What to do if a mercury thermometer breaks?

Why is the question often asked, what to do if a mercury thermometer breaks? Because everyone knows: the liquid silver metal, which is the thermometric liquid of ordinary medical thermometers, poses a threat to human health.

But the toxicity of mercury itself pales in comparison to the deadly effects of its vapors, which, when inhaled, enter the body, penetrate the protein structures of cells and “settle” in the brain and kidneys, leading to severe (sometimes irreversible) consequences.

It should be borne in mind that the intensity of the mercury evaporation process begins to increase at approximately +17.5°C, when the pressure of its vapors is 0.001 mm Hg, and at +20°C it increases to 0.0013 mm Hg. And the warmer the air, the higher the concentration of mercury vapor in it.

So, if your mercury thermometer has turned into fragments, and mercury has spilled out of it into the room, you need to immediately demercurize it, that is, collect all the mercury. In order to know exactly what to do if a mercury thermometer breaks, you don’t have to remember about the low viscosity and high surface tension of mercury. But you should definitely know that neither a vacuum cleaner nor a broom will help you collect mercury balls. A broom will only crush the mercury drops into even smaller fragments and thereby increase the surface of its evaporation.

No vacuum cleaner is capable of collecting mercury vapor, but will only accelerate its evaporation with hot air.

Well, the drops of toxic metal absorbed by it will render the entire filter system of the household appliance unusable, after which it should not be used under any circumstances!

Yes, you should not try to collect mercury drops with a magnet. Despite the fact that mercury is a metal, you will not be able to collect it with a magnet, since it is diamagnetic.

Now remember what to do if a mercury thermometer breaks.

1. Remove all household members, including four-legged pets, from the room where the mercury thermometer broke.
2. To avoid a draft, the door should be closed and the gap underneath should be covered with a wet cloth.
3. You need to ventilate the room, if possible, open a window to reduce the air temperature in the room.
4. While the room is being ventilated, you need to prepare a tightly sealed container with a small amount of a strong solution of potassium permanganate (manganese), as well as everything necessary for demercurization (see below).
5. You should put on rubber gloves and a moistened gauze respirator. Protect your shoes from contact with mercury using homemade "shoe covers" made from plastic bags.
6. Collect the thermometer fragments and place them in a tightly sealed container.
7. Collect the drops of mercury by illuminating the spill site from the side (for example, with a flashlight): a) using a disposable syringe without a needle; b) using a rubber syringe; c) using two sheets of thick paper (rolling the drops with one sheet on top of the other and sending them into a container with a solution of potassium permanganate).
8. Collect drops of mercury that have fallen into the cracks using a piece of copper or aluminum wire stripped to a shine or a large sewing needle wrapped in cotton wool soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate.
9. Mercury and thermometer fragments, as well as all available means, should be hermetically sealed and kept in a cool place, and then disposed of by calling the 101 service or the sanitary and epidemiological station (SES) at your place of residence.
10. The entire area where there was mercury must be subjected to special treatment: a) 0.2% solution of potassium permanganate (2.5 g per 1 liter of water), to which a teaspoon of citric acid or 50 ml of acetic essence is added; b) 5% solution of chloramine or water with the addition of liquid bleach containing chlorine (400-500 ml per 2 liters of water). The applied solution must remain on the treated surface for at least 15-20 minutes. After this, the surface is washed with a solution of Glauber's salt (sodium sulfate, sold in pharmacies) - a tablespoon per glass of water.
11. A thorough wet cleaning of the entire room (with a solution of sodium sulfate) is carried out, which is done daily for at least two weeks. Do not forget to ventilate the room well, especially in the evening.

Also remember that you should never throw collected mercury into a garbage chute, trash container, or flush it down the toilet!

What to do if a mercury thermometer breaks, you collected mercury, but are worried about the consequences for your health? Experts recommend simple methods of prevention in the form of rinsing the mouth and throat (with a weak solution of potassium permanganate) and taking the following adsorbent composition orally: activated carbon, tannin and burnt magnesia (magnesium oxide) in a ratio of 2:1:1. This cleansing suspension is prepared at the rate of 2 tablespoons per 250 ml of lukewarm boiled water. Also, after home demercurization, you need to drink more water for 8-10 days.

But if weakness, increased fatigue, sweating, headaches and drowsiness appear, as well as apathy or irritability that is not typical for you, then you should consult a doctor.