lunes, 20 de marzo de 2017

MMWR Vol. 66 / No. 10 ► Mercury Spill Responses — Five States, 2012–2015 Weekly / March 17, 2017 / 66(10);274–277

Mercury Spill Responses — Five States, 2012–2015 | MMWR
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MMWR Weekly
Vol. 66, No. 10
March 17, 2017


Mercury Spill Responses — Five States, 2012–2015


Ryan J. Wozniak, PhD1; Anne E. Hirsch, MPH2; Christina R. Bush, MS3; Stuart Schmitz, MS4; Jeff Wenzel5 (View author affiliations)
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Summary

What is already known about this topic?
Exposure to elemental mercury vapor can cause adverse health effects, especially in children and fetuses. Government agencies and other organizations have tried numerous ways to educate the public about the hazards of elemental mercury and encourage the safe disposal of mercury-containing products.
What is added by this report?
Despite measures to educate the public on the dangers of mercury, mercury spills continue to occur in homes, schools, health care facilities, and other settings, requiring costly cleanup to prevent human exposures to harmful levels of mercury vapor. State and local health departments routinely guide the cleanup of buildings where mercury spills have occurred to ensure that mercury vapor concentrations are reduced to safe levels. Illustrative cases of nonthermometer mercury spills in five states are presented, which highlight the extensive use of resources required for remediation, as well as the potential for severe adverse health effects.
What are the implications for public health practice?
To protect the public’s health after a mercury spill, it is important that local, state, and federal agencies communicate and coordinate effectively to ensure a rapid response and minimize the spread of contamination. Increasing awareness of exchange programs for mercury-containing items and education of school and health care workers about appropriate disposal might reduce the number of mercury spills that occur in the United States.

Ryan J. Wozniak, PhD1; Anne E. Hirsch, MPH2; Christina R. Bush, MS3; Stuart Schmitz, MS4; Jeff Wenzel5 (View author affiliations)
View suggested citation

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