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US Senate votes to ban mercury fever thermometers
REUTERS NEWS SERVICE ^ | September 9, 2002

Posted on 09/10/2002 9:56:27 AM PDT by Korth

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Senate voted to ban the sale of mercury fever thermometers in order to curb a source of environmental contamination.

On a voice vote and without dissent, the Senate sent The Mercury Reduction and Disposal Act to the U.S. House of Representatives for concurrence.

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates medical mercury thermometers contribute about 17 tons of mercury to solid waste per year, said Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican and chief sponsor of the measure.

The bill calls for a nationwide ban on the sale of such thermometers as well as a grant program to help consumers exchange them for digital ones or other alternatives.

"Mercury fever thermometers are very easily broken. When this happens, the improper disposal of the mercury can have severe environmental and physical consequences," Collins said.

"One mercury thermometer contains about one gram of mercury," said Collins, "enough mercury to contaminate all the fish in a 20-acre (8 hectare) lake."

Her bill would also create an interagency task force, headed by the EPA, to address the problem of the global circulation of mercury and ways to reduce the mercury threat.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: constitution; federalgovernment; freedom; liberty; medicalcare; medicine; mercury; republicanparty; senate; thermometers
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To: general_re; Orual; dighton
Crematoria spew mercury into our atmosphere when folks with amalgam fillings enter Big Daddy's Roaster.




41 posted on 09/10/2002 10:46:50 AM PDT by aculeus
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To: aculeus
Quick! Have our hero Tom Daschle ban the crematoriums, for the children!
42 posted on 09/10/2002 10:48:12 AM PDT by ConservativeNewsNetwork
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To: Tony Niar Brain
Emotionalism trumps the 10th Amendment eh? So, do you belong to the ELF or something?
43 posted on 09/10/2002 10:50:30 AM PDT by Conservative til I die
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To: Phantom Lord
I think it's made up. In my entire life I've only thrown out one thermometer, it got dropped and broke (played with the mercury for a couple of hours, cool stuff). Who throws these things away?
44 posted on 09/10/2002 10:55:04 AM PDT by discostu
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To: Korth
I'm so glad our Masters have their priorities straight.
45 posted on 09/10/2002 10:55:18 AM PDT by jjm2111
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To: dighton; aculeus; general_re
This sounds like nonsense, all the more so because the DEPTH of the lake is unstated.

When I was about eight years old, I decided to remove a mercury thermometer from the small board to which it was attached and take my temperature. When I put it under my tongue it broke, and the gram of mercury which would contaminate all the fish in a 20-acre lake spilled into my mouth. I was about four feet deep at the time. I also ate swordfish quite frequently. Does anyone know the side effects of mercury poisoning other than death?

46 posted on 09/10/2002 10:58:44 AM PDT by Orual
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To: Tony Niar Brain
You're being silly. Shall I take a lump of uranium, atomize it, and spread it around the globe to return it to the earth, and do no harm? Mercury diffused through a lake is very dangerous.

Perhaps you should refresh your knowledge of Uranium before implying that atomizing a lump of Uranium and spreading it around the globe would do harm. It WILL NOT!

47 posted on 09/10/2002 11:04:22 AM PDT by cinFLA
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To: Orual
Here's an account of residential mercury poisoning, along with a brief discussion of the symptoms. And here's a little story about a researcher who was accidentally exposed to a drop of dimethyl mercury, in case the first story wasn't enough...

But I think you'll live ;)

48 posted on 09/10/2002 11:07:29 AM PDT by general_re
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To: general_re
How many mercury thermometers have any of you broken? I've had mine for over 30 years.
49 posted on 09/10/2002 11:10:48 AM PDT by shiva
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To: Korth
This is from The Onion, right?
50 posted on 09/10/2002 11:13:03 AM PDT by Darth Sidious
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To: A Vast RightWing Conspirator
and the remaining 35 percent is used for such applications as measuring and control instruments and dental amalgams

Oh, that's right. We can't throw our thermometers away without harming the environment, but a little in our teeth is no problem. /sarcasm

51 posted on 09/10/2002 11:13:11 AM PDT by callisto
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To: general_re
But I think you'll live ;)

Luckily the only side effect that I suffered was my Dad's unconcerned reaction: "That was a dumb thing to do." I suppose I'm still alive because my dentist insisted on replacing all my mercury filling$$$$, else surely I would have perished long ago.

52 posted on 09/10/2002 11:14:10 AM PDT by Orual
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To: Tony Niar Brain
From the NJ Department of Health and Senior Services:

"When liquid mercury is spilled, it forms droplets that can accumulate in the tiniest of spaces and in small pools and droplets and then emit vapors into the air. Mercury vapor in the air is odorless, colorless, and very toxic. Whole families have been poisoned from mercury spills in the home which have not been cleaned up or were cleaned up improperly, especially by using an ordinary vacuum cleaner. Children are at highest risk. Pets are at risk, also. The small amount of mercury in a fever thermometer or fluorescent bulb is not likely to cause a problem but should still be cleaned up. For additional information about mercury, including health effects, see the NJDHSS publication: n Your Mercury Exposure"

53 posted on 09/10/2002 11:17:07 AM PDT by cinFLA
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To: Orual
You can have my thermometer when you pry it from my cold dead hands!
Our Senators have too much time on their hands. We need to limit legislative sessions to one month preferebly in July.
54 posted on 09/10/2002 11:19:07 AM PDT by tom paine 2
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To: PaulKersey
I used to play with it as a kid. Rolled it around in my hands in the Physics lab. So maybe I'll die young? Too late for that!

I was wondering if anyone else here had played with the stuff when they were young. How do you suppose the human race survived all our ignorance? (sarcasm on)

55 posted on 09/10/2002 11:19:17 AM PDT by saminfl
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To: Tony Niar Brain
Yeah, but the Hg in thermometers is in the metallic form, not fixed in organic compounds like methyl mercury. The metallic form has a lower bioavailability and toxicity in general than the organometallic form. I cannot comment, however, on the ease of fixing Hg from metallic to organometallic form.
56 posted on 09/10/2002 11:20:54 AM PDT by Chemist_Geek
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To: cinFLA
From the NJ Department of Health and Senior Services:

"When liquid mercury is spilled, it forms droplets that can accumulate in the tiniest of spaces and in small pools and droplets and then emit vapors into the air. Mercury vapor in the air is odorless, colorless, and very toxic. Whole families have been poisoned from mercury spills in the home which have not been cleaned up or were cleaned up improperly, especially by using an ordinary vacuum cleaner. Children are at highest risk. Pets are at risk, also. The small amount of mercury in a fever thermometer or fluorescent bulb is not likely to cause a problem but should still be cleaned up. For additional information about mercury, including health effects, see the NJDHSS publication: n Your Mercury Exposure"

57 posted on 09/10/2002 11:22:15 AM PDT by Tony Niar Brain
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To: Orual
Ingestion of elemental mercury isn't as bad as inhalation - mercury used to be used as a laxative, believe it or not.

I suppose I'm still alive because my dentist insisted on replacing all my mercury filling$$$$, else surely I would have perished long ago.

Oh, undoubtedly. ;)

One problem for people who get exercised about their fillings is that mercury reacts with aluminum, presenting yet another issue for those who prefer a certain type of headgear....

58 posted on 09/10/2002 11:23:15 AM PDT by general_re
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To: aculeus
Crematoria spew mercury into our atmosphere when folks with amalgam fillings enter Big Daddy's Roaster.

Not to mention highly radioactive 40K...

In all seriousness, I recall a move a few years ago by the EPA to shut down bakeries, due to emissions of certain organic compounds being above the legal limit. Those compounds were being emitted in the odor of baking bread...

59 posted on 09/10/2002 11:27:47 AM PDT by Chemist_Geek
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To: Korth
the newer digital thermometers and alcohol thermometers are not as accurate as mercury thermometers

A mercury barometer is really something. Mercury thermometers have the advantage of working over a wider temperature range than alcohol thermometers, that's all.

60 posted on 09/10/2002 11:30:05 AM PDT by RightWhale
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