Those that do are generally imported from outside the U.S. and are sold as skin lightening or freckle creams. Mercury is a metal that a liquid at room temperature. Vials of pure mercury have been found in Egyptian tombs from the 1500s BCE. The astronomers at the Large Zenith Telescope Project use a huge rotating mercury mirror to observe the night sky. Also people use it in chemistry because it's very well understood. Mercury can be used to make thermometers, barometers and other scientific instruments. Mercury is used -- usually in very small amounts as a preservative or antibacterial agent  -- in a number of over-the-counter and prescription pharmaceutical products. Mercury is a liquid metal element that has many common uses in industry and medicine. These products need to be properly disposed at household hazardous waste collection centers. Please recycle mercury-containing products rather than disposing of them in regular household trash. It has a silvery white color and was often mistaken for lead or tin before its discovery. A few decades ago, oceanographers discovered these nodules and many new forms of life on the floor of the ocean. It is found in all sorts of jewelry. It occurs both native and in compounds. If the glass breaks, the mercury can spill. Do not use of skin cream that contains mercury as this can lead to skin rashes or poisoning because mercury can be absorbed through the skin. Helium: Helium is a relatively inert gas. Mercury is the only element to retain its alchemical name as its modern common name. Mercury vapors are toxic for people but it's widely used in everyday life (thermometers) and in science too. Not all batteries contain mercury and need to be recycled. Aluminum Foil Sometimes when you go to school your mom might put your sandwich in foil. Once incinerated, mercury may end up in the air. They are used in trunks and hoods, heated car rear windows, acceleration sensors for air bags and seatbelts and anti-lock braking systems. See the Mercury in Thimerosal Vaccines page. While fish might come to mind first when you think of mercury contamination, other foods besides fish can contain mercury. If you think a product in your home has mercury, then you should know: Guidelines for eating fish that contain mercury, Which products must be labeled and what information the labels must contain, Labeling requirements for CFLs and other light bulbs that contain mercury, List of common consumer products that contain mercury, How to recycle and dispose of items that contain mercury, Information for businesses and industries, What to do in case a mercury-containing product breaks, Northeast Waste Management Officials Association: Antiques, 2007 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report on releases of elemental mercury from antique clocks, barometers and mirrors, View EPA's Smart Sectors Mercury Switch Recovery Program page, Northeast Waste Management Officials Association: Mercury Use in Switches and Relays (PDF), U.S. Food and Drug Administration's guidance on disposal of unused medicines, Mercury poisoning linked to skin products (FDA.gov), Northeast Waste Management Officials Association: Mercury Use in Thermostats (PDF), LESSONS LEARNED: Voluntary Mercury Thermostat Take-Back Programs (PDF), 2011 fact sheet "Before You Tear it Down, Get the Mercury Out: Recommended Management Practices for Pre-Demolition Removal of Mercury-Containing Devices from Residential Buildings", Storing, transporting and disposing of mercury in your home, Search on Earth911.com for recycling and disposal options using your zip code or address, city and state, Mercury-containing equipment regulated as universal waste, When a CFL or other fluorescent bulb breaks, When the amount spilled is more than what's in a thermometer, A label indicating that the product contains mercury, How to safely throw it away when you no longer need it, What to do if the mercury spills from a product such as a CFL or thermometer when it breaks. Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, some widely generated hazardous wastes, including mercury-containing wastes like mercury-containing light bulbs, certain spent batteries, thermostats, barometers, manometers, temperature and pressure gauges, and certain switches, are designated as "universal wastes." Spain and Italy produce about half of the world's supply of Mercury. When disposing of larger appliances, either contact your state or local household hazardous waste collection center for advice on recycling or disposal, or contact a local appliance recycler. The Fascinating Uses of Titanium in Everyday Life. Some skin lightening creams, for example, contain mercury and should not be used. China and Kyrgyzstan are the main producers of mercury. Cobalt, chemical symbol Co, atomic number 27, melting point 1495℃, is a high melting point metal. The metal is obtained by heating cinnabar in a current of air and condensing the vapour. Northeast Waste Management Officials Association: Mercury Use in Switches and Relays (PDF)(6 pp, 231 K, About PDF) Exit. Some jewelry, mostly imported from Mexico, contains liquid elemental (metallic) mercury encased in glass. Bromine was discovered in 1826 by A.J. Mercury, also called quicksilver, is the only common metal which is a liquid at room temperature. Despite the danger of this element, mercury still has many important uses. Mercury is a highly toxic element that can harm the brain, kidney, and lungs. One week after the strange illness broke out in Eluru in Andhra Pradesh, which claimed 1 life and left 600 sick, analysis carried out by various groups have found … Mercury melts at negative 37.89 degrees Fahrenheit and boils at 674.11 degrees Fahrenheit so on Earth, in its pure form, mercury is a liquid metal. The element mercury is named for the Roman god Mercury. Chem4Kids.com! If broken, they can release metallic mercury to the environment. Although its potential for toxicity in highly contaminated areas such as Minamata Bay, Japan, in the 1950's and 1960's, is well documented, research has shown that mercury can be a threat to the health of people and wildlife in many environments that are not obviously polluted. Spain and Italy produce about half of the world's supply of Mercury. Balard. Most mercury today is produced from the mining of cinnabar, a bright red ore. Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group /. A chronic pollutant and mercury concentrates in animal/fish tissues in increasing amounts up Food... To methylmercury, a highly toxic organic compound, is the only element to retain its alchemical name as modern! Almost all people in the Earth 's crust mercury-contaminated fish pendants can come in various such. Sulfide ) ores contaminates air and condensing the vapour nose, and fish... For plants mineral cinnabar ( HgS ) also people use it in, and thermostats... 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