DOH: Bring thermometers with mercury
to hospitals for disposal
02/20/2010 | 09:36 AM

Household thermometers and other medical devices 
containing mercury should be brought to government 
hospitals for proper disposal, Health Secretary Esperanza 
Cabral said on Saturday.

She said they are already phasing out mercury-containing 
medical equipment such as thermometers and blood-
pressure measuring devices.

We are advising households to bring these devices to 
government hospitals so we can dispose of them 
properly," she said in an interview on dzBB radio.

Thermometers usually contain half a gram of mercury 
while blood-pressure apparatuses contain about 50 
grams, she said.

As part of the drive to phase out medical devises with 
mercury, Cabral said that the Health Department denying 
permits to import such items into the country.

But she also urged the Environment Department to help in 
enforcing this policy.

The US Environmental Protection Agency said methyl 
mercury has health effects on fetuses, infants, and 
children, including impaired neurological development.

Elemental (metallic) mercury primarily causes health 
effects when it is breathed as a vapor where it can be 
absorbed through the lungs.

These exposures can occur when elemental mercury is 
spilled or products that contain elemental mercury break 
and expose mercury to the air, particularly in warm or 
poorly-ventilated indoor spaces.

Symptoms include tremors; emotional changes (e.g., mood 
swings, irritability, nervousness, excessive shyness); 
insomnia; neuromuscular changes (such as weakness, 
muscle atrophy, twitching); headaches; disturbances in 
sensations; changes in nerve responses; performance 
deficits on tests of cognitive function.

At higher exposures there may be kidney effects, 
respiratory failure and death.

High exposures to inorganic mercury may result in 
damage to the gastrointestinal tract, the nervous system, 
and the kidneys.

Symptoms of high exposures to inorganic mercury 
include: skin rashes and dermatitis; mood swings; memory 
loss; mental disturbances; and muscle weakness.  LBG, 
GMANews.TV