing Mercury. Each fever thermometer contains approximately one gram of mercury. In the United States, 19 states have restricted or banned the sale of mercury-containing thermometers. Since it is in a liquid state at room temperature, mercury is used in thermometers, barometers, and hygrometers. It also has universal waste rules that apply to the disposal of mercury products. safety ¢ Be sure student thermometers are not mercury-based (most school districts in the United States have banned the use of mercury thermometers in the classroom). The state's Mercury Education and Reduction Act banned the sale of mercury-containing thermometers, manometers (such as barometers or blood pressure gauges), and novelty items like toys, games, or jewelry. Mercury Initiative Ban on Sale of Certain Mercury Containing Products. United States – The United States has virtually phased out mercury-based medical devices. Thermometers that check body temperature in the ear, across the forehead, or have a digital display do not contain mercury. Mercury thermometers will not be seen for much longer in people’s homes. In the United States, 19 states have restricted or banned the sale of mercury-containing thermometers. They can be used in the mouth, rectum or armpit. In its 1997 report to congress, the EPA estimated that 16.8 tons of mercury from broken thermometers was disposed of as municipal solid waste in the year 2000. Your grandparents may have one in their medicine cabinet, or even your parents, but newly stocked bathrooms are much more likely to have a digital thermometer on hand. Mercury Thermometers. For example, fluorescent lamps use less energy than traditional incandescent lamps. Two out of every three phar-macy chains have made a commitment to end their sale of mercury thermometers. Many countries, including the United States, have signed a Mutual Recognition Arrangement that recognizes the validity of each others’ calibration certificates. Mercury thermometers are also on their way out in a wide variety of industries, ... A growing number of states, including Maryland, have banned their sale. Thermometers Mercury is used in thermometers because it expands and contracts evenly with temperature changes. In most cases, the instruments in question are the mercury-in-glass thermometers specified in ASTM E1. When these items are broken or thrown away, mercury can escape into the environment. Mercury thermometers are made of glass and are the size of a straw, with silvery-white liquid mercury inside. Politics is the core of the answer. The American Academy of Pediatricians and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, for instance, have each suggested alternative temperature-measuring devices for personal use in order to reduce the risk of accidental exposure. Mercury-Added Consumer Law and the Healthcare Industry - Information for the healthcare industry regarding the manufacture, sale, distribution and disposal of mercury-added consumer products, including fever thermometers in New York State. “Banned” Mercury Thermometers to Alternative Thermometers Measurement Science Conference 2013 Technical Contacts Dawn Cross, 301 975 4822, dawn.cross@nist.gov ... • Provide ongoing technical and programmatic assistance to states that have enacted Hg education and reduction legislation No such ban exists in Canada, despite recommendations from doctors that mercury be eliminated from the home or other environments where children could be exposed to it. Most retail stores have stopped selling mercury thermometers. However, according to USA.gov, 20 states have banned mercury thermometers because of mercury’s dangerous effect. No ban in Canada. The United States has not banned mercury in medical settings, though many advocacy groups have recommended a number of safety precautions. I have worked with mercury a number of times, as long as you washed your hands right away I don't think you have too much to worry about. Mercury thermometers are not sold in the US anymore, I don't know about other countries. Apparently 13 states have individually banned the sale of mercury-containing thermometers, and I was surprised to see that Vermont was not on that list. Unless they are recycled or otherwise disposed of properly, however, the The mercury thermometer ban appears to have been successful in reducing exposure to mercury from thermometers, however other sources of elemental mercury remain a problem in Illinois. Between 25 tonnesand 30 tonnes of those emissions come from thermometers alone. Some of these products have an environmental benefit. Ohio and many other states have banned the sale of mercury-containing thermometers. Alternatives include the electronic (digital), red spirit-filled, glass gallium-indium- Mercury can vaporize at … The first digital thermometers relied on the standard under-the-tongue readings that were used with mercury thermometers, but these gave way to more convenient forehead and ear thermometers as technology advanced. In October 1999, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advised using alternative products to avoid the need for increased regulations in years to come and to protect human health and wildlife by reducing unnecessary exposure to mercury. According to relevant regulations, starting from January 1, 2026, China will ban the production of mercury-containing thermometers and mercury-containing sphygmomanometers. Countries in blue have made legal bans on the issue, countries in gray are of unknown status at the present, and countries in red are those whose "Member State does not consider national execution measures necessary." of mercury-based thermometers, blood pressure devices and dental amalgam. Because of mercury’s documented health risks, 17 U.S. states have banned its transport and sale; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in its “Roadmap for Mercury,” states that its long-term goal is to reduce those risks; and various groups are working to reduce mercury … The Best Thermometers for Your Family Dec 14, 2020 - 6 Recommendations When it comes to keeping track of your body temperature, it’s important to have a thermometer that actually works—especially if you’re feeling under the weather and may be running a fever. We also compare thermometers among nations to … Chinanews client, Beijing, October 22 (Reporter Zhang Ni) Recently, the topic that mercury thermometers will be banned from production has caused heated discussions among netizens. Mercury-in-glass thermometers are discussed because they have been used extensively in the past both institutionally and in research. As a result, a number of states have banned or limited the sale of mercury thermometers, including California, Oregon, Rhode Island, Maine, Maryland, Indiana, Minnesota, and New Hampshire. Several states have irrationally banned the element mercury in all forms, for any uses, in all amounts. The biggest danger with mercury is it will evaporate at room temperature and the fumes are what will get you the worst. ¢ Direct students to alert you immediately if a thermometer or beaker breaks. Taconite also release mercury into the air equipment containing mercury many of the countries of the European Union banned. 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