The In’s and Out’s of Dealing with Mercury

Whether it’s your old household thermostat, thermometers, recycling products containing mercury, you can ensure proper removal and handling of your household hazardous wastes (HHW).

Once these products have been collected for recycling, they are shipped to centers around the country for processing.

Step One

The first step in the recycling process is to mechanically pulverize any substances (if necessary) through crushing and shredding. In order to break down mercury compounds and reduce noxious gases, additives are mixed with the effluent (the liquid containing the materials to be recycled). By doing so, mercury is easier to extract from the substances being recycled.

Step Two

Once the additives are blended with the effluent, the liquid goes through a two-stage heating process. In the first process, a low-temperature air stream forces water vapor and other materials off the materials. In the second stage, a high-temperature air stream blows on the effluent, vaporizing the mercury. This vapor condenses as 99 percent pure metal, which is suitable for reuse in other products.

Step Three

The water vapor which is removed during the first stage undergoes a purification stage to remove traces of mercury and any other impure substances. The effluent left from the second stage undergoes a gas purification stage also, to remove similar impurities and ensure that it is properly treated.

According to Mercury Recover Services, this process “reduces the mercury content of the treated substances to less than one (1) part per million…regardless of the level and form of mercury originally contained.” In this manner, a wide variety of substances such as batteries, fluorescent lamps, electrical switches and other materials, can be processed safely and effectively.