Waste Management for Phasing Out Mercury Added Devices

Mercury-based medical devices, such as thermometers and sphygmomanometers, pose significant health and environmental risks due to their toxic content. The Minamata Convention, ratified by over 140 nations, mandates the global phase-out of mercury-containing products by 2020. Minamata convention has pushed the mercury-added devices out of usage. However, improper disposal practices—such as auctions, municipal waste dumping, or uncontrolled incineration—persist, particularly in developing countries like India. This chapter addresses two critical challenges: (1) eliminating mercury-based devices from healthcare systems and (2) managing end-of-life or broken devices safely. While existing guidelines for mercury disposal exist, this study focuses on tailoring solutions specifically for sphygmomanometers, which remain prevalent in Indian healthcare despite known hazards. Mercury-added devices such as thermometers and sphygmomanometers pose a health and environmental hazard due to their content. Hospital staff and cleaners are the primary persons in contact with these mercury-added devices. They are directly or indirectly exposed to mercury contamination. Commonly, mercury is released via these agents into wastewater and solid waste at the end of their shelf lives. This research details the disposal plan for medical devices containing mercury specifically sphygmomanometers on the principles of circularity.