Make sure that gloves are worn for this procedure. All containers and gloves used should be rinsed with water and the water put in the waste mercury container for next time.

All solutions containing mercury salts are collected into a jar labelled “Used Mercury Salts”. We keep this in our grossing room. The jar is actually a clear glass 3 kg sodium phosphate container.

When the jar is about half full, to each 900 mL (estimate, don't measure) add 40 grams of sodium carbonate to raise the pH to 8.0 or higher and mix well.

Leave it for a while, then filter the solution and collect the precipitate into a plastic jar for disposal. Put the filter paper in the jar as well. Seal the jar very well. We coat the lid with several layers of paraffin wax until it is about a quarter inch thick.