EPA's Database on Mercury-Containing Products and Alternatives
Latest Version: 08-18-2008
If you have downloaded an earlier version, you will need to re-download to access the latest version.
Caveat
Listing
a product in this EPA database does not signify EPA's endorsement of
the product. No specific product in this database has been evaluated by
EPA regarding its efficacy, environmental benefit or relative cost.
Related information for consumers
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Consumer and Commercial Products:
Information about mercury content in antiques, batteries, dental
amalgam, fluorescent light bulbs, jewelry, paint, switches and relays,
thermometers, thermostats, and vaccines. This page also contains
information about reducing use of, and recycling or otherwise disposing
of, mercury-containing products.
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Information for Consumers:
Links to information about sources of mercury exposure, potential
health effects, fish that may contain mercury, consumer products that
contain mercury, and ways to reduce your exposure to mercury.
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Safe Management of Mercury-Containing Products: A list of types of products that contain mercury, with recommendations for safe management and disposal.
On this page you will find:
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Why a Database for Alternatives to Products Containing Mercury?
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Database Content and Scope
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How to Download the Database
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Database Sources of Information on Mercury Products
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Database Sources of Information on Non-Mercury Alternatives
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How to Send New Information and Comments to EPA
Why a Database for Alternatives to Products Containing Mercury?
Many
consumer and commercial products contain elemental, metallic mercury.
Some products, such as mercury thermometers, can easily break and spill liquid mercury,
potentially causing people nearby to be exposed to mercury vapor, which
is odorless, colorless and toxic. Depending on the amount of exposure,
mercury vapor absorbed through the lungs may result in adverse health effects,
including damage to the gastrointestinal tract, the nervous system or
kidneys. Anyone concerned about their potential exposure to metallic
mercury (liquid or vapor) should consult a physician.
Mercury leaks or spills can be prevented through the safe management and recycling of mercury-containing products
at the end of their useful lives. However the optimal way of preventing
exposure to elemental mercury is to reduce the use of
mercury-containing products by using alternatives whenever possible. In
most cases, non-mercury alternatives exist for mercury-containing
products.
Because EPA encourages individuals, organizations
and businesses to use non-mercury alternatives whenever possible, it
has created a searchable database that contains publicly-available information on products that contain mercury and non-mercury alternatives.
Database Content and Scope
The database contains information on:
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Mercury-containing equipment, devices, supplies and laboratory chemicals and coatings
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Non-mercury alternative products
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Companies that manufacture or distribute the products
Whenever possible, information is also provided on:
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Product use
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Approximate mercury content
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Contact information for companies
Scope of the database information:
How to Download the Database
This
Windows database is designed to be downloaded from this Web page to
operate on an individual computer. Because it is not a Web-based
database, the downloaded version will not update information
automatically. You will therefore need to visit this Web page to see
the date of the latest revision, and to download the database again to
access the latest version.
The
downloading process will take only a few minutes. Once the database is
downloaded to your computer, you can then explore the database at your
leisure without needing to be connected to the Internet.
There are two choices for downloading the database. Choose the one most appropriate to you.
Windows Version (28.44 MB): Choose this version if your computer uses Windows
software. This version may not be accessible for all screen readers.
Steps for downloading:
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Click on the following link: http://envr.abtassoc.com/mercury/MercurySetup.exe.
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Internet Explorer users:
When you see the pop-up message ("Do you want to run or save this
file?"), click on "Run" to start the installation process. If you get a
second pop-up message ("The publisher could not be verified. Are you
sure you want to run this software?"), choose "Run" again. The software
will be automatically installed.
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Firefox users:
When you see the pop-up message ("You have chosen to open
MercurySetup.exe which is a binary file…"), click "Save" to save this
file to a location on your computer. Find the file on your computer and
double-click it to start the installation process.
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After installation, look in your list of programs for "EPA Mercury-Containing Product Database." It will have an EPA logo.
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Create a shortcut to put an icon for the database on your computer desktop.
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Click on the icon to open the database.
HTML Version (6.53 MB): Choose this version if your computer uses Mac, Linux or another type of software, or if you are using a screen reader.
Steps for downloading:
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Click on the following link: http://envr.abtassoc.com/mercury/EPAMercuryDatabase.zip.
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When
you see the pop-up message ("Do you want to open or save this file?"),
click on "Save." Save the ZIP file to a location on your computer.
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Open the file. The file should open with your computer's ZIP software.
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Choose
the "Extract" function in your ZIP software to save the application
files to a location on your computer. This may take a couple of minutes.
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Go
to the location you chose when extracting the database files from the
ZIP file. Under the folder "EPA Mercury Containing Products Database"
there should be a file named "home.html". Open this file to access the
database.
To access the most up-to-date version: EPA updates this database annually, and you
will need to again download either the Windows or HTML version.
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For
the Windows version, you must first delete any existing version of the
database on your computer, along with the desktop icon. After erasing
the older version, follow the steps above to download the latest
updated version.
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For the HTML version, it is not necessary to delete the older versions.
Database Sources of Information on Mercury Products
The primary source of information on mercury-containing products is the
"Mercury-added Products Database,"
which is maintained by the Interstate Mercury Education and Reduction Clearinghouse (IMERC),
a program of the Northeast Waste Management Officials' Association (NEWMOA).
The IMERC products database contains data submitted by manufacturers
and distributors on mercury-added products sold in states that require
such reporting. As of 2008, there are eight states that have enacted
these requirements: Connecticut, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. Regulations in these
states require manufacturers or distributors to submit data on the
national mercury use in their products, and to provide data updates
every three years, starting in 2001.
EPA supplements the
information from the IMERC Mercury-added Products Database with
publicly-available information on non-mercury alternatives, and
information on additional mercury-containing products that are not sold
in some of the eight states that provide data to IMERC due to legal
restrictions in those states.
