Occupational Exposure to Mercury at an Electronics Waste and Lamp Recycling Facility – Ohio, 2023

Details

• Personal Author:
  Alarcon W ; Beaucham, Catherine C. ; Brueck, Scott E. ; Charles M ; Chiu SK ; Shi, Dallas S. ; Somerville, Nicholas ; Walker S
• Description:
  Summary: What is already known about this topic? Workers in electronics waste and lamp recycling facilities face health risks from inhaling mercury vapor and mercury-containing dust. What is added by this report? At an Ohio electronics waste and lamp recycling facility, mercury vapor was found throughout, and six of 14 workers had elevated urine mercury levels. Among those with elevated urine mercury, the median job tenure was 8 months; four workers did not speak English, and five reported signs and symptoms consistent with mercury toxicity. What are the implications for public health practice? Employers at electronics waste and lamp recycling facilities are encouraged to evaluate mercury exposure and implement controls such as enhancing ventilation systems and providing training tailored to the worker. Workers in electronics waste and lamp recycling facilities are at risk of exposure to elemental mercury through inhalation of mercury vapor and mercury-containing dust. Employers at an electronics waste and lamp recycling facility in Ohio that crushes mercury-containing lamps expressed concerns about mercury exposure from work processes and requested a health hazard evaluation by CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). In April 2023, NIOSH conducted a multidisciplinary investigation to assess elemental and inorganic mercury exposures, including epidemiologic, environmental, and ventilation assessments. Results indicated that mercury vapor was detected throughout the facility, with six of 14 workers having elevated urine mercury levels. These workers had a median job tenure of 8 months; four did not speak English, and five reported symptoms consistent with mercury toxicity, such as metallic or bitter taste, difficulty thinking, and changes in personality. Recommendations included improving the ventilation system, changing work practices to reduce mercury exposure, and providing training and communication tailored to the worker. As the electronic waste recycling industry continues to grow, it is important for employers to evaluate mercury exposure and safeguard employees using a hierarchy of controls. Health departments should consider monitoring occupational mercury exposure in recycling facilities, and clinicians should be aware of the potential for mercury toxicity among workers in these settings. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Dust Electrical Equipment And Supplies Mercury Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Recycling Safety Ventilation
• Keywords:
  Dusts Electronic Devices Health Hazard Evaluations Occupational Exposure Waste Disposal
• Series:
  Weekly Report: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• ISSN:
  0149-2195 (print) ; 1545-861X (digital)
• Publisher:
  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (U.S.)
• Document Type:
  Tables
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Chicago Region [OSHA] ; Ohio
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DFSE - Division of Field Studies and Engineering
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  9-13
• Volume:
  74
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20070444
• Citation:
  MMWR 2025 Jan; 74(1):9-13
• Email:
  Dshi@cdc.gov
• CAS Registry Number:
  Mercury (CAS RN 7439-97-6)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2025
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:1230b5332d7aa56de279634f484a5844bfd625247a31d9355bf1b530730cd7e6415a241bc0e227c25bda271c5af821d7d23de39b545e3aefcae08348d46cf7e3
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/183219/cdc_183219_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 150.85 KB ]