The quantities of mercury being handled by Canada’s waste management sector are very large. According to the most recent data (2001) from Canada’s National Pollutant Release Inventory, five of the top ten companies reporting were waste management companies. These companies reported mercury releases and transfers of 28,674 kg in one year. When one considers that mercury pollution is often measured in milligrams, and methylmercury levels in fish are measured in micrograms, the NPRI data suggest that Canada still has a long way to go in achieving mercury use reductions that protect ecosystems. It was once thought that mercury used in products posed no risk, because it.
