| Recommendations for Improving
the Source Sector Assessment Information required to refine and
improve the confidence of the estimates for source sectors in this assessment.
- Batteries
- Detailed study of battery use, disposal and recycling possibilities in Wisconsin or in
the Greater Milwaukee Area, including household, medical, military and industrial uses of
batteries that contain mercury. Information on the importing of batteries, including the
types, quantities and amounts of mercury contained in each type.
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- Coal Combustion--Industry
- Further confirmation that there are no industries in the Greater Milwaukee Area that are
burning coal.
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- Coal Combustion--Utilities
- Evaluation of the pollution control equipment in place at the three WEPCO power plants
including amounts of mercury removed in each type of equipment and the fate of the mercury
that is captured by the pollution control equipment.
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- Crematories
- Studies performed in the United States that measure the mercury being released during
cremation, or information as to the average number and sizes of amalgams in the population
and the fraction of mercury that is volatilized during cremation.
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- Dental Facilities
- A compendium of all studies of mercury waste from dental facilities including the
amounts generated and their fates. Survey of local dental facilities as to the amounts of
bulk mercury being held.
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- Educational Institutions
- Survey of area educational facilities about their uses of mercury for education,
demonstration, laboratory, or other purposes.
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- Fluorescent Lamps
- Additional information on current trends in fluorescent lamps including: 1) amounts of
mercury in different types of lamps, 2) production quantities of different types of lamps,
3) fate of mercury in lamps that are not recycled and 4) uses of fluorescent lamps in the
home.
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- General Industry
- Feedstock chemical quantities used in the Greater Milwaukee Area and the concentration
of mercury in these chemicals. Uses of mercury containing devices such as switches, lamps,
manometers, batteries, etc. Mercury wastewater monitoring data utilizing analytical
teechniques with the best possible detection levels.
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- Hospitals and Medical Facilities
- Quantities of mercury in various devices (including thermometers, sphygmomanometers,
barometers, batteries, etc.) and solutions, along with surveys of the uses of these
devices and solutions. Wastewater monitoring data with low detection levels and high
sampling rates to allow for accurate calculation of mercury discharge quantities.
Information about waste disposal practices in hospital facilities. A survey of local
clinics, nursing homes, and doctors offices for use of mercury containing devices.
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- Households
- This sector can be refined as information is obtained about other sectors which relate
to household uses of mercury.
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- Incinerators
- Larger number of stack gas tests to determine a more accurate emission factor.
Information on the use of pollution control equipment and the fate of any mercury that is
captured by the pollution control equipment.
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- Laboratories
- A survey of area laboratories for use of mercury containing devices and solutions.
Monitoring data to identify releases of mercury to the wastewater stream.
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- Landfills
- Studies on landfill gas which identify mercury quantities in relation to the age and
type of the landfill.
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- Municipal Wastewater Treatment
- Monitoring data with low detection levels that would allow for direct estimation of the
mercury being discharged in the effluent.
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- Motor Vehicle Combustion
- Further studies to identify the quantity of mercury in fuels and the fate of that
mercury.
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- Oil Combustion--Industry
- More data on the concentration of mercury in fuel oil and the quantities of oil burned
in the Greater Milwaukee Area.
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- Oil Combustion--Residential
- Same as Oil Combustion--Industrial.
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- Secondary Metal Smelting
- Information which identifies the sources of mercury in secondary metal smelting.
Monitoring data to help quantify the mercury removed in scrubbing operations at their
facilities.
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- Septage
- Data on septage accepted by the South Milwaukee sewage treatment plant, including
mercury concentrations and volumes.
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- Switches--Appliances
- Information which specifically identifies the types and amounts of mercury switches in
various appliances, disposal methods for the various appliances, and the fate of the
mercury in the switches.
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- Switches--Automotive
- Additional information on 1) the types of switches in automobiles by make, model and
year and 2) the fate of mercury released from shredding of automobiles which contain
mercury switches.
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- Switches--Lighting
- Additional information on the types of switches that contain mercury and the quantity of
mercury in these switches. Use and disposal rates of mercury containing switches.
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- Thermostats
- Information on the types and numbers of thermostats in homes and industries in the
Greater Milwaukee Area.
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- Veterinary Facilities
- A survey of local veterinary facilities for information about the use and disposal of
mercury containing devices and medicines.
- Source sectors which were not quantified in this report (due to lack of information)
which could be investigated in the future.
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- Lawn Care Facilities
- Nurseries, golf courses and other places which may have stocks of old pesticides which
contain mercury.
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- Floor Coverings
- Polymers in floor coverings which contain mercury.
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- Trickling Filters
- Old wastewater trickling filter plants which may have contained mercury in the center
columns of trickling filters.
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- Electrical Apparatus Manufacturers
- Mercury may still be used in the manufacture of some switches and other electrical
devices.
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- Neon Lamps
- Mercury is used in the manufacture of neon lamps.
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- Ceremonial Uses of Mercury
- Some ethnic communities in the area use mercury for ceremonial purposes and mercury is
known to be sold at shops called "botanicas."
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- Wood Combustion
- Wood has minute amounts of mercury that are released when it is combusted, similar to
coal and oil combustion.
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- Miscellaneous Burning
- Mercury may be present in various items that are burned as a means of waste disposal in
areas that allow open burning, or do not enforce open burning rules.
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- Piping Systems
- The piping systems of any building that at some time housed an industry, hospital or
institution that used mercury. The traps, low spots, and other parts of the system can
potentially contain significant amounts of mercury.
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- Paint Outgassing
- Mercury that was used as fungicides in old paints may be slowly released from the paint
on the inside and outside walls of older buildings and houses.
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- Other Appliances
- Mercury was also used in switches in other appliances besides those evaluated in this
assessment (e.g. furnaces and space heaters).
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