Elemental Mercury
Yaeger Auto salvage has been involved in mercury collection (NOT the cars, well, those too but that is not what we are talking about here) for many years. We are a State approved collection center for elemental mercury—the silvery liquid that is so cool but is poses a HUGE problem when loosed in the environment. Mercury is a potent, developmental neurotoxin that can damage the brain, liver, kidneys and central nervous system. Infants and young children are particularly vulnerable to mercury’s toxic effects.
Did you know that just one fluorescent bulb contains enough mercury to contaminate 6,000 gallons of water? That just ONE fever thermometer has enough mercury in it to contaminate a 10-acre lake! It is amazing how really easy it is to keep mercury where it belongs—it just takes a little thought and effort.
So how do you do your part to keep mercury OUT of our natural environment? First be aware of product s that have mercury in them. And when you see these items you need to make sure that they are disposed of properly. These are some items you will find mercury in… thermometers, tilt switches, thermostats, TV sets, barometers and many other items. You can bring the items with liquid mercury in to us at no charge. TV’s and computer monitors however, have disposal fees. We take many consumer products with mercury in them, some we do not. Some of these items need to be taken to special collection centers that the county has set up. These you can find out about by calling your local health department or landfill. In Marathon County Wisconsin you can to www.marathoncountysolidwaste.org to find out more. This site can assist you in finding out what to do with many items that should not go into the garbage/landfill.
If you have any questions about mercury disposal, do not hesitate to contact us, or visit the Marathon County website that I listed earlier.
Until next time, keep on doing a great job with your recycling. It DOES make a difference!
FYI – The new CFL (Compact Fluorescent Bulbs) and regular fluorescent bulbs do have some mercury in them and can be taken to the Marathon County Landfill for disposal. NEVER throw them in the garbage!