What if I Spill Mercury?

Can I clean up mercury spills myself?

What if it is a large spill?

If the spill is larger than the size of a quarter, you should contain the spill (see the next question), then leave the area. Immediately call the local health department and a contractor who specializes in cleanup of toxic spills, as well as notify the property owner. It is a good idea to contact your State environmental agency for a list of contractors who cleanup toxic spills, so that you have phone numbers handy should you need them. If a spill occurs outside of regular business hours, call the local fire department.

In cases where you spill one pound of mercury or more to the environment, you are legally required to report the spill to the National Response Center: (800) 424-8802. You should also contact your local Emergency Planning Committee. A database of these committees is at http://www.epa.gov/ceppo/lepclist.htm; find your local committee and write down its phone number now in case you need it later.

A spill of one pound or more can occur if a container of mercury is spilled, or if mercury is spilled from a large device such as a manometer, flow meter, gas flow regulator, or industrial relay. Since mercury is very dense (more than 13 times as dense as water), one pound of mercury does not take up much space-approximately 34 milliliters or a little more than two tablespoons.

How do I contain a mercury spill?

• Dam the mercury (using rags or other disposable items) to prevent spreading. Divert the mercury from drains, cracks and crevices.
• Keep persons who are not involved in the cleanup away from spill area to limit exposures and to prevent the spread of contamination.
• Close doors to other indoor areas. Immediately ventilate spill area - open doors and windows and use fans that exhaust to outdoors. Keep air flowing through the room with the mercury spill - but make sure it is ventilating outside.
• Turn off heating, ventilating or air conditioning systems that circulate air from the spill area to other parts of the building.
• If you have come in contact with the mercury, avoid spreading the contamination to other areas. Put contaminated clothing/shoes into a trash bag and wipe off any visible mercury beads into the bag. If it is a small spill that you are cleaning up yourself, shampoo and shower after the cleanup is complete. If it is a large spill, contact local health department and a contractor who specializes in cleanup of toxic spills, and leave the area.
• Use a chemical to coat the mercury or form an amalgam with the mercury, this will keep the mercury from vaporizing and being released into the air. Most sulfur compounds are good for this.

In the case of a mercury spill you should NEVER do this:

NEVER use household cleaning products to clean the spill, particularly products that contain ammonia or chlorine. These chemicals will react violently with mercury, releasing a toxic gas.

NEVER use a broom or a paint brush to clean up mercury. It will break the mercury into smaller beads and spread them around.

NEVER pour or allow mercury to go down a drain.

NEVER allow people whose shoes or clothing may be contaminated with mercury to walk around or to leave the spill area until mercury-contaminated items have been removed.

What supplies should I keep on hand to use in case of a small mercury spill?

• rubber squeegee
• plastic dust pan
• plastic trash bags
• zipper-shut plastic bags
• wide-mouth plastic container with tight lid
• large tray or box
• facial tissues, toilet paper, or paper towels
• eye dropper
• index cards, playing cards, or other disposable heavy paper
• plastic wrap
• sulfur powder
• zinc or copper flakes
• Tape (For picking up very small particles)

Several vendors sell "mercury spill kits" which contain the items needed for cleaning up small spills. For a list of vendors, click here.

How should I clean up a small mercury spill?

• Push small mercury beads together with a card, stiff paper, or squeegee to form larger droplets and then push them into a plastic dust pan or use an eye dropper to pick up the balls of mercury. Collect all mercury and ALL mercury-contaminated items into a leak-tight plastic bag or wide-mouthed sealable plastic container. Save the bag or container to take to a mercury recycling center.
• Work from the outside of the spill area toward the center. Work over a tray or box that is lined or covered with plastic wrap when pouring mercury. Mercury's high density and smoothness cause it to roll fast.
• Use a flashlight to look all around in the areas of the spill. The light will reflect off the shiny mercury beads and make it easier to see them.
• Sprinkle sulfur powder on the spill area after cleaning up beads of mercury; a color change from yellow to brown indicates that mercury is still present and more cleanup is needed.
• Sprinkle zinc flakes or copper flakes (available at hardware stores) to amalgamate (clump together) any small amounts of mercury which remain.

What personal protective equipment should I keep on hand in case of a small mercury spill?

Since typical construction and demolition jobs do not involve the risk of large mercury spills, you may not need to supply personal protective equipment other than rubber gloves for use when cleaning up small spills encountered in typical residential or commercial jobs. For jobs that involve elevated risk of mercury exposure, personal protective equipment may be needed. Examples include commercial and industrial sites with mercury contamination or equipment that contains significant amounts of mercury. Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, employers are responsible for evaluating the risks involved with each job on a case-by-case basis and providing the appropriate equipment.

If you are working on a job that involves an elevated risk of mercury exposure, you are responsible for insuring that workers are not exposed to mercury levels in excess of the permissible exposure limit of 0.1 mg/m³ expressed as a time-weighted average concentration for an 8-hour period. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health has recommended that the permissible exposure limit for mercury be lowered to 0.05 mg/m³. In order to prevent exposures above the permissible exposure limit, you must implement feasible engineering or administrative controls. If feasible controls are not sufficient to limit mercury exposures to acceptable levels, an effective respiratory protection program is necessary. For more information on respirators, protective clothing, housekeeping practices, personal hygiene facilities and practices, medical surveillance and training that should be employed in situations where significant mercury exposure is a risk, click here.

What should I do after cleaning up a spill?

• Wash your hands. Shower or bathe if other parts of your body may have contacted mercury. Continue to air out the room with outside air for two days if weather permits.
• Consult your doctor or local health department regarding mercury testing for yourself and your workers if there was a potential for extended mercury exposure (for instance if the spill was not cleaned up right away).
• Dispose properly of all elemental mercury, mercury devices and mercury-contaminated items. For information about options in your area, contact your local state agency. Click here for a list of state agencies.

Will I get in trouble for spilling mercury?

Not likely! The best way to minimize your risk is to make sure that the spill is cleaned up properly and, if it is larger than one pound, reported to the National Response Center. Accidents happen, and most mercury spills can be managed easily. If you try to ignore the problem or avoid reporting it, and it is discovered later, then the cleanup could be expensive (because the mercury will have spread) and your legal liability could increase.

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