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'Thermometer swap' to be held in Taipei

The Taipei City Government will replace mercury thermometers with free electronic ones on Saturday in support of the central government's ban on the sale of mercury thermometers, a city government official said yesterday.

People wishing to take advantage can visit Taipei City Hospital’s Yang Ming Branch between 9am and noon on Saturday, where there will be 900 electronic thermometers up for grabs, Taipei City Department of Environmental Protection Director-General Ni Shih-piao (倪世標) said.

The Environmental Protection Administration announced earlier yesterday that the sale of mercury thermometers to individuals and non-medical institutions would be banned from July 1, with violators facing fines of up to NT$6,000.

The director-general of the Department of Waste Management, Ho Soong-chin (何舜琴), said mercury is harmful to the environment.

Recycling the small amounts of the element typically found in thermometers — 1.2g — is difficult and therefore the discarded medical devices are a threat to the environment, Ho said, adding that the ban is aimed at cutting mercury use.

Businesses will still be allowed to sell traditional thermometers to medical institutions until July 1, 2011, Ho said.

Ni advised anybody cleaning up after breaking a mercury thermometer not to use a vacuum cleaner or broom, but to collect the mercury in cardboard or an empty syringe, wrap it carefully and hand it to the department.

Ni said Saturday’s “thermometer swap” was being sponsored by three Taiwanese medical equipment manufacturers — Omron, Microlife Corp and Mesure Technology Co.

After Saturday, the public can hand in their old mercury thermometers at any branch of Cosmed, Wellcare and Pro Healthcare drugstores. Ni said people would not get a free electronic replacement, but they would receive coupons from the three stores.
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