To “see” mercury vapor under special ultraviolet illumination click this link www.michigan.gov/mercury to watch a short video on the Michigan Department of Community Health website. 

Mercury vapor given off from a spill enters your body with the air you breathe and only about 20 percent of the vapor is exhaled. The rest of the mercury enters your blood and is circulated throughout your body. Mercury is a powerful neurotoxin that is especially harmful to people who are in a developmental stage of their life. For this reason, the fetus of pregnant women and children 6 years and under are considered most vulnerable to the health effects of mercury vapors. 

Health agencies and Poison Control Centers recommend that you replace mercury-bearing devices with non-mercury alternatives. This is a low cost and easy way to prevent future mercury spills in your home. However, it is not easy to know if a spill occurred before you moved in or whether mercury vapors are in the air you and your family breathe. 

Nova Consultants has initiated a service that will screen your home for mercury and mercury vapor. Using state of the art equipment from the Ohio Lumex company, a technician can visit your home and carefully check every room and any item, such as a vacuum cleaner or your vehicle, which may have become contaminated by a mercury spill. 

You will receive real-time verbal information during the screening investigation. Following the screening, you will receive a printed report of the mercury vapor levels measured at each sampled location. If mercury vapors or a spill of elemental mercury are found, Nova will help you interpret the report and will advise you on the next steps and on cleanup resources available to you . 

If your home is free of hazardous mercury vapors, the report will state that. The NOVA technician will give you advice on mercury-free items and other ways to keep you home safe from the threat of future mercury spills. 

The cost of the Mercury Screen Service starts at $150. Additional costs may apply based on the size and location of your home, or if screening other areas such as your vehicle is needed. Discounts are available for proximate groupings of homes and apartments that minimize travel time for the screening technician.beads, and the temperature of the affected space.