Mercury Disposal

[Beau Nidle 10]

I have a quantity of Mercury which has lain hidden the far dark corners of my garage for the thirty-ish years that I have lived at my present address.  Does anyone know where I can safely and legally dispose of the stuff, please?

[Halibut 12]

Someone asked the same question six years ago - 

 

[alarmingmark 32]

And didn’t find the answer either..

[Mossway 15]

I had the same problem quite a few years ago.

I searched for someone who repaired (mercury) barometers and contacted the  bloke who was very pleased to come and collect it.

Unfortunately I didn't record his name/address.

[melthebell 863]

At my last place of work there was a small plastic tub in the lab, everytime I tidied the shelves it always got shoved to the back and bottom lol

[geared 305]

The University might take it off your hands if you speak to someone in the Chemistry department nicely??

or in the health and safety department.

 

Make a point that you're trying to dispose of it safely but it's not something you can just take down the tip.

[DeZeus 11]

When I was working as a Laboratory Technician, many moons ago (years) we had a communication round then, that it was a semi absorbent poison, which if using In the Lab you had to have it covered with Water to avoid it's evaporation.

 

I am not fully sure (memory fades) but I believe you you can make it inert, by mixing with other Metals, sadly I think that metal is Au or Ag...

 

Maybe I got some Mercury Poisoning, then, causing memory loss, yay it's not alchiemers........H & S was next to naught in those days, nowadays you would have several layers of gloves, body suit , plus BA equipment etc..etc...

Edited May 2, 2019 by DeZeus
.:.

[DeZeus 11]

You could also feed it to Tuna, I believe they like it...once

were there not high levels of Mercury in tinned tuna?

 

But not in Plastic Bags, that's very bad for the Environment

according to Sir At~

Edited May 2, 2019 by DeZeus
.:.

[jaffa1 10]

1 hour ago, DeZeus said:

 

 

Maybe I got some Mercury Poisoning, then, causing memory loss, yay it's not alchiemers........H & S was next to naught in those days, nowadays you would have several layers of gloves, body suit , plus BA equipment etc..etc...

I hope it was next to naught as we use to play with it as kids as you can see we didn't  have toys in those days.

We would roll it about in one hand and then pass it to the other hand but if it rolled off your hand and dropped onto the 'lino' then swoosh it all broke up into little silver balls then you would start rolling them all back together again into a single ball.

[Pettytom 1]

1 hour ago, jaffa1 said:

I hope it was next to naught as we use to play with it as kids as you can see we didn't  have toys in those days.

We would roll it about in one hand and then pass it to the other hand but if it rolled off your hand and dropped onto the 'lino' then swoosh it all broke up into little silver balls then you would start rolling them all back together again into a single ball.

You can eat the metal and it won’t hurt you. You’ll have some pretty heavy poo though 😀 Your body is virtually unable to absorb the metal.  

 

The danger comes from mercury compounds, so don’t go sniffing it.

 

 

Are you sure that the recycling centres won’t take it. They take fluorescent tubes, which contain mercury compounds. They also take scrap metal.

 

I’d take it to the nearest tip and give it to them. 

Edited May 2, 2019 by Pettytom

[DeZeus 11]

Sniffing The heavyweight Poo or the alkaloid Compounds I'm confused? Lol

not sure if either would be hazardous or healthy?

Tips are such picky places these days, won't take this or that...Rubber Tyres, Battery's asbestos etc..etc

im sure if H&S were on the ball and around years ago I might have become fitter....

[DeZeus 11]

As I got older