A new recycling program in Gloucester aims to reduce the amount of mercury entering the waste stream, decreasing one source of this heavy metal and safeguarding public health.

"Mercury is an element that can be harmful to human health and the environment if not properly managed," says Kathy Middleton, recycling coordinator for Gloucester. "We need to remove it from the waste stream whenever possible."

The mercury recycling program will begin in July and include Gloucester and other communities that contract with Wheelabrator Saugus/Resco waste-management system.

The goal, Middleton said, is to divert products that contain mercury from potential delivery to the Wheelabrator Saugus facility by educating municipal officials, schools, health-care professionals, businesses and the general public regarding this need.

Although liquid mercury, found in thermometers, is "relatively inert, and would pass right through you if you swallowed it, it becomes a problem when you put it in the ground and it interacts with water and acids," explained Dr. Jeff Stockman of Cape Ann Pediatrics.

"In landfills, mercury undergoes a chemical reaction and becomes a salt, which is soluble and can enter your body," he said. "That's when it becomes dangerous."

Mercury enters the food chain through "insidious ways, mostly through smaller critters and fish," Stockman said.

"These organisms become eaten by larger predators, such as tuna fish, which are then consumed by humans," he said, "so mercury can affect the entire food chain through this predatory cycle."

Because you don't excrete mercury, Stockman said, once it gets into a creature's tissues, it builds up. That's why fish species that live longer such as swordfish contain higher levels of mercury than smaller fish.

"I tell people not to let their kids eat swordfish, bluefish and tuna, but that it's OK to eat ground fish, such as cod or haddock," he said.

Mercury, Stockman said, is contaminating fish even in the cleanest areas of the country, including northern Maine, where people are advised not to consume more than two trout per week. "It's pretty pervasive throughout the world," he said.

Middleton said one step to halt the mercury threat will bring together the Gloucester Health Department and Department of Public Works to work in the community to collect thermostats from contractors and individuals. Thermostats contain four grams of mercury, and nearly 44,000 of them enter Massachusetts landfills each year. Recycling efforts in 2006 were successful in removing 4,220 thermostats from the commonwealth's waste stream.

Gloucester will also host a thermometer exchange program where residents can bring their outmoded, mercury-containing thermometers and receive a new mercury-free digital thermometer in return.

Another effort will target fluorescent light bulbs, which also contain mercury and should not be disposed of with ordinary trash.

"We're going to open it up to businesses and residents," Middleton said. She will issue collection bins to schools and municipal and public buildings to keep discarded fluorescent tubes and the smaller, compact fluorescent bulbs from breaking and to prompt their proper disposal.

Although fluorescent light bulbs are long-lasting and energy-efficient, Middleton said, "we'll be swamped with them in five to six years and will have to make a plan to deal with this."

Another little known source of mercury is button-cell batteries, typically found in watches, hearing aids, cameras and digital organizers. Each of these batteries can contain 9 milligrams of toxic mercury, Middleton said, yet millions of them end up in the waste stream each year.

Gloucester will be offering a rebate program for button-cell batteries, and Middleton will work with seniors and jewelry stores to collect them for safe disposal. Alkaline batteries do not contain mercury, she said, and can be discarded with the regular trash.

Old fluorescent tubes and bulbs will be collected on the last Saturday of every month at the DPW complex, when the DPW also accepts household hazardous waste such as used motor oil, filters and tires. The DPW also runs the Dogtown compost facility, where residents can bring leaves and branches and take back the composted material.

Middleton is encouraging Gloucester residents to become more involved in other recycling programs in the community as well. "What I'm concentrating on is trying to get more paper into the recycling bin. In Massachusetts, we burn one million tons each year. That's like burning dollars," she said.

Each item that is recycled and not added to the piles of trash going to landfills saves money, Middleton said. "No fees are paid if we recycle," she said. "We can save money by diverting it from the trash into the recycling bin."

Middleton said that salvaged products are indeed recycled, so no one should dismiss recycling as a wasted effort. "A lot of recycling, especially paper, is turned into cereal boxes or boxboard, and plastic is reused in a big way," she said. "Recyclables are being used."

By recycling products that contain mercury and other items, Middleton said, people will ultimately be protecting their health and the environment.

For more information, Gloucester residents can call Middleton at the Department of Public Works at 978-281-9785. To request a brochure addressing mercury in fish, call the Gloucester Health Department at 978-281-9771.

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This article is part of a regular public health education series provided by the Gloucester Health Department and the Addison Gilbert Hospital.