MERCURY-LESS HEALTHCARE
I am wondering how we student nurses are now prohibited to us in our duty.. and i read something about this matter...
Why Source Reduction?
Hospitals and other healthcare facilities use a variety of products that contain mercury, such as thermometers, blood pressure cuffs, fluorescent bulbs, batteries, laboratory chemicals and many cleaning products. The use of these mercury-containing items creates many pathways by which mercury may be released into the environment. The following are the three primary pathways:
-releases of mercury into the air by medical waste incinerators burning medical waste containing the chemical;
-the landfilling of mercury-containing medical waste; and,
-releases of the chemical into the wastewater stream.
-Improper handling and disposal of mercury are common occurrences within hospitals. Once mercury is spilled, disposed of as solid waste or discharged to the receiving wastewater plant, the avenues into the environment are opened. Mercury is very mobile and persistent; it can easily make its way into the atmosphere, soil, groundwater and surface waters of local, regional and more distant areas. As a result, traditional methods of waste disposal are inadequate to deal with the problems associated with mercury use. Even mercury “captured” by costly air pollution control devices can make its way back to the atmosphere. Consequently, there is a need for a different approach when it comes to dealing with mercury and other deadly toxins.
In 1990, Congress passed the Pollution Prevention Act. This marked the beginning of source reduction as a national policy. In passing the Act, Congress recognized the benefits of source reduction versus waste treatment and disposal. The preamble to the Act states:
There are significant opportunities for industry to reduce or prevent pollution at the source through cost-effective changes in production, operation, and raw materials use. Such changes offer industry substantial savings in reduced raw materials, pollution control, liability costs as well as help protect the environment and reduce risks to worker health and safety (42 U.S.C.A. Sec. 13101 (a)(2)).
According to the Pollution Prevention Act, pollution prevention is any practice that reduces the use or generation of hazardous substances prior to recycling, storage, treatment or control. While recycling is a form of waste minimization that can reduce the volume of waste requiring disposal, it is not source reduction. Source reduction reduces and eliminates toxic substances such as mercury at the source. This approach is much better than addressing problems after they have been created through spills, improper transport handling and inadequate disposal and pollution control methods. It also allows hospitals to avoid the costs associated with expensive pollution control equipment, regulatory fines and potential legal battles.
The benefits of source reduction have become apparent to many of the industries targeted by this legislation, including the healthcare sector. The success stories highlighted in this report bear testament to the fact that pollution prevention is a logical, cost-effective and feasible approach to eliminating mercury pollution from healthcare sources.
In the Pollution Prevention Act, Congress identifies the following five source reduction methods:
1) Substitution of raw materials
2) Reformulation or design of products
3) Equipment or technology modifications
4) Process or procedure modifications
5) Improvements in housekeeping, maintenance, training, or inventory control (operational changes)
Hospitals can employ most of these methods to reduce the amounts of mercury used in their facilities. Examples include the following:
creating and enforcing agreements with vendors to supply only mercury-free products as a means of controlling inventory and being environmentally responsible at the same time;
using mercury-free thermometers as an equipment change that lowers the risk of mercury entering the environment;
encouraging the use of mercury-free lab reagents as a process change that can bring the same diagnostic results yet be safer for the environment; and,
using mercury-free cleaning products and checking lab coats and other work clothes for instruments or items containing mercury prior to washing as housekeeping improvements and operational changes that allow all staff to participate in keeping their facilities mercury-free.
Pollution prevention is a sound alternative to other forms of waste treatment and disposal, which are inadequate to deal with the problems associated with mercury use. Besides the obvious benefits highlighted, source reduction also goes a step further. It produces significant changes in behavior that often precede similarly significant changes in attitude. Once administrators and staff become involved in mercury pollution prevention, the importance of keeping mercury and other toxins out of their facilities and, consequently, the environment will become reinforced. In the future, instead of approaching the problem of pollution reactively, they will be inspired to take a proactive stance to new challenges.
Hospitals and other healthcare facilities use a variety of products that contain mercury, such as thermometers, blood pressure cuffs, fluorescent bulbs, batteries, laboratory chemicals and many cleaning products. The use of these mercury-containing items creates many pathways by which mercury may be released into the environment. The following are the three primary pathways:
-releases of mercury into the air by medical waste incinerators burning medical waste containing the chemical;
-the landfilling of mercury-containing medical waste; and,
-releases of the chemical into the wastewater stream.
-Improper handling and disposal of mercury are common occurrences within hospitals. Once mercury is spilled, disposed of as solid waste or discharged to the receiving wastewater plant, the avenues into the environment are opened. Mercury is very mobile and persistent; it can easily make its way into the atmosphere, soil, groundwater and surface waters of local, regional and more distant areas. As a result, traditional methods of waste disposal are inadequate to deal with the problems associated with mercury use. Even mercury “captured” by costly air pollution control devices can make its way back to the atmosphere. Consequently, there is a need for a different approach when it comes to dealing with mercury and other deadly toxins.
In 1990, Congress passed the Pollution Prevention Act. This marked the beginning of source reduction as a national policy. In passing the Act, Congress recognized the benefits of source reduction versus waste treatment and disposal. The preamble to the Act states:
There are significant opportunities for industry to reduce or prevent pollution at the source through cost-effective changes in production, operation, and raw materials use. Such changes offer industry substantial savings in reduced raw materials, pollution control, liability costs as well as help protect the environment and reduce risks to worker health and safety (42 U.S.C.A. Sec. 13101 (a)(2)).
According to the Pollution Prevention Act, pollution prevention is any practice that reduces the use or generation of hazardous substances prior to recycling, storage, treatment or control. While recycling is a form of waste minimization that can reduce the volume of waste requiring disposal, it is not source reduction. Source reduction reduces and eliminates toxic substances such as mercury at the source. This approach is much better than addressing problems after they have been created through spills, improper transport handling and inadequate disposal and pollution control methods. It also allows hospitals to avoid the costs associated with expensive pollution control equipment, regulatory fines and potential legal battles.
The benefits of source reduction have become apparent to many of the industries targeted by this legislation, including the healthcare sector. The success stories highlighted in this report bear testament to the fact that pollution prevention is a logical, cost-effective and feasible approach to eliminating mercury pollution from healthcare sources.
In the Pollution Prevention Act, Congress identifies the following five source reduction methods:
1) Substitution of raw materials
2) Reformulation or design of products
3) Equipment or technology modifications
4) Process or procedure modifications
5) Improvements in housekeeping, maintenance, training, or inventory control (operational changes)
Hospitals can employ most of these methods to reduce the amounts of mercury used in their facilities. Examples include the following:
creating and enforcing agreements with vendors to supply only mercury-free products as a means of controlling inventory and being environmentally responsible at the same time;
using mercury-free thermometers as an equipment change that lowers the risk of mercury entering the environment;
encouraging the use of mercury-free lab reagents as a process change that can bring the same diagnostic results yet be safer for the environment; and,
using mercury-free cleaning products and checking lab coats and other work clothes for instruments or items containing mercury prior to washing as housekeeping improvements and operational changes that allow all staff to participate in keeping their facilities mercury-free.
Pollution prevention is a sound alternative to other forms of waste treatment and disposal, which are inadequate to deal with the problems associated with mercury use. Besides the obvious benefits highlighted, source reduction also goes a step further. It produces significant changes in behavior that often precede similarly significant changes in attitude. Once administrators and staff become involved in mercury pollution prevention, the importance of keeping mercury and other toxins out of their facilities and, consequently, the environment will become reinforced. In the future, instead of approaching the problem of pollution reactively, they will be inspired to take a proactive stance to new challenges.
