Table of Contents
Where is mercury mainly used?
Mercury is used primarily for the manufacture of industrial chemicals or for electrical and electronic applications. It is used in some liquid-in-glass thermometers, especially those used to measure high temperatures.
Do we still use mercury today?
Most adults will have used mercury thermometers, and many of us still have mercury amalgam fillings in our teeth. Some of the mercury in those medicines and tooth fillings will eventually find its way into the atmosphere.
What products have mercury in them?
Products That May Contain Mercury
- thermometers (looks like a silvery liquid)
- thermostats.
- blood-pressure cuffs.
- barometers.
- fluorescent and high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps.
- mercurochrome.
- auto switches.
- float switches.
Why is mercury still used?
As a good conductor of electricity, mercury is often used in many products such as switches and batteries. It is used to amalgamate gold and silver in small scale mining activities because it readily combines with other metals.
What can replace mercury?
However, scientists have developed a range of mercury-free battery alternatives, including lithium, silver and alkaline batteries, which can perform just as well as their mercury-containing counterparts, although they may come with their own, separate environmental challenges.
What are 5 common uses of mercury?
Mercury is used to make thermometers, diffusion pumps, barometers, mercury vapor lamps, mercury switches, pesticides, batteries, dental preparations, antifouling paints, pigments, and catalysts. Many of the salts and organic mercury compounds are important.
What has Mercury been used for in the past?
Mercury is no longer used for many different applications because of worries about its safety. In the past it has been used for gold and silver mining, light switches, batteries, in barometers and other scientific equipment, preserving wood for making hats and in many other industries.
What was mercury vapor treatment used for?
MERCURY HAS LONG BEEN USED as a medicine to treat various diseases, such as syphilis and typhoid fever, or parasites. Certainly a treatment with such a “powerful” medicine impressed patients, and when poisoning symptoms appeared they could always be blamed on worsening of the original disease.