priorities & results
toxics use reduction
hazardous materials management
sources and types
laws & rules
permits, reporting & forms
grants & financial assistance
compliance assistance
enforcement
MercuryMercury is a naturally occurring element that is toxic to people and wildlife. When products containing mercury are broken or thrown in the trash, outdoors, or down the drain, mercury cycles through the environment, polluting air and water, and accumulating in fish. You and your family can be exposed to mercury by breathing its fumes, eating contaminated fish, or touching spilled mercury. This page provides a one-stop resource for learning about mercury, understanding its environmental and public health impacts, safely managing products and wastes that contain it, and finding out what state government is doing to reduce and ultimately eliminate the mercury threat. Toxics & Hazards: Mercury
Understanding Mercury
Mercury is Toxic Summary of the toxic dangers of mercury exposure Mercury Health Effects Summary of adverse health effects from mercury exposure Mercury in Massachusetts An evaluation of sources, emissions, impacts and controls, June 1996 Mercury in the Environment Information on mercury contamination and fish consumption Mercury in the Home Lists home products that contain mercury Mercury in Common Household Products Information about mercury content in everyday items Mercury Management in Schools Mercury: An Educator's Toolkit U.S. Environmental Protection (EPA) information, activities and videos for students and teachers. Eight Good Ideas for Reducing Mercury Exposure & Pollution in Your Community PDF 467 KB Sector-specific information about mercury use, alternatives, recycling and waste management Dentistry Toxics & Hazards: Mercury
Mercury Management Act
Chapter 190 of the Acts of 2006, amending M.G.L. Chapter 21H, requires end-of-life recycling of mercury-containing products; prohibits disposal of mercury in trash and wastewater; bans the sale of specific products containing mercury; directs schools and state government to stop purchasing mercury-containing items; establishes a program for removing mercury switches from vehicles; and requires manufacturers both to notify the state of products with mercury content and to establish collection and recycling programs. Mercury Management Act Chapter 190 of the Acts of 2006 Mercury-Added Product Regulations - Phase 1, December 2007 Amendments to 310 CMR 70.00 and new chapters 310 CMR 74.00 and 310 CMR 75.00 implementing provisions of the Massachusetts Mercury Management Act that call for removal of mercury-added vehicle switches and collection/recycling of mercury-added lamps and other products. Mercury-Added Product Regulations - Phase 2, August 2009 Amendments to 310 CMR 19.00, 310 CMR 74.00 and 310 CMR 75.00 and new regulations at 310 CMR 76.00 implementing provisions of the Massachusetts Mercury Management Act that impose sales bans, labeling requirements and disposal prohibitions. Related: Prohibition on Disposal of Mercury-Containining Products Frequently Asked Questions: Disposal Prohibition Provision of the Mercury Management Act MassDEP Draft 2009 Mercury Lamp Recycling Rate Determination Manufacturers of mercury-added products that are sold, offered for sale, or distributed in Massachusetts must notify the state of their product(s). Forms are available from the Interstate Mercury Education & Recycling Clearinghouse (IMERC). MassDEP Information: Automotive Recyclers Mercury Management in Schools Toxics & Hazards: Mercury
State & Regional Initiatives
Massachusetts Zero Mercury Strategy PDF 344 KB 310 CMR 7.08(2) Municipal Waste Combustor Rule Sets a mercury emissions standard nearly three times more stringent than that of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 310 CMR 7.29 Emissions Standards for Power Plants Final Regulations, May 2004 MassDEP Best Management Practices for Mercury-Containing Equipment at Public Drinking Water Systems MassDEP Dental Amalgam/Mercury Recycling Program MassDEP Guidance for Documenting Compliance with the 1ppb Limit on Mercury in Industrial Wastewater Discharges to Sewers Interstate Mercury Education & Reduction Clearinghouse (IMERC) Web site New England Governors & Eastern Canadian Premiers Regional Mercury Action Plan PDF 51 KB Toxics & Hazards: Mercury
Manage & Recycle Mercury Safely
Find Mercury Product Recycling Drop-Off Locations Google Maps Locator Mercury-Added Product Collection Programs Table of companies that have filed Mercury-Added Product Collection and Recycling Plans with MassDEP as required under The Mercury Management Act regulations 310 CMR 75.04(6). May 2009. Cleaning Up Spills of Elemental (Liquid) Mercury Consumer Information: Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs) Demolition: Before You Tear it Down, Get the Mercury Out U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Recommended Practices for Pre-Demolition Removal of Mercury-Containing Devices from Residential Buildings. Note: This document is hosted on EPA's web site and will open in a new browser window. Fluorescent & Mercury-Added Light Bulbs: Handling, Recycling & Cleanup Web page Managing Mercury-Containing Items Mercury in home medical devices and liquid mercury: guidelines for handling and disposal Mercury in Household Batteries: Guidelines for Handling & Disposal Mercury in Paints & Stains: Guidelines for Handling & Disposal Municipal Waste Combustor-Funded Programs If trash from your community is delivered to one of the state's large incinerators, you may be eligible to participate in mercury diversion programs funded through that facility's tipping fees and outlined in its Material Separation Plan (MSP). Mercury Recycling Companies Serving Massachusetts Recovering Mercury Devices from Appliances The Massachusetts Mercury Management Act requires that all mercury devices be removed from products, including appliances, before scrap recycling or disposal. This presentation will help you identify appliances with mercury components and remove those parts yourself. September 2008.
MS Powerpoint 8.5 MB | PDF 3.0 MB State Contract for Recycling & Disposal of Mercury Containing Products Toxics & Hazards: Mercury
Environmental Monitoring
Massachusetts Mercury Emissions Inventory Update As of 2008, the most recent year for which complete data are available, mercury emissions have dropped by 91 percent across Massachusetts since the mid 1990s. Prepared by Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM), December 2011 Massachusetts Fish Mercury Studies An overview of statewide examinations of mercury in freshwater fish since 1994. Fish Mercury Long Term Monitoring Annual Data Reports Methods for Annual Data Reports List of Mass DEP mercury studies 1994 -2004 MS Word 1.2 MB Long-Term Monitoring of Massachusetts Fish Tissue Mercury, 1999-2004 Issued in 2006 Final Report: Fish Mercury Levels In Northeastern Massachusetts Lakes MS Word 1.4 MB | PDF 800 KB Freshwater Fish Mercury Concentrations in a Regionally High Mercury Deposition Area Published research paper from Water, Air and Soil Pollution by Michael S. Hutcheson, C. Mark Smith, Gordon T. Wallace, Jane Rose, Barbara Eddy, James Sullivan, Oscar Pancorbo, Carol Rowan West. December 2007. Fish Mercury Distribution in Massachusetts Lakes: Final Report Determines patterns of variation in mercury concentrations in sediment, water and fish from 24 bodies of water, May 1997 Massachusetts Fish Tissue Mercury Studies: Investigations of Seasonal & Other Sources of Variation Published in 2006. Determination of Recent Inputs of Mercury to Lakes/Ponds in the Merrimack Valley Using Sediment Cores, March 2004 MS Word 2.8 MB Mercury Bioaccumulation in the Food Webs of Two Northeastern Massachusetts Freshwater Ponds, April 2003 MS Word 180 KB Mercury Bioaccumulation in Non-fish Vertebrates in Massachusetts: Compilation of Existing Resources and Recommendations for the Future Please contact Jane Rose of MassDEP at 617-574-6874 or jane.rose@state.ma.us to obtain a copy of this document Environmental Monitoring for Mercury in Massachusetts: Studies Status Report, 1994-2004 Toxics & Hazards: Mercury
Fish Consumption Advisories
Massachusetts Department of Public Health Database of freshwater fish consumption advisories, searchable by community Fish Testing Request Form Ask for testing of fish from a specific lake, pond, river, or stream. Samples are generally tested for mercury and other metals, pesticides, and PCBs. February 1 is the annual deadline for fish testing requests. Toxics & Hazards: Mercury
Mercury Related Links
Integrated Waste Services Association (IWSA) Mercury information from the trade group for the municipal waste combustor industry. National Academy of Sciences report on risks of mercury in the environment. Northeast Waste Management Officials Association (NEWMOA) Mercury Reduction Program United Nations Environment Programme: Mercury |
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