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The Production, Use and Alternativesof Mercury Thermometers and

Sphygmomanometer in China

Z. Cao, J. Wang, Q. Wang

Institute for Environmental Health and Relative

Products Safety, Chinese Center for Disease

Control and PreventionCaozj@139.com

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Contents

Overview of mercury pollution

The production of mercury medial devices

The use of mercury medial devices

The alternative of mercury medial devices

Outlook on mercury-free medical health

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Mercury pollution sources

Li he. Mercury emissions reduction, a new title of pollution prevention and control

[N]. Science and Technology Daily from 2010 -05-23.

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Overview of mercury control

1998

2003

2005

Mercury and mercuride were included on

list of the first patch of toxic chemicals

banned or severely restricted in China

Mercury and mercuride were on the list of

Categories of medical waste as chemicalwaste

Mercury thermometer and sphygmomano-meters are listed on national Catalogue ofIndustrial Structure Adjustment 2005 as

restricted item

Li he. Tough coming mercury-free health care [N]. Science and Technology Daily

from 2010 -05-23 (1).

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Mercury production

A history of more than 2,000 years

Biggest volume of production of

mercury-containing medical devices

The largest population country

Main exporting country of mercury-

containing medical devices

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Export of mercury meters

Mostly export to Southeast Asia

Latin America and Africa

U.S. Europe

Health Care Without Harm .The Global Movement for Mercury[R].

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Mercury consumption of

Thermometers and Sphygmomanometers

Health Care Without Harm .The Global Movement for Mercury[R].

Yi Rongrong. Chinese mercury consumption of device industry excesses 200

tons[N]. Science Times ,2010-01-06 (A2).

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Manufacturers of mercury meters

approximately 16,000medical devicesmanufacturers

more than 150,000 distribution dealers

manufacturers of thermometer andsphygmomanometer reach 100

the mercury thermometer and sphygmomanometermanufacturers excess 20

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Amount of medical institute

Ministry of health.China Health Statistics Yearbook 2010[EB/OL].

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Report of IPEN(1)

16 hospitals of 4 Cities in China, includingBeijing, Tianjin, Fenyang and Kunming.

Mercury thermometers and sphygmoma-

nometers were prevalent mercury-free thermometers were used in only 2

hospitals

http://www.chinadevelopmentbrief.org.cn/userfiles/0505.doc

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Report of IPEN(2)

Both mercury and mercury-free meters wereused in about of hospitals

Consumers could buy mercury-free thermo-

meters in markets. More than 55% of shops offer both mercury

and mercury-free thermometers

the latter is more expensive.

http://www.chinadevelopmentbrief.org.cn/userfiles/0505.doc

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A local research

Wang Junling, Zhang Zengjie, Han Yuhua. Study on Pollution Emission Reduction Countermeasure

about Hospital mercury-bearing Waste[J].Environmental Science and Management, 2010,35(7):10-

13

The loss of mercury due to mercury meters

taking at least 95% of the total loss

The mainly sources of mercury-containing

products and waste in hospitals.

Thermometer mercury loss 1.22g/bed

Sphygmomanometer mercury loss 1.38/g bed

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Mercury-free health care pilots

April, 2006

2 hospitals:

Tiantan hospital

Jishuitan hospital

Carried out by MEP and U.S. EPA

Large-scale alternative of mercury

thermometers and sphygmomanometers

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Mercury-free health care pilots

The reclaimed broken thermometers hadincreased by 12.5 times

The mercury for maintaining sphygmomano-

meters had decreased by 46% The use rate of mercury thermometers

35% and 23%

The use rate of mercury sphygmomanometers

25% and 7.5%.

Multilateral cooperation in the reduction of mercury-containing equipment in

medical environment [N]. China Medical Tribune, 2007,37.

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Other mercury-free hospitals

Tianjin tumor hospital opened mercury-freewards

Shaoxing people hospitals in Zhejiang provinceactively used mercury-free thermometers and

sphygmomanometers, so as to create mercury-

free hospital

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Challenges for mercury-free

1. Expensive price of mercury-free medical device

2. Lag of manufacturing technique of mercury-free

medical devices

3. Limitation of the mercury-free medical devices

4. Need of national strategy

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Expensive price

The cost is the core issue.

The digital thermometers are 11 times more

expensive than mercury devices in China.

http://www.taobao.com

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Lag of manufacturing technique

Not many types of meters

Lag behind in product quality

Many key technologies and components

have not been achieved localization

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Limitation

Burn patients cannot take electronic

thermometer

Thermometers cannot be soaked in

disinfection solution directly

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Need of national strategy

The national strategic reserve materials

Protect domestic manufacturers

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Suggestions for mercury-free

1. Strengthen investigation and research, ascertainthe basic data related to mercury

2. Establish the plans and regulations related to

mercury products3. To accelerate the independent innovation in

Mercury-free health care, to lower the price of

mercury-free medical devices

4. Strengthen the publicity and promotion ofmercury hazards and alternative technologi-

es/products

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Outlook on mercury-free medical health

A scientific development guideline

Meet China's actual conditions

We will realize mercury-free medical

and health care

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Thank You!