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Information for Consumers
Information for...
Mercury is contained in some of the products we use and in some of the fish we eat. It can be found in your home, in health care facilities, at the dentist, and at schools. This page provides information about consumer products that contain mercury, programs to reduce the use of mercury in these products, how to safely dispose of mercury, and what to do if mercury is spilled.
Basic Information - General information about mercury, including what it is, where it comes from, how it is used, and how it moves through the environment.
Tables of consumer and commercial products that may contain mercury - these tables describe how the mercury is used in a host of products, from airflow/fan limit controls, to jewelry, to shoes, to tilt switches. The tables also include recommended management practices for disposing of these products.
Consumer Products: Related Links - The information on this page supplements information on the tables of consumer and commercial products that may contain mercury page for certain mercury-containing products such as automobiles, batteries, dental amalgams, lamps, switches, necklaces, paint, and thermometers. The page includes links to related information from other federal agencies and state environmental agencies.
Disposal - How and where to safely dispose of products containing mercury.
Fish Consumption Advisories - Some fish may contain methylmercury and other harmful chemicals. This page provides links to advisories issued by state and local governments when fish are unsafe to eat.
Health Care Providers - Information about the use of mercury by health care facilities and in medical products (e.g., thermometers), including ways to reduce the use of mercury by the health care industry.
Health Effects - General information on health problems caused by mercury plus links to a variety of resources on specific health-related issues and data including children’s health.
Schools - Resources for school administrators, faculty, staff, local health jurisdictions, and parent groups on how to reduce the hazards of mercury on children's health, avoid chemical liabilities, develop planning tools, and establish collection programs for mercury.
Spills - Information on what to do if you spill mercury.
Where You Live - A list of links to information about mercury in your home, community, state, region, and the world.
Mercury, Thimerosal and Vaccines
Some consumers are concerned about the use of thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservative, in vaccines. To learn more about this use of thimerosal, please see the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) list of medicines that contain mercury and fact sheet on thimerosal in vaccines, and information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on thimerosal. EPA also provides a list of state legislation and regulations relating to mercury, including to the use of thimerosal in vaccines.