Bring your mercury and pesticides.

Health and environmental officials are sponsoring two efforts to rid Utah County and Utah of aging noxious chemicals.

The Utah Department of Environmental Quality is asking resident to bring thermometers, thermostats, fluorescent and mercury vapor lamps, mercury switches, old chemistry sets and related toys, and blood pressure gauges to the health department for free disposal during April.

"We try and really educate people to properly dispose of mercury," said Donna Kemp Spangler of UDEQ.

"It can affect people's health because it is a neurotoxin -- and pregnant and young people are particularly susceptible. It really is a risk that can be avoided," she said.

Because mercury can be absorbed through the skin, mercury spilled from a broken thermometer or other source should not be touched, according to the Centers for Disease Control Web site, www.cdc.gov. Mercury can affect the nervous system, affect developing fetuses and damage organs.

Thermometers and other items containing mercury should not be thrown away so they don't contaminate the landfill, Spangler said.

"It is a toxin and it can seep down into the soil and get into the groundwater," she said.

Mercury collected by the state will be recycled by a private company, she said.

Officials at the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food are encouraging farmers and ranchers to turn in unused or outdated stockpiles of pesticides free of charge through April 11.

The pesticide collection program started in 1993 and has been wildly successful, collecting 70 tons so far, said Larry Lewis of UDAF.

"These are pesticides that have been stored but are no longer needed by the rancher, so we are doing them a public service," he said. "We are doing this to encourage that they be disposed of in the proper way."

Those who have pesticides to turn over should call in advance to make an appointment to deliver the pesticides, he said. The state then turns the chemicals over to a private hazardous waste company that destroys them.

The program is anonymous and no record is kept of the person who dropped off the chemicals, Lewis said.

To make an appointment to drop off pesticides, call (801) 538-7187.

Thermometers and other mercury-containing items may be dropped off at the Environmental Health Department at the Utah County Health and Justice Building, 151 S. University Ave., Suite 2600, in Provo between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. M-F during April.

If you have a broken thermometer or other mercury spill in your home:

Never use a vacuum cleaner to clean up mercury. The vacuum will put mercury into the air and increase exposure. The vacuum will be contaminated and have to be thrown away.

Never use a broom to clean up mercury. It will break the mercury into smaller droplets and spread them.

Never pour mercury down a drain, where it can pollute the septic tank or sewage treatment plant.

Never wash mercury-contaminated items in a washing machine. Mercury may contaminate the machine and/or pollute sewage.

Never walk in or otherwise touch mercury. Contaminated clothing can also spread mercury around.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page D1.