By Heather Sorge and Trisha Sheehan
Floors emitting mercury vapor have now been found in several school districts in New Jersey. Schools have been using rubber-like polyurethane floors since the 1960s. Some of these floors, installed as late as 2006, contain phenyl mercuric acetate (PMA), a catalyst that releases odorless, colorless mercury vapor. Any item that has been in contact with these contaminated floors emits harmful mercury vapor indefinitely.
Mercury vapor can damage the central nervous system, kidneys, lungs, skin and eyes and is especially harmful to young children and fetuses whose bodies are still developing. For children with autism, studies show that their bodies have an even greater difficulty excreting toxic metals such as mercury.
Polyurethane floors are rubber-like, water-resistant and may be tinted any color. They are usually one-piece and poured in place but can be pieced together. This type of flooring is neither unique to schools nor to our state. Due to their softer nature they are installed in multipurpose rooms, gyms, cafeterias, auditoriums, stages, nursing homes, and indoor and outdoor tracks.
Recently, several New Jersey schools have had to confront concerned parents and staff members regarding these toxic floors, as well as the exorbitant cost to remove and remediate them. One such stand-out parent is Colette Staab of Washington Township who has mobilized fellow parents to get engaged and to stay informed by attending local school board meetings and pushing for greater transparency.
Unfortunately, there are no federal or state standards specific to mercury in flooring. Further, the date of the installation, or the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) cannot be used as a determining factor when evaluating whether or not a rubberized floor is a health hazard. SDS sheets aren’t comprehensive because if a “trade secret” is utilized, according to OSHA, it does not have to be reported.
The only reliable way to determine if a polyurethane floor contains mercury is to collect several small, full-thickness bulk samples for analysis by an accredited laboratory using EPA Method 7471B. If the floor is found to contain mercury, additional testing is required to determine toxicity.
In May, Healthy Schools Now and the national organization Moms Clean Air Force met with U.S. Senator Cory Booker to express their concerns, prompting Senator Booker to address a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission requesting the agencies work together to evaluate the risk of mercury exposure from the flooring and adopt a risk assessment model. He also called on the agencies to communicate the potential mercury hazard to school districts and the general public.
At the urging of Healthy Schools Now, the N.J. Schools Development Authority (NJSDA) announced it will be requiring a “mercury free” certification from manufacturers of rubberized and/or urethane floors installed on SDA projects ensuring the floor does not contain phenyl mercuric acetate (PMA) or other mercury catalysts. The SDA is responsible for capital projects in the SDA Districts, formerly Abbott Districts.
Still, we do not know how many of these floors exist or even where they are located. It’s why New Jersey must take action to protect our school staff and children by eliminating exposure to mercury from flooring. If identified in your school or community, these floors should be tested utilizing bulk sampling. Facilities looking to install this type of flooring should take the lead from NJSDA and obtain additional written certification from the manufacturer that states that no mercury catalyst was used.
Given the pervasive threat posed by mercury-laden flooring, we request that the N.J. Department of Health, N.J. Department of Education, and the N.J. Department of Environmental Protection establish a task force to develop best practices and assist school districts in implementing those practices, like in Arizona, and we request the governor issue an executive order to address testing and remediation of floors as was done with lead in drinking water.
The only safe level of mercury exposure is zero. There is no place for mercury flooring in our schools.
Heather Sorge, an organizer for the NJ Work Environment Council, coordinates the Healthy Schools Now campaign, a coalition of more than 60 organizations dedicated to making sure all N.J. students and staff learn and work in safe, healthy modernized schools.
Trisha Sheehan is the national field manager for Moms Clean Air Force, a community of more than 1 million moms and dads united against air pollution, toxins and climate change for the sake of our children’s health.
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