Mercury Reduction Best Management Practices for Mercury-containing Products in the Hospital Cleaners and Degreasers

Mercury as a contaminant The mercury-cell process is one of the processes that may be used to manufacture common ingredients of cleaners and degreasers: sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), potassium hydroxide, chlorine and hydrochloric acid (muriatic acid). When these chemicals are used to make other products, such as bleach or soaps, mercury contamination can be introduced into the final product. The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) and Medical, Academic and Scientific Community Organization, Inc. (MASCO), through a public-private partnership called the MWRA/MASCO Mercury Work Group, performed laboratory analyses on some of these products.   Mercury Content of Selected Cleaners * Product Mercury Content (ppb) Ajax Powder 0.17 Comet Cleaner 0.15 Lysol Direct <0.011 Soft Scrub <0.013 Alconox Soap 0.004 mg/kg, 0.005 mg/kg, <0.0025 mg/kg (3 tests) Derma Scrub <5.0, <2.5 (2 tests) Dove Soap 0.0027 Ivory Dishwashing Liquid 0.061 Joy Dishwashing Liquid <0.01 Murphy's Oil Soap <0.012 Soft Cide Soap (Baxter) 8.1 Sparkleen Detergent 0.0086 Sunlight Dishwashing Detergent <0.011 * Testing on cleaning products has been limited and many common cleaning products have not been tested. The data should not be used as a substitute for testing specific products/chemicals     Alternatives for mercury-containing cleaners and degreasers To learn the mercury content of the cleaners and degreasers used by the hospital, request Certificates of Analysis from all suppliers when purchasing materials. Choose mercury-free products, if possible. If there are no mercury-free products that meet the needs of the hospital, choose those that are the lowest in mercury concentration.   The Certificate of Analysis should list mercury content in parts per billion (ppb), not as a percentage. A Material Safety Data Sheet is not equivalent to a Certificate of Analysis.

Best Management Practices Fever Thermometers Sphygmomanometers Gastrointestinal Tubes Dental Amalgam and Mercury Laboratory Chemicals Pharmaceutical Products Cleaners and Degreasers Batteries Lamps Electrical Equipment Thermostat Probes in Gas Appliances Industrial Thermometers Pressure Gauges Plumbing Spills Storage Areas Hospital Employee Health and Safety Related Topics: Case Studies Why is mercury a problem? How to establish mercury pollution prevention in your hospital. Bibliography

Best Management Practices for Mercury-containing Products in the Hospital   Mercury Reduction   R E G I S T E R     G L O S S A R Y     F E E D B A C K     S I T E  M A P     H O M E

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