There is an abundance of mercury sitting in schools creating a hazardous environment for all of us.

Many high schools and middle schools have reported one or more mercury spills involving elemental mercury, thermometers, sphygmomanometers and barometers.

Focusing on mercury in schools can achieve all of the following:

• Help educate students, teachers and administrators about the health hazards and environmental fate of mercury;
• Promote the proper disposal management and elimination of mercury and products containing mercury at schools;
• Promote use of alternative products that do not contain mercury;
• Prevent mercury spills and promote proper spill cleanup;
• Encourage schools to take advantage of free mercury disposal programs that may be available to them;
• Bring the message home, so that students and their families can evaluate mercury use in their homes and learn about less toxic alternatives.