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Dust entry

Mercury-containing battery-recycling dust

Mercury-containing dust and particulate generated during recycling and reclamation of household alkaline batteries.

Airborne form

dust

The form describes what is suspended in air at the point of exposure. A material can produce more than one form, such as dust during handling and fume during heating.

Health effects

mercury toxicitycentral nervous system symptomsrespiratory symptomskidney-tubule injury concerntake-home contamination

Evidence

A NIOSH HHE at a battery-recycling facility found serious mercury exposure hazards during alkaline-battery reclamation: many full-shift exposures exceeded OSHA, NIOSH, and ACGIH limits; high urine-mercury levels were associated with central-nervous-system and respiratory symptoms; and NIOSH warned that workers' homes could be contaminated by mercury on work clothing.

Source: pdf ↗ · saved source
page 3 · Summary · 1
The NIOSH investigators conclude that a serious health hazard exists ... from the recycling and reclamation of household-type alkaline batteries. A significant number of workers ... have full-shift Hg exposure levels in excess of the OSHA PEL, NIOSH REL, and ACGIH TLV; these exposures were associated with high urine Hg levels and the prevalences of symptoms reported ... There is also a possibility that workers' homes are being contaminated with Hg due to the wearing of work clothing home and not showering before leaving the workplace.

The facility's process generated particulate during battery handling, shredding, pulverization, and separation; NIOSH describes local exhaust and dust collection at the hopper and subsequent hammer-mill/granulator operations.

Source: pdf ↗ · saved source
page 6 · Background · 2
The hammer mill roughly pulverizes the batteries, which are then run through a granulator for further pulverization. A shaker separates the pulverized batteries into metal, carbon, and non-metal components, which are bagged and shipped to the customer.

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