The thermometer broke, what to do, consequences. What to do if a mercury thermometer breaks

It is perhaps difficult to find a family whose first aid kit is missing mercury thermometer. Many people know that this item should be handled very carefully, because a broken thermometer poses a direct threat to health. However, not everyone knows how to eliminate the consequences of such an “accident” and what exactly it threatens. In this article we will try to figure out in detail what to do if the thermometer breaks.

What does a mercury thermometer consist of?

A mercury thermometer has a very simple design, and therefore, of course, its operation is very convenient. Moreover, unlike a digital thermometer, this one has a lower cost and its readings are more accurate. The device is made in the form of a glass tube, both ends of which are sealed. As a result, an absolute vacuum without air is created in the tube. At one end of this tube there is a reservoir that is filled with mercury. In addition, in the thermometer it is easy to notice the temperature scale, which has divisions of 0.1 degrees. It is worth noting that the place connecting the reservoir with mercury and the tube narrows, and for this reason the mercury does not move in the opposite direction. Thanks to this design, temperature readings can be maintained after reaching maximum value. Touching the skin, the mercury reservoir heats up, which is why the mercury has the opportunity to expand and rise. Having reached the maximum value, mercury stops expanding, freezing at a certain number. Typically, ten minutes or a little less is enough to measure the temperature. Taking into account the fact that the thermometer contains mercury, it must be handled very carefully, in no case allowing it to break.

Before you take any steps to eliminate mercury, find out exactly what it looks like and why it is dangerous.

What mercury looks like from a broken thermometer photo and description

In the photographs presented you can see exactly what the mercury that flows out of the broken thermometer. Of course, once you have seen mercury in person at least once, you are unlikely to confuse it with anything else. As you can see, droplets of mercury have metallic color, and generally resemble drops of molten metal. From a distance, these droplets can be mistaken for beads. It is worth noting that, despite the fact that mercury is completely harmless (this is especially dangerous if children come across it), its fumes can cause a lot of trouble and seriously undermine health if measures to eliminate it are not taken in a timely manner.

What is its danger to humans?

Mercury– extremely poisonous Chemical substance. By the way, mercury is mainly found in the body due to inhalation of its vapors, which have no odor. Even if the exposure time of mercury is minimal, it can result in serious health problems and poisoning. It has a toxic effect on the digestive system, as well as the nervous and immune system. Dangerous for kidneys, lungs, eyes, skin. There are mild mercury poisonings (in the case of food poisoning), heavy (due to emergency situations at enterprises or lack of safety precautions). Happens and chronic poisoning. The latter type increases the risk of tuberculosis and other diseases. The consequences of poisoning can make themselves felt even after a long period (even after 2-3 years). Please note that acute poisoning can result in loss of vision, baldness, paralysis and even fatal. Mercury poses a serious threat to women during pregnancy, posing a risk to the development of the baby.

What to do if a thermometer with mercury in an apartment breaks

If a mercury thermometer breaks in your apartment, then, as already noted, you should eliminate the consequences of this trouble. However, it is important to remember that strict safety rules must be followed when collecting mercury.

It is best to collect mercury using a regular syringe. You can also use regular napkins soaked vegetable oil or newspapers soaked in water - drops will stick to the paper. The balls will also easily stick to adhesive materials such as tape. Among other options, you can consider another quite simple one: collect mercury on a sheet of paper with a soft brush. During the procedure, pay Special attention baseboards and cracks. If mercury is on the carpet, under no circumstances should you use a vacuum cleaner or broom! Roll the carpet from the edge to the center so that the balls do not scatter around the room. Wrap the rug in plastic wrap and take it outside. Before hanging it, lay down a film so that the soil is not contaminated with mercury. After this, lightly knock out the carpet. Such a carpet will have to be aired for at least three months, so if possible, it is better to throw it away.

Demercurization, disinfection and ventilation

The room can be cleared of mercury, both by employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and by one’s own efforts. So, before starting this process, which is called demercurization, it is worth starting to ventilate the room by opening all the windows. By the way, the room should be thoroughly ventilated for the next week. Doors to other rooms should be closed during the elimination of mercury so that vapors of the hazardous substance do not spread throughout the apartment. At the same time, a draft should not be allowed so that the balls do not scatter around the room and break into mercury dust, settling on the table, bed, walls, and so on. Before you start cleaning up particles on mercury, you should definitely put on latex gloves. Also, don’t forget about shoe covers for your feet (can be replaced with plastic bags). During demercurization, the mouth and nose should be covered with a damp gauze bandage. By the way, even after all the visible to the eye drops of mercury, some microparticles of the substance may still remain in the room. It is for this reason that it is also necessary to carry out disinfection. Wash the floors and walls with a solution of some detergent that contains chlorine. In addition, a solution of potassium permanganate is also suitable.

What to do with the remains of a broken thermometer

If you are convinced that you have completely cleared the room of mercury on your own, and for some reason you cannot call the Emergency Ministry team, then there is another way to get rid of the dangerous substance. Take a jar of mercury, a broken thermometer, the clothes that you were wearing at the time of demercurization (if there is a possibility that mercury got on it), and hand it all over to a special enterprise that disposes of waste containing mercury. If there is no such institution nearby, then the thermometer can be taken to the sanitary and epidemiological station or a state pharmacy, where you will be asked to fill out a special application.

Having collected the substance, place it in a glass jar with water at room temperature along with the remains of the thermometer. The container must be tightly closed with a lid. It is strictly not recommended to throw a jar of mercury into the sewer or water supply system, so as not to pollute environment. If you did not call the Ministry of Emergency Situations immediately, you should do this after you have collected the toxic substance in a jar. When the team arrives, give them a jar with a thermometer and mercury, as well as all the materials used for demercurization. The responsibilities of the team of medical specialists include mandatory subsequent disinfection of the premises.

Who to call if the mercury thermometer at home is broken

As we already mentioned, best options in this unpleasant situation, the emergency services team will be called. It is possible that you will do something wrong and will not be able to completely remove the remaining toxic substance from your home. In turn, specialists will do everything to ensure that there are no traces of mercury left in the room and that your health is not in danger. Please note that clothing and shoes that have been in contact with a hazardous substance cannot be washed in a washing machine - it is best to throw these things away. Also, under no circumstances should you remove mercury using a broom or vacuum cleaner, despite the fact that these options seem to be the most obvious.

How long does it take for mercury to dissipate?

Even after you eliminate all traces of mercury from your apartment, its fumes will still remain in the room for some time. In order to minimize their negative effects, after removing evaporating sources, it is strongly recommended to thoroughly ventilate the apartment. If you do not have the opportunity to ventilate the entire apartment, you must do this at least directly in the room in which the thermometer broke. If you want to remove vapors that have already accumulated in the air, the room must be ventilated for at least 5-7 hours. If possible, it is better to ventilate the room for at least several days! Over the next week, we recommend treating the surface where the substance was located with a solution of potassium permanganate several times a day. Also, certain measures should be taken by the person who collected the mercury, if this was not done by the Ministry of Emergency Situations team. To prevent poisoning, you should drink as much fluid as possible, because mercury formations exit through the kidneys. In addition, fresh fruits and vegetables will undoubtedly benefit. If you still feel unwell in the near future, in order to avoid deterioration of your health, you should immediately consult a doctor.

First aid if a child has inhaled mercury vapor

If a thermometer breaks in the house and the child manages to inhale mercury vapor, it is necessary to take first steps as soon as possible medical care. First, carefully examine the child’s hands and hair, and if a toxic substance is found on them, dispose of it immediately. If a child has swallowed mercury balls, immediately call an ambulance, and while it is heading towards you, you need to call the child vomiting reflex. The situation is more complicated if the baby managed to swallow fragments - nothing should be done until the doctors arrive. Just put your child on the bed and minimize all his actions. If mercury gets on his clothes, he should change his clothes immediately. The situation is less critical if the mercury has not had time to get on the child’s skin, hair and clothes - then you just need to take him out of the room. Once on fresh air, give him activated carbon. Carefully inspect the room to find all the thermometer fragments and drops of toxic metal - you can remove them yourself or call the Ministry of Emergency Situations team for this procedure. After eliminating the “accident,” drink as much fluid as possible with your child over the next few days. Even if it seems to you that the baby feels quite normal and the mercury vapor has not affected his well-being, you should still consult a doctor for confirmation!

What not to do if the thermometer breaks

In conclusion, let us summarize what should not be done under any circumstances if a thermometer breaks in the house. 1) First of all, remember that you cannot collect poisonous balls with a vacuum cleaner - it will heat the metal, and this will only speed up the evaporation process. Particles of the substance will settle on the parts of the device, and it will become a hotbed for the spread of toxic vapors - as a result, you will definitely need to get rid of it.2) Do not sweep the mercury with a broom, because the drops will separate into even smaller ones, and they will be much more difficult to find.3) It is forbidden to collect mercury balls with a rag - because of this, the area affected by the substance will increase.4) Having collected toxic droplets, do not throw them into the garbage disposal - it will be impossible to get rid of them, and in the end it will not only be you who will suffer.5) Do not create a draft in the room until mercury will not be completely eliminated, otherwise the balls will separate into microscopic particles and end up on walls or furniture.6) If you have even the slightest suspicion that a toxic substance is on your things, it is forbidden to wash them in a washing machine - mercury may remain on its parts . We recommend simply throwing away these clothes - it’s probably easier than later getting rid of the washing machine.

Almost each of us has a mercury thermometer at home, which is used for its damage can be very dangerous: mercury is the only metal contained in a liquid state at room temperature, and inhaling its vapors can lead to poisoning. That is why you need to have a good idea of ​​what you should do if you crash. Below we will describe the actions that should be taken in such a situation.

So, what to do if a mercury thermometer breaks: step one.

To begin with, without panicking in any way, you need to limit access to All people not involved in cleaning should be taken outside (or to another room) and the door of the room in which the thermometer was broken should be tightly closed. Be attentive and careful, do not trample in dangerous places, so as not to later spread mercury balls on the sole of your shoes to other rooms.

What to do if a mercury thermometer breaks: step two.

Put on and collect the thermometer fragments and mercury balls. It is convenient to do this with a syringe without a needle, tape, adhesive tape or two sheets of paper. The last method is as follows: using sheets of paper, connect mercury balls to each other, and then roll them onto the paper. To remove balls of mercury from the crack, use a needle with a cotton swab soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate wrapped around it. An alternative is to use copper wire (mercury sticks to copper), but the copper content in the wire must be significant, and the surface of the wire must be cleaned of oxides.

The collected mercury and tools should be placed in a jar of water and closed tightly.

What to do if a mercury thermometer breaks: step three.

Mercury vapor evaporates in smaller quantities when low temperatures, so it is advisable to ventilate the room, unless, of course, it’s plus thirty outside. Next, you need to treat the place where the thermometer broke with a solution of potassium permanganate at the rate of 2 grams of potassium permanganate per liter of water, and then soapy soda solution at the rate of 50 grams of soda and soap per liter of water.

What to do if a mercury thermometer breaks: step four.

After the work has been done, you need to get rid of the jar of mercury. You should call the Ministry of Emergency Situations and find out where you need to take it, and until then put it away from heating objects, in a cool place where there is no access sun rays.

As for you, increase the amount of fluid you consume in the near future, since mercury formations leave the body through the kidneys.

A few words about what not to do.

Avoid contact of mercury with skin.

Do not create a draft in a ventilated room.

You should not sweep mercury balls with a broom, as hard rods can crush the mercury balls, after which it will be difficult to collect them.

You cannot collect mercury using a vacuum cleaner, since the air blown by the device facilitates the evaporation of mercury vapor.

Do not wash shoes and clothing that have been in contact with mercury in washing machines. Ideally, it should be thrown away (clothes and shoes).

You cannot get rid of mercury using the sewer system, because if it settles in the sewer pipes, then removing it from there is almost impossible.

You should not throw a broken thermometer into the garbage chute, since the tiny fraction of mercury that evaporates there can contaminate a large area.

Don't let this information pass you by. When they happen similar situations, you begin to reproach yourself for your careless attitude and inability to take action when necessary. If you know how to behave when a mercury thermometer breaks, “what to do” - the question that instantly arises in difficult moments will not confuse you.

Since you have not yet switched to electronic thermometers, then this issue will arise only a matter of time. Before we panic, let's figure out how real the threat is.

Is mercury from a broken thermometer dangerous?

If you address this question to scientists or doctors, you will not be pleased with the answer. By itself, this silvery metal is almost harmless. Its danger is that already at +18°C it begins to emit toxic fumes. Mercury balls, scattered across the floor and hidden in cracks, will saturate the air with poison if they are not collected. Inhalation of this air will eventually lead to so-called chronic mercury intoxication.

The symptoms of this poisoning are enough for two such articles, so we will limit ourselves to just a few:

• headache;
• stomach upset;
• metallic taste;
• general weakness;
• drowsiness, apathy;
• trembling hands, nervous tic;
• irritability.

Mercury can accumulate in the body for years and lead to weakened memory, decreased performance, and inability to concentrate. May cause mental illness, hypertension, tuberculosis and a number of other diseases.

Just one gram of this metal in a room of 15 m² can create a concentration of 20 mg/cub.m. For your information, the amount of mercury in the thermometer is 2 grams, and the maximum permissible concentration in residential premises is 0.0003 mg/cub.m.

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If a mercury thermometer breaks or mercury spills, information on the website

In other words, if the thermometer was broken at home and you were unable to properly collect mercury from the floor (more on this a little later), then there is nothing to do, you need to sell the apartment and move. But is the danger really that serious?

How dangerous is a broken mercury thermometer?

Now that you're scared enough, let's turn on the logic and break down a few simple facts. Let's start with the “killer” calculations outlined above. They are correct, but with the caveat that this 1 g of mercury will instantly evaporate in a hermetically sealed indoors. This can only be done in laboratory conditions.

In reality, 1 gram will evaporate at a rate of 0.09 mg/hour. The vapors will spread throughout the apartment (for example, 60 m²), which in itself reduces the concentration. Add to this natural ventilation and a window open for ventilation (not even wide open). In total, this will give about 300 cubic meters of air per hour, which will circulate in the house. So 0.09: 300 = how much would you think? 0.0003 mg/cubic meter, that is, just the norm.

In other words, even if you completely break the thermometer and do nothing, the concentration of the “killer” toxin will only be twice the permissible level, which is quite normal. Within a week or two, the evaporation rate will drop by half, the vapors will disappear, and the indicators will return to normal.

Perhaps it’s worth adding one more number. In the situation described above, your body will receive approximately 15 mcg of mercury per day. The norm is considered to be 5 mcg/day, however, for comparison, a hearty dinner of fish and seafood will leave 10-20 mcg in the body. Yes, yes, bad news for seafood lovers. IN sea ​​water, it turns out, there is also mercury, which its inhabitants absorb. For tuna and lobster, for example, this figure is significantly higher than normal.

People started thinking about whether mercury from a broken thermometer is dangerous relatively recently. And, by the way, this metal was quite widespread back in Ancient Egypt. “Liquid silver” was worn in bottles as an amulet. With its help, they treated (though not always successfully) volvulus, when the patient was allowed to drink up to 300 grams of mercury, which, with its weight, “restored order” to the insides.

Until the 70s of the last century, liquid metal was quite actively used in medicine. It was used in dentistry, also as a component of some ointments and antiseptics, and even a laxative. They learned about its toxicity later, and decided that it was better to be “over-safe than under-safe,” which gave rise to many myths and stereotypes.

If broken mercury thermometers in homes were so dangerous, do you think they would be used in preschool and medical institutions? Ask nurses or educators you know kindergarten, how many thermometers their charges break per month. You will be quite surprised.

Is it worth panicking?

The above does not mean that you can drink mercury for breakfast instead of coffee. Yes, as we found out, the danger of a broken mercury thermometer in an apartment is slightly exaggerated, but it does not add health to the couple, even in minimal quantities. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you take some measures and collect the cute silver balls from the floor yourself.

You can often come across advice to “immediately evacuate the entire house, call medical and rescue teams, let everyone in, don’t let anyone out, carry out a complete demercurization of the premises...”. Zombie apocalypse in action. I just want to ask if such advisers had to call the Ministry of Emergency Situations after the thermometer was broken, and what they answered...

Of course, you can call the Ministry of Emergency Situations. IN best case scenario, they won't do anything. You will be gently sent away, or you will be read instructions on how to independently eliminate the consequences. At worst, if employees are bored or have a “plan” for incidents, they will come to you to carry out “demercurization”. Do you know what it is? They will flood your entire apartment with ferric chloride solution and tell you not to enter it for at least a week.

If you have tiles on the floor, consider yourself slightly frightened. If it is laminate or parquet, you will most likely have to re-lay it, since it will be very difficult to wash it. You say, so what, health is more expensive? There's no arguing here, we're just talking about something else. If you act correctly, then within a few days not a single gas-mercury analyzer will show an excess of the norm, and without any damage to property and panic in the house.

What to do if a mercury thermometer is broken

Since the evaporation temperature of mercury is +18°C, it is necessary to cool the room, preferably to +15°C. This will help in winter open window, in summer - air conditioning. At the same time, the window should still be kept open to allow clean air to enter.

We kick people and animals out of the house, put on gloves and shoe covers, and start collecting silver drops. To do this, you can use a sheet of paper, a rubber medical bulb, a syringe with a large needle, a plaster or tape. Depends on the location where the thermometer broke and the size of the balls. It’s more convenient to drive large ones onto a sheet of paper, collect small ones with tape, remove them from cracks with a syringe... The main thing is not to use a broom or vacuum cleaner. By doing this, you only make things worse, and besides, you will have to throw them away later.

Place the collected mercury, along with fragments of a broken thermometer, in a glass or plastic jar with a tight-fitting lid. You can pour some cold water into it to prevent evaporation.

After the visible balls have been collected, as an additional measure, you can carry out independent “demercurization”. To do this, take a liter of water, add a little potassium permanganate, a tablespoon of salt and vinegar. Mix the solution thoroughly and treat cracks and places where microscopic particles of mercury could remain. After 7-8 hours, thoroughly wash the floor using ordinary household chemicals.

After completing the procedures, put the used tools, gloves, shoe covers in the same jar, close the lid tightly and place in a cool place. It is undesirable to throw its contents into the trash, and even more so into the sewer. It’s better to call the Ministry of Emergency Situations or the SES, they will tell you where you can take the can for safe disposal.

For several days you should do intensive ventilation and frequent wet cleaning in the room where the thermometer was broken. Within a week, the fumes will disappear and there will be no signs of a “chemical attack” in the house.

Every family must have a thermometer in their first aid kit to measure body temperature. Modern electronic or infrared thermometers are safe, but most people use Soviet mercury thermometers the old fashioned way, considering them more accurate.

But if a thermometer in your apartment breaks during an awkward movement, what should you do? Should I cope on my own or run to call the Ministry of Emergency Situations, an ambulance and the sanitary and epidemiological station?

Since childhood, everyone knows that mercury is dangerous to human health, but glass things tend to break. That is why mercury temperature meters have always been treated with care and precision, perhaps because of this they are found in every second family in the post-Soviet space.

The safety rules for using mercury thermometers are as follows.

1. Keep the thermometer as far as possible from children. It is inventive children who most often become the culprits of a broken meter. Keep an eye on your child when taking his temperature.
2. At the thermometer in mandatory There must be a hard, durable case.
3. When shaking the thermometer, be extremely careful - do not pick it up with wet hands and stay away from furniture and other objects that you might touch.

What consequences are possible if the thermometer is damaged?

Before we figure out what to do if a mercury thermometer breaks in an apartment, let's find out why its contents are dangerous?

Mercury - chemical element, the only metal in existence that remains liquid under normal conditions. This viscous silvery substance easily collects into balls. Its vapors are very poisonous and toxic.

The metal itself poses almost no threat, but has the ability to evaporate, starting from +18 degrees, and poison everything around. Be sure to instruct your household that you cannot hide the fact that the thermometer is damaged, and study the algorithm for eliminating the toxic substance.

The thermometer contains up to two grams of mercury. It might seem like a small amount, but they can cause significant harm to health. The problem is aggravated by the fact that the nimble little balls can scatter across the carpet, get behind the baseboard or into a crack in the floor. Mercury has the ability to accumulate in the body, and symptoms of poisoning will not appear soon, when you no longer remember about the broken device, which will complicate the diagnosis.

Mercury vapor can cause the following conditions.

1. Diseases respiratory system, pneumonia, tuberculosis.
2. Damage to the thyroid gland.
3. Diseases of the heart and blood vessels.
4. Irreversible changes internal organs: liver, kidneys.
5. Central nervous system disorders up to paralysis.

Poisoning is extremely dangerous for children, the elderly, and pregnant women.

What to do if the thermometer at home breaks? Calm down and don't worry. Act quickly, clearly and competently. Trembling hands and a state of shock will not help you.

Step 1. Clearing the premises from strangers

First of all, get all the people out of the room. This is especially true for children, pregnant women and the elderly. Pets should also be protected from danger.

Step 2. Airing the room

Remember that mercury evaporates at temperatures above 18 degrees. If possible, cool the air by opening a window. Avoid drafts - mercury balls can “scatter” around the apartment. Turn on and off heating devices.

Step 3. Mercury collection

Change into clothes that you can throw away later. The ideal option would be an ordinary cellophane raincoat from. Put on rubber gloves, shoe covers, and a damp gauze bandage on your face.

Prepare a glass container with an airtight lid, cold water, manganese or bleach solution, a medical syringe or syringe without a needle.

Place the thermometer fragments in a jar of water or manganese solution. Send all collected mercury balls there too.

Silvery metal gleams in bright light, so get bright lighting to make it easier to collect the mercury. Carefully inspect all the cracks and cracks, highlight them with a flashlight.

Suck up the found balls with a syringe or syringe bulb and drop them into a jar with a thermometer. If you don’t have a syringe and a bulb at hand, you can collect mercury on a sheet of paper with a cotton swab dipped in potassium permanganate, tape or adhesive tape.

Step 4. Demercurization

The alchemical name for mercury is mercury, after the planet closest to the Sun. Demercurization is the neutralization of a toxic substance.

After you have carefully and carefully found and collected the liquid metal from the broken thermometer, placed the waste in a bottle of water and sealed it with a lid, it must be refrigerated for subsequent disposal.

The site of a mercury spill should be neutralized using chemical neutralizers. Dilute potassium permanganate to a dark purple state, add a tablespoon of vinegar and salt per liter of liquid and begin treating all surfaces in the room.

Instead of manganese, you can use a bleach solution; the easiest way is to take ordinary “Whiteness”. A mixture of water, soda and laundry soap is also a good demercurizer.

Solutions must be caustic and concentrated. They should be poured generously onto the floor and left for at least a day. Cleaning with their help should be carried out daily for several weeks after collecting mercury.

Step 5. Disposing of a thermometer

The jar with mercury waste must be taken to the SES or the Ministry of Emergency Situations, where it will be disposed of by specialists. Also collect and take along with the jar the clothes you worked in and all the helper items: a syringe, a syringe, gloves, a gauze bandage.

If it is impossible to contact the authorities for the disposal of mercury, you will have to do it yourself. Take toxic waste to a landfill or off-site and bury it deep in the ground.

Be sure to call the Ministry of Emergency Situations, they will instruct you on how to act correctly. Usually they are reluctant to respond to such calls, but they will recommend which authority to contact. You can also always contact the SES to have them check the level of mercury vapor concentration.

You cannot do without qualified help if:

• suspicions remained that not all mercury balls were collected;
• mercury got on heating appliances. At a temperature of about 40 degrees, this metal boils, which means evaporation occurs almost instantly;
• you are at risk: pregnant, under 18 or over 65 years old, suffering from diseases of the urinary or nervous system.

If you break a thermometer in your room, what should you do to avoid poisoning?

Symptoms

It is very difficult to make a correct diagnosis; the symptoms are similar to many diseases. Depending on the amount of mercury vapor entering the body, illness can begin either a few hours after the incident or after weeks or even months.

Symptoms of poisoning:

• general weakness;
• nausea and vomiting;
• headache;
• drowsiness;
• tremor;
• metallic taste in the mouth;
• diarrhea;
• stomach pain.

With prolonged intoxication the situation worsens. Body temperature rises, cough, pain in chest, frequent urination and bleeding gums.

At acute symptoms poisoning, especially if you suspect mercury, you should call ambulance and hospitalize the victim.

Before the arrival of doctors, you can alleviate the patient’s condition with the help of sorbents: white or activated carbon, Enterosgel. Good for removing toxins from the body raw egg white, natural milk.

In the hospital, the patient’s stomach will be pumped out, an antidote will be administered, and the blood will be purified with IVs. If treatment is timely, then recovery period will take 2-3 weeks.

Prevention of poisoning

To avoid mercury poisoning, it is necessary to carefully remove all mercury from the room if the thermometer does break.

Buy a modern thermometer, then the risk of poisoning will be reduced to a minimum.

The following actions cannot be taken.

1. Touch mercury beads with unprotected bare hands. Why take risks and expose yourself to danger?
2. Treat the mercury spill site with household chemicals. For these purposes, there is manganese, chlorine solution or soap and soda.
3. If you wash the clothes you worked in in a washing machine, the smallest particles of poison will settle in the mechanism.
4. Use or broom. Do you think that by sucking up mercury particles with a vacuum cleaner, you have made your work easier? No, you only made the situation worse. The mercury, having broken into tiny droplets, has spread over a large area of ​​the room, and it is now impossible to remove it mechanically. And the vacuum cleaner will now have to be thrown away, since its internal parts have retained some of the mercury. The broom also breaks the balls into smaller ones.
5. Flush down the drain. You worsen the condition of the water and the atmosphere in the toilet room, because mercury will settle on internal surfaces sewer pipes. Your housemates will also be exposed to toxic fumes.
6. Dispose of in a trash can or garbage disposal. Why poison the air in the entrance and on the street? Someone might get hurt.

When you're done with the hassle of collecting poisonous metal, don't forget about yourself. Wash thoroughly laundry soap, brush your teeth and rinse your mouth with a pink manganese solution. Drink as much liquid as possible, preferably milk, as if you are poisoned. Take sorbents.

Conclusion

If a mercury disaster did happen, but you carried out demercurization correctly and competently, got rid of all things and objects that were in contact with the toxic metal, you can breathe a sigh of relief.

And for complete peace of mind, purchase a mercury vapor analyzer - test strips that change color. This is much cheaper and more accessible than calling specialists for an inspection.