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NPEP Success Story: Brookhaven National Laboratory
Brookhaven National Laboratory Reduces Mercury Inventory by 65%
Established in 1947, Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) is a multi-program national laboratory operated by Brookhaven Science Associates (BSA) for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). BNL is one of 10 national laboratories under DOE’s Office of Science, which provides most of the Laboratory’s research dollars and direction. BNL is located on Long Island, 60 miles east of New York City, in Suffolk County. The Laboratory employs approximately 2700 full-time employees.
BNL's NPEP Goal
BNL has been a partner in the National Partnership for Environmental Priorities since 2004. In 2006 BNL successfully completed an NPEP commitment to reduce mercury waste bearing streams by 25%. BNL vowed to continue to reduce mercury under the NPEP program and committed to reduce its mercury inventory by an additional 40 pounds from October 2006 through September 2007 (approximately 15%).
Over the years BNL has implemented several projects to remove mercury from the site. In 2004 and 2005 BNL conducted extensive inventories of elemental mercury and mercury containing devices and encouraged the owner/user to replace the mercury device with a solid state or mechanical device or other non-mercury containing instrument.
From October 2006 through September 2007 the Laboratory removed an additional 55 pounds of mercury, surpassing the original goal of 40 pounds. Additionally, since September 2007 the Laboratory has reduced its mercury inventories by an additional 48 pounds for an overall reduction of 103 pounds or 34%.
Source Reduction and Recycling Alternatives
The majority of the mercury targeted for reduction in these programs was addressed through source reduction. Mercury containing devices such as bench-top thermometers and temperature control devices (e.g., thermostats) were replaced with non-mercury devices such as pentane or alcohol thermometers and solid state electronic controls. Mercury-wetted relays were also replaced with electronic devices. While most thermometers, thermostats and relays contain very small quantities of mercury, elemental mercury in storage for use in Toepler pumps was removed resulting in the bulk removal of 30 pounds of mercury.
Hurdles Faced
The biggest hurdle to success is the scientists need for mercury in experimental equipment. The cost to replace mercury within these systems was also of concern. BNL continues to provide Pollution Prevention funds to alleviate the cost of component replacement to the researchers.
Waste Minimization Results
Since 2003 BNL has successfully reduced its mercury inventory by 65% (from 568 pounds in 2003 to 199 pounds in 2009). Reduced mercury inventory reduces the potential releases to the environment and reduce employee exposure to mercury from potential releases.
We are also evaluating the secondary benefits of reductions in the concentration of mercury in sanitary sewer releases. Review of mercury data trends shows that the level of mercury in the release from the sewage treatment plant has been slowly decreasing.
Lessons Learned
An accurate inventory and accounting of the actual mercury content of instruments is necessary to report mercury reductions. In most cases, the weight of the instrument far outweighs the actual mercury content which leads to a gross overestimate of mercury in inventory and in the waste stream