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Existence of all mercury, mercury compounds, and mercury containing devices in your laboratory and work area must be reported to the Department of Environmental, Health and Safety. Remember, all sources of mercury are to be eliminated unless there is no viable alternative.
Essential use is defined as: a circumstance where no acceptable alternative for the current use can be located or where it is found that implementation of an alternative would create a significant long-term financial hardship to the department or research project.
The following form must be completed and returned to EH&S for the continued use of all essential mercury containing devices (email completed forms to dennis.daye@marquette.edu):
Identify all mercury, mercury compounds and mercury containing devices in each laboratory. This should involve a drawer by drawer search of the entire laboratory. Determine if the identified mercury is essential to the operation of the laboratory:
Currently, Marquette University is offering a mercury thermometer exchange program.
Marquette University Mercury Thermometer Exchange Program
Contact: Dennis Daye, dennis.daye@marquette.edu, 414-288-8411
Marquette University has committed to a Mercury Thermometer Exchange Program as part of the University’s pollution prevention initiative. The Environmental Health and Safety Department of Marquette University will provide a 1 to 1 thermometer replacement for most non-mercury thermometer models at no cost to the lab. Existing mercury thermometers will be replaced with alcohol thermometers that are safe, non-toxic and environmentally friendly.
Mercury from broken thermometers presents a hazard for faculty, staff, and students in laboratory areas. Mercury also presents a hazard to the local environment: mercury in broken thermometers in sinks eventually may end at the waste water treatment plant where it can endanger microbes and interfere with the treatment process. The typical household mercury thermometer contains enough mercury in it to contaminate a 20-acre fish pond. Broken mercury thermometers create hazardous waste that is costly to clean up and dispose of. The absence of mercury thermometers also reduces our regulatory risk and can potentially decrease the cost of renovation projects.
To replace your mercury thermometers you must complete the Mercury Thermometer Exchange Request form. Replacement thermometers must be selected from the VWR Product Catalog. The part number/catalog number for the replacement thermometer must be indicated on the exchange request form.
After filing the Exchange Request form, you will be contacted to arrange a thermometer exchange.
A total immersion thermometer is designed to indicate temperatures correctly when the bulb and the entire liquid column are exposed to the temperature being measured, except for a minimal length emergent to be visible. A partial immersion thermometer has a line around it at the immersion distance from the bottom. It indicates correctly when the bulb and liquid column to that line are exposed to the temperature being measured and the emergent stem is at ambient temperature. A total immersion thermometer may be used accurately at partial immersion if a mathematical correction is applied.