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Re: mercury amounts & repairs
Bettina wrote:
>Speaking of disposal, folks, has anyone come up with a proper means of
>disposing of old neon and
>fluorescent tubing? Does anyone dispose of these things as hazardous waste?
I used to work in a shop that had absolutely NO concern for
mercury...spills - no sweat, broken units - in the can...Urrggh! (And one
of the employees was pregnant at one point) :-(
Someone once had a suggestion that I follow as much as I can. I don't know
if others may do this. I have a "mercury keeper" jar. The jar is plastic
so that if it ever falls or tips it will be less likely to break and I keep
it filled with water. I keep it in a very remote corner of the shop,
sealed.
Any mercury I dispose of goes into this jar. If I get a merc. unit to
dispose of, I cut off the electrodes and put them in the jar for about a
week. The cold water in the jar attracts the merc., removing (I think)
most of it from the electrodes. I then take the electrodes out of the
water and throw them away. I try to do this too with any part of the unit
that may have obvious merc. on the walls of the glass (eg. splices or side
tubulations). I also try to tip any loose merc. in the tube into the jar.
I understand that you can send the old merc. to be refined & reused, but
I've never gotten to that point and am not sure how it would be shipped or
transported safely or to whom.
I'd like to hear any feedback or suggestions otherwise. There are also
concerns w/ the phosphors I understand, Any more info on this? I've heard
of a substance used (I think a powder) used to clean up merc. spills -
could someone give me more info and where to get it?
Cowpie, huh? Are some of you writing from the Midwest? I bet Samuel
Miller & Wayne Strattman would be impressed. :-)
NeonThom