Some residents might remember actually playing with beads of mercury that you got by breaking open a thermometer. These old-fashioned thermometers are being phased out in the U.S.

Most household thermometers these days are digital. And most of us now understand that mercury is highly toxic and not to be toyed with. For example, 1 gram (a thermometer contains 0.6 gram) of mercury can pollute a 20-acre lake so that the fish there are unfit for eating.

But at the same time, the advent of compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) has presented householders with another mercury-disposal issue. Since CFLs do have trace amounts of mercury, you should take extra precautions when disposing of them.

It’s easy. All you have to do is double bag CFL bulbs in zip-lock bags and put them with the regular household trash to be hauled away to the Milner Butte Landfill. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not at this time defined CFLs as having a regulated amount of mercury. Or, if you want to recycle, you can deliver used CFLs to Home Depot.

If you still have mercury-filled thermometers, thermostats, barometers or other mercury-containing devices that you want to dispose of, you should store items intact in a puncture-proof container that is secure and stuffed with padding to prevent breakage, or you can double bag the item(s) in zip-lock bags. Then deliver the device(s) yourself to the city’s transfer station at 2186 Orchard Drive East. As a city resident, you are entitled to use this hazardous waste program offered through the Southern Idaho Solid Waste district. This program is not for commercial use, however.

Should you break a CFL or a mercury-filled thermometer, go to  http://www.epa.gov/hg/index.html on the Internet to read the various protocols for cleaning up small mercury spills in your home. You can also call Tom or Bill at the Twin Falls Department of Environmental Quality office at 736-2190 for guidance. For spills larger than the amount in one thermometer, contact the fire department at 735-4357, South Central Public Health at 737-5900, or the Idaho State Communications Center at (800) 632-8000.