Mercury > Mercury measures

Mercury Measures

In five years, Washingtonians prevented over 10,000 pounds of mercury from entering the environment.  Additionally, WA industries have reduced their mercury releases from 1.5 million pounds in 2001 to 845,000 in 2006.  Various agencies track these reductions and the incidence of mercury in the environment. 

The most recent available data is collected in the links below.

Mercury in Fish Tissue  Baseline fish tissue data was collected in 2005 and 2006 at different Washington lakes and was correlated to sediment samples. Maximum levels of mercury in largemouth bass tissue were documented at 226 ppb. The 2007 data results are pending. 

Concentrations of Mercury in Biosolids/Sewage Sludge Six wastewater treatment plants’ biosolids have shown marked decline in mercury levels.  For instance, concentration of mercury in biosolids in Spokane, Washington dropped from 4.3 ppm in 1995 to 0.9 ppm in 2006.

Historical Deposition of Mercury in Core Samples Sediment core samples show deposition rates from 1900 to present. Deposition peaked in 1932 at 270 parts per billion (ppb), and is currently holding at 88 ppb. 

Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Emissions Manufacturers report waste quantities and toxic releases to land, air, and water to the TRI.  Reported levels of mercury releases from Washington industries dropped from 1.45 million in 2001 to 845,000 in 2006.

Mercury-containing Thermostats Recycled The Thermostat Recycling Corporation keeps a tally of all thermostats they collect...over 7000, so far.

Mercury in Landfill Gas This pdf report contains scientific measurements of mercury from landfills. Baseline 2004 data from 8 Washington landfills indicated average releases of dimethyl mercury of 41.7 ng/m3  to 0.78 ng/m3  

Mercury Deposition Network Monitoring of the mercury deposited on land and water from the air in Washington is being conducted by the National Atmospheric Deposition Program's Mercury Deposition Network.