Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that can affect the brain, spinal cord, kidneys and liver. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, up to one in 10 women in the U.S. already carry enough mercury in their blood to pose a threat of neurological damage to the fetus. The U.S. EPA ranks the health care sector as the fourth-largest source of mercury air emissions due to their contribution to medical waste incinerators.

Mercury is found in thermometers, blood pressure devices, lab chemicals, cleaners and other products used in health care. Fortunately, there are safe, cost-effective non-mercury alternatives for nearly all uses of mercury in health care.

Take the Making Medicine Mercury Free Challenge! More than 4,000 health care facilities in the U.S. have pledged to become mercury free, and the Hospitals for a Healthy Environment program has a goal to virtually eliminate mercury from the health care waste stream. Learn more about receiving national recognition for your mercury elimination efforts.

The European Union has passed a resolution saying the EU should ban mercury exports by 2011, and many cities and states in the U.S. are passing laws to ban the sale of mercury fever thermometers. Also see our list of mercury-free pharmacies to learn which pharmacies in the U.S. have agreed to take mercury thermometers off their shelves.

Globally, Health Care Without Harm has launched a mercury-free health care website and is organizing four regional workshops on alternatives to mercury in health care in South East Asia, South America, Southern Africa, and South Asia. The first two conferences were held in the Philippines January 25-26, 2006, and Argentina August 3-4, 2006. 

Because mercury thermometers can also pose a risk to the consumer, HCWH has helped organize community thermometer exchanges around the U.S. Please see the resources section for a comprehensive list of useful information about mercury.

Key Resources

The Mercury Problem - Fast Facts (pdf)

Making Medicine Mercury Free (pdf)

Take the H2E Making Medicine Mercury Free Challenge (pdf)

Mercury Thermometers and Your Family’s Health

How to Plan and Hold a Mercury Thermometer Exchange (pdf)

Mercury-free health care worldwide