Mercury in Health Care

Mercury is used throughout health care in a wide variety of products including thermometers, sphygmomanometers, dental amalgam, laboratory chemicals and preservatives such as thimerosal, cleaning agents, and various electronic devices such as fluorescent lamps and computer equipment.

The cumulative usage, spills, breakages and disposal of these products makes the health care sector a significant contributor of mercury pollution in the environment.

Fortunately, it is relatively easy to phase out the use of mercury because of the many safe, cost-effective non-mercury alternatives that exist for nearly all uses of mercury in health care.

In this section of the HCWH website you will find information about

• The Issue: A description of the issue of mercury use in health care
• Alternatives: Alternatives to products containing mercury
• Blood Pressure Devices: Why mercury-free sphygmos can be used safely
• Hg-Free Health Care: How health care facilities can reduce their use of mercury
• Hg-Free EU: What the EU is doing to tackle the mercury issue
• Resources: A collection of resources about mercury

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