Are you thinking about switching to an aqueous cleaner? If you answered yes, please read on...

The caustic soda solution (50% NaOH) found in some aqueous cleaners can contain mercury.

When mercury gets into lakes and rivers, it is transformed into methylmercury, which can bioaccumulate in the aquatic food chain making consumption of fish potentially hazardous to humans. Bioaccumulation can result in an adult walleye having mercury concentrations literally hundreds of thousands of times higher, than in the waters where it resides.

The level of mercury contamination in caustic soda depends on the method by which the caustic soda was produced. Caustic soda made by the mercury cell process typically contains between 0.2 and 0.3 parts per million (ppm) mercury. The concentration of mercury in caustic soda produced by either the membrane cell or the diaphragm cell process is much lower.

You can help protect Michigan from the hazards of mercury contamination in its waters by using a low mercury grade caustic. Ask your sales representative for assistance in choosing an aqueous cleaner that's right for you and the environment.

Also please be aware that some chlorine bleaches can contain mercury too in concentrations as high as 9 ppb.

Don't rely on Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) to list this information. A product could conceivably contain mercury, but if it constitutes less than 1% of the total ingredients, the manufacturer is not required to list it as an ingredient.

Please partner with the Michigan Mercury Pollution Prevention (M2P2) Task Force in eliminating all non-essential uses of mercury. It's a pollution prevention opportunity you won't want to miss!