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,
Ship disposal Ship disposal A number of different methods exist for disposing of a ship after it has reached the end of its effective or economic service life with an organisation. Although many options are technically possible, some, such as deep water sinking, are not used for non-military vessels, or have come under increased scrutiny. Options currently available include: Some shipping companies have in the past attempted to dispose of their ships illegally, often due to the high costs of sanitizing these ships in a legal way as a result of the presence of large quantities of toxic compounds and materials. Prominent