Mercury-Containing Device

Thermostats

The following is a list of devices that contain mercury, identification of mercury devices, and information on proper disposal.

All mercury containing devices, including those listed below,  must not be disposed of in the regular trash.

THERMOMETERS | PRESSURE AND OTHER GAUGES 

Thermometers that Contain Mercury

There are various types of thermometers used for many applications. One common type is the fever thermometer. Vermont legislation has banned the sale of mercury thermometers. All mercury containing thermometers and manometers must not be disposed of in the regular trash.

  • Identifying Thermometers that Contain Mercury
  • fever and basal thermometers,
  • oven, candy and meat thermometers,
  • indoor/outdoor thermometers,
  • laboratory thermometers,
  • temperature measuring devices in industrial applications

A mercury thermometer can be easily identified by the presence of a silver bulb. (One exception to this is the new fever thermometers containing gallium, indium and tin that also contain a silver bulb but are clearly marked “mercury-free.”) If the bulb is red, blue, purple, green or any other color, it is not a mercury thermometer.

Disposal Information

Households and small businesses should dispose of mercury-containing devices at the household hazardous waste depot at Gleason Transfer Station.

Mercury-Containing Pressure and Other Gauges

Devices that measure pressure may contain mercury. Barometers, manometers and vacuum gauges all have a gauge for reading air pressure. Liquid mercury in the gauges responds to air pressure in a precise way that can be read on a calibrated scale. Many barometers, sphygmomanometers (blood pressure monitors), vacuum gauges contain mercury ranging from 100 to 500 grams or more. These devices cannot be disposed of in the regular trash and most are banned from sale.

Identifying pressure and other gauges may contain mercury

  • barometers (used in weather instrumentation for measuring air pressure),
  • hygrometers (used in weather instrumentation to measure the amount of moisture or water vapor in the air),
  • manometers (used to measure vacuum pressure, i.e. on farms to measure vacuum pressure in milking equipment),
  • sphygmomanometers (blood pressure measuring devices),
  • hydrometers (used to measure the specific gravity of fluids in maple sugaring, wine and beer making, etc.)

Disposal Information

Households and small businesses should dispose of mercury-containing devices at the household hazardous waste depot at Gleason Transfer Station.

 

 

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PDF icon mercuryspillfactsheet.pdf137.84 KB
PDF icon cflampfactsheet.pdf280.56 KB