Sound technical content, curated with aloha by
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ
The authoritative public forum
for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Mercury disposal treatment
I have a customer posing a tricky pollution solution inquiry. They wanted to treat/dispose wastes from luminaire manufacturing. The wastes are mercury mixed with leaded-glass. Wastes are collected in plastic drum, but they are slowly accumulating in the storage area. Customer wanted to dispose of the wastes. Anybody out there with an idea how to dispose/treat/recycle this wastes, this is a very good business opportunity. Contact me so we can discuss what are the available options.
Peter e. de Dios- Binan, Laguna, Philippines
2003
Ed. note: Sorry, this RFQ is old & outdated, so contact info is no longer available. However, if you feel that something technical should be said in reply, please post it; no public commercial suggestions please ( huh? why?)
Q. My laboratory which I inherited has some old mercury left over from some previous researcher's work. Can you suggest any chemical reaction that can be used to make it safe enough to be thrown down the drain? Thanks, Vijaya
Vijaya Satchidanandam- Bangalore, Karnataka, India
July 21, 2012
A. Hi Vijaya,
I can't imagine that the Indian Environmental Department is going to be overly pleased with any attempt to dispose of a mercury containing substance "down the drain". All Mercury wastes must be treated as special waste and disposed of in line with Indian current environmental disposal legislation. Whatever you do, don't try to throw it down the drain!
Aerospace - Yeovil, Somerset, UK
July 24, 2012
A. Mercury metal is worth money. Some metal recycler should take it off your hands.
SMALL amounts of mercury can be stabilized by dusting with elemental sulfur
⇦this on
eBay
or
Amazon [affil links]
.
Or, if you are talking about a mercury waste, contact a waste hauler. There are techniques for removing mercury from wastewater, but I doubt you could attain the required discharge limit.
Dave Wichern
Consultant - The Bronx, New York
July 26, 2012
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