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LEI, Inc. is the right choice for your mercury waste needs. We manage all types of mercury wastes from mercury compounds to contaminated soils to fluorescent lamps. LEI, Inc. is the only mercury recycling facility that is ISO 14001 certified. We are also one of the few RCRA part-B permitted facilities that recycle mercury and universal wastes.
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Mercury is a toxic heavy metal that has been used for ages because of its unique combination of chemical and physical properties. Mercury's widespread use, combined with its high toxicity, persistence in the environment, and its tendency to bioaccumulate in the aquatic food chain, make it a contaminant of special concern.
Select for more information on the Dangers of Mercury.
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Mercury is used in all fluorescent light tubes, including compact fluorescent bulbs and neon lights. The metallic mercury vapor inside the tube conducts electricity through the gaseous substance, causing fluorescent particles to "light up. Fluorescent bulbs are a very efficient source of lighting and there is no commercial alternative to the mercury used. Recycling the mercury and mercury wastes associated fluorescent lamps reduces the bioaccumulation of mercury in the ecosphere while ensuring the reclamation of tons of usable glass, aluminum, and toxic metals.
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Mercury Waste Information
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Mercury has several unique and useful properties that have led to widespread use. It is the only metal that, in its pure form, is a liquid at room temperature. Liquid mercury is volatile, meaning that it easily evaporates to form a poisonous vapor. Mercury conducts electricity and expands at a constant rate in response to changes in pressure or temperature. Electrical switches, barometers and thermometers take advantage of these properties. In its vapor state, mercury can combine with other gases to form more complex molecules that emit light when charged with electricity, hence the use of mercury in fluorescent and neon lights. Mercury combines easily with most metals to form malleable alloys, such as dental filling amalgam. This particular property of attaching to other metals, together with the ease of separating and distilling the amalgams, led to mercury's widespread use in gold mining. Mercury continues to be widely used in household products, as well as commercial, medical and industrial applications.
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At LEI, Inc., we believe recycling is the management method of choice for all wastes. The vast majority of all mercury wastes received by LEI, Inc. are able to be recycled, thus eliminating your potential environmental liability.
Mercury wastes are recycled through a physical separation process and a thermal retort process. The mercury is recovered, distilled and then reused in new equipment. No mercury wastes are landfilled.
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The environmental and health consequences of mercury exposures have drawn scrupulous attention to the dangerous levels of this toxic substance in the environment. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has created the Safe Mercury Management Program which is working to prevent improper disposal of devices containing mercury (such as fluorescent light bulbs and automotive switches) and reclaimed elemental mercury. The EPA promotes removing mercury from mercury-containing devices before they are landfilled. Mercury recycling and other proper mercury waste management helps prevent mercury vapor releases to air or groundwater. This is at the heart of the LEI's commitment. LEI is dedicated to protecting public health and natural eco-systems by reducing the amount of toxic metals, especially mercury, entering our lands and waterways through the use of cutting-edge environmental technology and expertise in mercury recycling.
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