Therefore, it is up to the individual facilities to be responsible and help
keep mercury out of their waste streams and thus out of the environment.
Accidental spills and waste from medical facilities contribute in some measure to the fate of mercury in the environment.
Other industrial sources and human activities may be quantitatively more significant, but pollution prevention begins on home ground, and each of us - in even the smallest medical facility - can make a difference.
Remember: any mercury released to the environment can be converted to methylmercury, which can bioaccumulate in the food chain. Therefore, eliminating smaller amounts of mercury will have a beneficial effect on the environment.
This program will help you design a mercury pollution prevention program at your facility. Guidance is also available from state and federal agencies. Some states even have waste reduction requirements for hospitals. Still, your program will differ from others in your state, depending on local conditions and because voluntary efforts are often more flexible than regulatory approaches.
Identify the key players at your facility. Who has access to doctors and
nurses, to engineers, safety officers, suppliers, and housekeeping and
maintenance personnel? Engage these people as a team to spearhead your
program. Their careful planning will ensure that your program is unique - notwithstanding that all programs may have similar strategies and goals.
Even if you cannot immediately replace all the mercury-containing equipment
that your facility has accumulated over the years, every direct action you
take will make a difference!
The objective of this section is to get you started in setting up a mercury pollution prevention program that meets eight sets of guidelines:
Whatever you do, make it your goal to eliminate mercury entirely. Look carefully at your facility. How serious is the problem? What are the symptoms? Who else is aware of the problem and will help in remediation efforts? Once you have developed a case history, it will be far easier to determine the cure.
Disposing of mercury, no matter how carefully, should be the last resort. No matter how small the quantity, mercury is always a toxic waste. Engage everyone at your facility in the program because everyone's participation is vital. It takes only one person to begin pollution prevention.
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