Mercury (element) elevated over outdoor concentrations, at a range of 0.0065 – 0.523 μg/m. The average was 0.069 μg/m. Mercury also enters into the environment through the improper disposal (e.g., land filling, incineration) of certain products. Products containing mercury include: auto parts, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, medical products, thermometers, and thermostats. Due to health concerns (see below), toxics use reduction efforts are cutting back or eliminating mercury in such products. For example, the amount of mercury sold in thermostats in the United States decreased from 14.5 tons in 2004 to 3.9 tons in 2007. Most thermometers now use pigmented alcohol instead of mercury,
Toxic colonialism the idea of economic relief at a seemingly minor, but substantial environment cost. In some instances, monetary funds are not the only thing exchanged between developed and developing nations, “Somali warring parties used to accept hazardous and highly toxic wastes in exchange of army and ammunition”. This example is an indication of the separation between developed and developing nation and shows the lengths that not only developing nations are willing to extend to meet their needs, it also shows the desperation of developed nations to remove themselves from handling excessive toxic waste commitments. Over the past few decades there have