Mercury Exposures During the Recycling/Reclamation of Household-Type Alkaline Batteries

Details

• Personal Author:
  Herrera-Moreno, Veronica ; Kang, Daehee ; Reh, Christopher M.
• Description:
  The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) received a request for a health hazard evaluation (HHE) from the Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology Program of the Texas Department of Health (TDH). This request centered on TDH's concern that employees at a recovery facility were exposed to hazardous concentrations of mercury (Hg) during the recycling/reclamation of household-type alkaline batteries (e.g., battery sizes AAA. AA, C, D, and 9-volt). The facility in question initially recycled/reclaimed alkaline batteries, zinc/carbon-potassium hydroxide batteries (railroad batteries), and lithium batteries. Lead-acid batteries were also collected at the facility, but these were shipped to another company for reclamation. During this study, the process was redesigned to recycle only alkaline batteries. The NIOSH investigators have documented a serious Hg exposure health hazard associated with battery reclamation/recycling processes. These exposures produced high urine Hg levels and CNS and respiratory symptoms that may be Hg-related. Changes in the process produced a significant increase in the workers' Hg exposures and urine Hg levels, and the respirator program was not protecting workers from inhalation exposures. There is also a possibility that workers' homes are being contaminated with Hg because workers wear their work clothing home and do not shower before leaving the workplace. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Manufacturing And Industrial Facilities Mercury Metals, Heavy Nervous System Nervous System Disorders Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Poisoning Respiratory Protective Devices Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety Urine

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• Keywords:
  Battery-manufacturing-industry Biological-monitoring Central-nervous-system-disorders Heavy-metals Mercury-poisoning Occupational-exposure Personal-protective-equipment Protective-equipment Respiratory-protective-equipment Respiratory-system-disorders Urinalysis

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• ISSN:
  1047-322X
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  16
• Issue:
  11
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20021849
• Citation:
  Appl Occup Environ Hyg 2001 Nov; 16(11):993-1005
• CAS Registry Number:
  Mercury (CAS RN 7439-97-6)
• Editor(s):
  Tharr D
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2002
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Applied Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:5095b339d42e709e11d6b162326a4d405a298932b7dcb5181befcd29f9f55401df732a60520640527ddeaecc1b05c5ad62b283112549cda7b90d745cb4a81a86
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/198945/cdc_198945_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 389.80 KB ]