Mercury thermometers represent one of a number of ways that mercury can enter and pollute the environment. Mercury from thermometers becomes dangerous upon entering the environment, taking on an organic form that is highly toxic. It then can accumulate in the food chain and become concentrated in the flesh of some species of fish, posing a health threat to some people who consume them. While the potential for environmental damage is more likely and more common, mercury from a broken fever thermometer can pose a personal health threat as well. There is enough mercury in a single thermometer, if handled improperly, to kill a human being in rare cases particularly the very young or the very old.
Ingested mercury damages the liver and brain while eroding the nervous system.
A National Academy of Sciences report released last year attributed mercury exposure to birth defects and brain damage in up to 60,000 newborn children each year. In response to these environmental and health concerns, I am introducing legislation in the Senate calling for a nationwide ban on the sale of mercury fever thermometers. I believe that such a ban is the best way to reduce the possibilities of mercury contamination caused by improperly disposed of or broken mercury fever thermometers, particularly since non-mercury alternatives are readily available. In researching the problems associated with mercury thermometers, I consulted with members of leading environmental organizations, including Health Care Without Harm, the Mercury Policy Project, and the Natural Resources Council of Maine, all of which expressed support for the ban and swap program. We also need to address the problem of the safe disposal of the mercury from the thermometers that are traded in by the public.