New York Laws
Title 21 - Mercury-Added Consumer Products
27-2101 - Definitions.

(a) thermostats;
(b) thermometers;
(c) switches, whether individually or as part of another product;
(d) medical or scientific instruments;
(e) electrical relays and other electrical devices;
(f) lamps; and
(g) batteries sold to consumers, not including button batteries.
8. "Mercury-added novelty consumer product" means a mercury-added
consumer product intended mainly for personal or household enjoyment or
adornment. Mercury-added novelty consumer products include, but are not
limited to, items intended for use as practical jokes, figurines,
adornments, toys, games, cards, ornaments, yard statues and figures,
candles, jewelry, holiday decorations, items of apparel (including
footwear), or similar products. A product is not a mercury-added novelty
consumer product solely on the basis that it is a game with a light
screen display containing mercury, or includes a removable battery
containing mercury.
9. "Mercury fever thermometer" or "mercury body thermometer" means a
mercury-added consumer product that is used for measuring body
temperature. A product is not a "mercury fever thermometer" or "mercury
body thermometer" solely on the basis that it includes a removable
battery containing mercury.
10. "Solid waste" means solid waste as defined in section 27-0701 of
this article.
11. "Retailer" means any person in this state who sells new
mercury-added consumer products to consumers for purposes other than
resale.
12. "Solid waste management facility" means a solid waste management
facility as defined in section 27-0701 of this article.

13. "Elemental mercury" means the material represented by the chemical
symbol Hg. Elemental Hg is a silvery-white liquid (at room temperature)
with an atomic number of 80 and an atomic mass of 200.59.
14. "Mercury barometer" means a mercury-added consumer product used
for measuring atmospheric pressure.
15. "Mercury esophageal dilator" or "mercury bougie tube" means a
mercury-added consumer product in the form of a long, flexible tube that
is passed down a patient's esophagus to dilate a narrowed area.
16. "Mercury flow meter" means a mercury-added consumer product used
for measuring the flow or quantity of a moving fluid or gas.
17. "Mercury hydrometer" means a mercury-added consumer product used
for measuring the specific gravity of a liquid.
18. "Mercury hygrometer" or "mercury psychrometer" means a
mercury-added consumer product used for measuring the water vapor
content of air.
19. "Mercury gastrointestinal tube" means a mercury-added consumer
product in the form of a tube used for addressing intestinal
obstructions.
20. "Mercury manometer" means a mercury-added consumer product used
for measuring the pressure of liquids and gases.
21. "Mercury pyrometer" means a mercury-added consumer product used
for measuring the temperature of extremely hot materials.
22. "Mercury sphygmomanometer" means a mercury-added consumer product
used for measuring blood pressure in the arteries.
23. "Mercury thermometer" means a mercury-added consumer product used
for measuring temperature.
24. "Mercury thermostat" means a mercury-added consumer product that
uses a mercury switch to sense and control room temperature through
communication with heating, ventilating or air conditioning equipment.
Such term includes thermostats used to sense and control room
temperature in residential, commercial, industrial and other buildings,
but does not include a thermostat used to control temperature as part of
a manufacturing process.
25. "Mercury relay" means a mercury-added consumer product or device
that opens or closes electrical contacts to affect the operation of
other devices in the same or another electrical circuit. Such term
includes mercury displacement relays and mercury contact relays but
shall not include mercury wetted reed relays.
26. "Mercury switch" means a mercury-added consumer product or device
that opens or closes an electrical circuit or gas valve. Such term
includes mercury float switches actuated by rising or falling liquid
levels, mercury tilt switches actuated by a change in the switch
position, mercury pressure switches actuated by a change in pressure,
and mercury temperature switches actuated by a change in temperature but
shall not include mercury flame sensors. Mercury switch does not include
a mercury thermostat.
27. "Household" means a single or multiple family residence.
28. "Manufacturer" means any person, firm, association, partnership,
limited liability company, corporation, governmental entity,
organization, combination or joint venture which is the last entity to
produce or assemble a new motor vehicle that utilizes mercury-added
components or, in the case of an imported motor vehicle, the importer or
domestic distributor of such vehicle.
29. "Mercury-added component" means a motor vehicle component that
contains greater than fifteen milligrams of mercury, which was
intentionally added to such vehicle in order to provide a specific
characteristic, appearance or quality, to perform a specific function,

or for any other purpose. Such components shall include, but not be
limited to, switches, sensors, lights and navigational systems.
30. "Mercury-added lamp" means an electric lamp to which mercury or
mercury compounds are intentionally added during the manufacturing
process, including, but not limited to, compact fluorescent lamps,
fluorescent lamps and tubular fluorescent lamps with normal or long
lifetime.
31. "Producer of mercury-added lamps" means any person who:
(a) manufactures and sells mercury-added lamps under its own brand;
(b) resells under its own brand equipment produced by other suppliers,
a reseller not being regarded as the producer of mercury-added lamps if
the brand of the producer of mercury-added lamps appears on the
equipment, as provided for in paragraph (a) of this subdivision; or
(c) serves as the importer or domestic distributor of a mercury-added
lamp if the brand name owner is located outside of the United States.
32. "General purpose lights" means lamps, bulbs, tubes, or other
electric devices that provide functional illumination for indoor
residential, indoor commercial, and outdoor use. General purpose lights
shall not include special purpose lights.
33. "Special purpose lights" means the following specialty lighting:
appliance, black light, germicidal, colored, plant light, reflector,
reprographic, shatter-resistant, cold temperature, sign service, and
preheat.
34. "Long lifetime" means more than twenty-four thousand hours when
tested on a T8 instant start ballast, a T12 rapid start ballast, or a T5
programmed start ballast, and turned on and off every three hours
("three hour starts").