The 88th Air Base Wing Civil Engineer Directorate Environmental Management Division here is doing its part to rid the base community of potential mercury dangers, a couple hundred pounds at a time.

The base has recycled almost 500 pounds of mercury since 2002.

Mercury, a familiar sight in its metallic form in old thermometers, can be a health hazard if it has the chance to vaporize.

“It’s fine until you break it,” said Gary Selby, hazardous waste program manager for the base environmental management division.

Mercury does its job by expanding with both temperature and pressure, hence its presence in a household thermometer.

Mercury in a gaseous form is invisible to the eye and is toxic to humans.

Because of this health hazard, both medical and research laboratories are switching to new equipment that does not contain mercury.

Some common tools that contain mercury include pressure gauges, electric switches and anything that turns on or off by tilting something, Mr. Selby said.

Examples of tilt switches would be the home washer and the car trunk door light.

Wright-Patterson ships all of its mercury that is able to become recycled to Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio.

Mr. Selby said he collects tools and equipment containing mercury and stores them until he can schedule a pick-up, something that may only occur once a year.

“The amount varies each year,” he said. “We didn’t have a pick-up last year because we didn’t have enough mercury stored up.”

Mr. Selby said he has about 100 pounds of mercury alone from 2005 that was shipped out just this week.

Two hundred and sixty thermometers contain only 1.5 pounds of mercury.

The base has had three shipments totaling 496 pounds of tools and equipment containing mercury since the recycling program started in 2002.

By recycling with BGSU, the mercury disposal costs ($5 a pound) are essentially eliminated, said Mr. Selby. “We’re also reducing the potential for mercury spills, which improves worker safety.”

A mercury spill is both expensive and a health hazard, he said.

“Once it’s spilled or its container is broken, the mercury will vaporize and become a breathing hazard,” Mr. Selby said.

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