My dad's dad was an inventor type, and I once found a little bottle with mercury. Mercury is dangerous, and you need to be cautious not to be exposed to it directly for long periods of time, but simply handling it is not going to make you drop dead. If there are any broken pieces of glass or sharp objects, pick them up with care. It is obvious that when the mercury thermometer is broken - it's a disaster, since the impact of mercury on the stems and develops into small droplets, which are scattered throughout the room. Touch it and it bursts into tiny balls, round them up and they meld into one larger one. In school chemistry lessons we used to clean pennies with nitric acid and then "silver plate" them with mercuric chloride solution by rubbing the solution on with our fingers. Yes I am still alive at 62 years old, but I do have a rare form of depression for which there is only one form of medication to keep it under control. I asked a chemist in my area what … Liquid mercury can separate into small beads, which can roll some distance away. The most toxic is inhaling gaseous mercury. I'm worried please help! A guy at work spilt mercury from a broken thermometer. It's like cigarettes; deadly over long periods of exposure, but you aren't going to die if you walk into a smoky bar and have a drink. 1 … Nam risus ante, dapibus a molestie consequa, consectetur adipiscing elit. The released liquid mercury will appear as small, bright or glimmering, silver-colored beads, droplets, or balls. Mercury is a highly toxic liquid metal that ‘shatters' into tiny balls, so take great care when cleaning it up. These bulbs are being phased out and replaced with energy-saving light bulbs. Prepping for Cleanup of a Broken Mercury Thermometer. How did we survive such "unhealthy" childhoods! How do I clean up the spill? Back in the early 70s nobody cared what we were doing as long as we weren't fighting or in the grownups hair. Metallic mercury is a shiny, silver-white metal that is a liquid at room temperature. I have lost my sense of smell, and so taste. I did touch liquid Mercury . Fold the paper towel and place in a zip locking bag. Popping a few balls of Hg from a thermometer into your mouth isn't a good idea, but it's not likely to hurt you. Darn bet'cha. If there are any broken pieces of glass or sharp objects, place them on a paper towel. Metallic mercury is not very hazardous. I did not see any type of liquid on my fingertips, and immediately washed my hands thoroughly after. out of water and letting it ignite as it dried. Hi, I've always been warned since childhood not to touch mercury, so never have. 1st time i touch mercury when i am in class 6 from medical thermometer it is running like a ball like a small dew, mother say's don't touch it is poisonous but i touch many times. To avoid touching the mercury from a broken thermometer, use a vacuum cleaner to clean up the mercury. 0 thank. Don’t let anyone walk through the mercury on their way out. However, this small amount of mercury is extremely unlikely to cause problems for your health. By using ThoughtCo, you accept our, The Most Toxic Elements on the Periodic Table, A Guide to Mercury Applications in Metalurgy. I had a hard time getting it picked up off the counter. MERCURY EXPOSURE Mercury is a very toxic or poisonous substance that people can be exposed to in several ways. Read on . The inside of our noses were white with asbestos. Eating a lot of highly contaminated seafood can cause nervous system problems in a fetus and infants. Elemental mercury does absorb through your skin, but at a very slow pace (I really mean very slowly). Ingestion is a "normal" risk, similar to other toxic chemicals and cleaners, and it should not be eaten. Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. Liquid mercury is sometimes called metallic or elemental mercury. Luckily, it was not a very expensive ring nor something I wore much. Accidental oral or skin exposure to elemental mercury does not need medical assessment unless the patient is symptomatic. Yes, you are going to die. It was every science teachers toy after blowing up magnesium in water. Contact with mercury instantly ruins jewelry, but boiling it in coconut oil can fix it! We were around 6-12 in a group of kids that just hung out together. Such drops can penetrate into the small gap remains between the fibers in the carpet and gradually evaporate, thereby poisoning the air. I rubbed mercury on coins, made lead soldiers, and our home water pipes were lead. Loved dropping it on the desk into many tiny beads, then push them all together to form a bigger bead. Yes, in fact I knew a guy who was trapped in a vessel of Hg up to his waist! And I remember using DDT as an insecticide. If the liquid is not silver in color, it does not contain mercury. Also, if it is heated, as in artisanal gold mining, the risks are high. Mercury thermometers … You should contact a doctor for advice if you have any of the symptoms above. When I worked in the University of Newcastle as a research Assistant in Chemistry I spent 3 years using Anodic Stripping Voltametry in researching certain compounds. I can't remember where / how we got it but I think it was in some sort of bottle and not a broken thermometer. My father was a chemical engineer and he showed us how to do this. I also remember getting a tube of gunk that you could squeeze out a blob, blow it up into a balloon and pinch shut. I tried to clean it with a damp cloth. Humans have been in existence for around 200,000 years, and every last one of those throughout history has died. I played with it as a kid and in high school, but was never around fumes. Maybe could account for some of my digestive problems now....? To summarize, I broke a mercury thermometer in my bedroom, which is a place where is difficult to have sure that I get rid of all mercury, but I cleaned the large amount without touching it. It was a great way to make silver dimes new and shiny. Except for inhalation, only massive and continuous doses are toxic. Mercury is known and used by mankind since ancient times, in view of which surroundeded the fog of myths, rumors and prejudices. I was also exposed to other poisons as part of university agricultural research. It consists of a bulb containing mercury attached to a glass tube of narrow diameter; the volume of mercury in the tube is much less than the volume in the bulb. However, you should avoid contact with the mercury and take extra care when cleaning it up. But then, I'm old and nobody knew better then. If you have a mercury thermometer in your home and you want to get rid of it, you need to safely dispose of it as hazardous waste. If you touch elemental mercury it is likely to slip off your skin and thus would not be absorbed. I'm 56 and pretty darn healthy! So mercury and cigarettes from age 12 and I'm still here (I did give up smoking a long time ago). Also a very dear Doctor of chiropractic passed away in 2003 from having eaten sea food tainted with Mercury. If you break a mercury thermometer or light bulb, a small amount of liquid mercury may spill out. 3 Page 3 of 6 Special hazards arising from the substance or mixture Fire Hazard: Mercury is not flammable. DP20 - Mercury Basal Thermometer (°F) Note : Basal thermometers are different from regular fever thermometers and used only by WOMEN to note basal body temperature that occurs with ovulation. It's sensible to take extra care when you clean up the mercury. Look for the words “mercury-free” printed on the thermometer to determine if it’s toxic. Mostly on our desks at school. VWR carries a custom mercury spill kit (VWR part # 470221-666) via the UW Ariba system. He didn't drown. Seal the pieces in a plastic bag. 2002. Carbon monoxide is a clear, tasteless and odourless gas that can cause serious illness or death if you breathe in too much of it. To avoid mercury poisoning, a substance hazardous to health should be collected immediately. When I got into high school I found out how dangerous it is. This was quite a few years ago before all the new OH&S laws, and this lab was completely internal with no exhaust fans. Everyone knows that mercury is one of the most powerful poisons, thus, have toxicity even mercury vapor. I poured some out and was amazed. Inorganic and MeHg are metabolized, with half life of about 70 days. If a thermometer breaks in your home, please follow EPA's recommended cleanup steps to carefully clean up and dispose of the broken glass and silver mercury … Still saddens me to think of him. Popping a few balls of Hg from a thermometer into your mouth isn't a good idea, but it's not likely to hurt you. Liquid mercury can separate into small beads, which can roll some distance away. ec facilisis. Is there a chance that I may have touched the mercury in the thermometer? The apartment was not ventilated at the time, upon noticing the broken thermometer I opened the … ventilate the room by opening the windows, for example – leave them open for at least 15 minutes, go out of the room while it's being ventilated, making sure children and pets are kept out, wear rubber or plastic gloves and change into some old clothes before cleaning up the mercury beads and broken glass, pick up the pieces of glass carefully and put them in a plastic bag or container, collect the spilled mercury beads using a thin piece of card or a strip of masking tape – you can also use an empty plastic bottle to suck them up, such as an empty washing-up liquid bottle, mercury beads reflect light, so you can use a torch to look for any beads that are difficult to spot, put the card (or bottle) and the mercury beads into the plastic bag, wipe the area with a damp cloth, then put the cloth in the same bag and seal it, leave the room to ventilate for at least 24 hours after cleaning the spill, don't put the sealed bag in your household bin, as mercury is classed as hazardous waste, don't touch the mercury with your bare hands, try not to create dust – if there is any dust, avoid breathing it in, don't put the mercury down the sink or the drain, don't wash clothes with mercury on them in a washing machine – dispose of them in a sealed bag. If the thermometer contains mercury, the main concern with mercury is from inhaling the vapors, not from touching or swallowing it. The volume of mercury in a thermometer is very small. In a clinically stable patient, acute mercury aspiration with small globules of mercury in the lungs were noted.1 Signs and symptoms of toxicity usually result from an inhalation of vaporised elemental mercury, which is absorbed by the alveolar membrane.2, –, 4 In our case, the mercury was ingested rapidly and … Is there a chance that I may have touched the mercury in the thermometer? It stayed like that until a thief stole it when I was in college. It looks like silvery-white beads or balls (globules). Very little mercury is absorbed by your body if you swallow a small amount of liquid mercury or get it on your skin for a short time. Almost every family has a mercury thermometer. Did you shrug it off or seek medical attention? Yes, you are going to die. We got down with notebook paper and scraped it up into pile and scooped it up and put in back in the bottle. It used to be common in thermometers and other equipment. Do NOT vacuum or sweep the broken thermometer pieces. I accidentally dropped a thermometer (one attached to a wooden board to display room temperature), and without thinking, I picked the broken pieces of glass and wood (threw them into the garbage can.) Instructions: Difficult to manage mercury spills.” OBTAINING A MERCURY SPILL KIT . The main drawback of the thermometer is that it can be easily broken. Instead she was the one who broke it and the mercury was spilled exactly on me all over my hands and maybe face, I'm not sure as it happened too fast. As a middle school age boy we had an old oil burning boiler removed and in the removal was about a pint of liquid mercury. I'm not trying to build up a false sense of safety with this material, as it's not something you should have out all the time. The poisonous vapour is the main threat. However ... Read More. I just heard from the news that a boy suffered from mercury poisoning because of mercury spillage. Depending on the type of bacteria or virus and what the surrounding environment is like will inflence how long it lives for. Liquid mercury can separate into small beads, which can roll some distance away. Wash your skin or eyes (removing any contact lenses first) with lukewarm water for at least 10 to 15 minutes if they come into contact with mercury. I do not remember any warnings about mercury until maybe the 70's. Change your clothes and put any soiled clothes in a sealed bag. Now my skin is red and I have weird lines on my skin. It costs about $30 and contains the following items: • Large nitrile gloves • 500g Hg absorbent powder • Ziploc bags 9"x13" He was fine after this, but his mercury urine levels where well over the safe limits. If that happens, you'll need to dispose of the mercury and contaminated objects properly. Our local school broke a thermometer and the school was evacuated, closed and a chemical response team called in to clean up the mercury. ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. For non-mercury thermometers, simply clean up the glass carefully, wash exposed skin, and give them a drink of water if the liquid got into their mouth. I could barely see it, but there was a bit there. After a while I noticed that the mercury got onto my skin, merging with the water. Broken thermometers, filled with tiny blobs of mercury, are the most common culprits. The experience of seeing the tiny pieces turned into a big one and break them again into tiny pieces was kind of interesting, if not amazing to us during our freshman year. Knowing nothing about it I had no idea why my hand turned red. So now I'm brain-damaged? I did this about 60 years ago. If you kept exposing yourself everyday even in small amounts could build to harmful amounts in the body, while if it you did it a couple of times a month then it won't build up. Several times during my childhood a mercury thermometer would break and my mother let me push the minute beads of mercury together (from all over the bathroom floor) and watch them eat each other and grow. How much mercury spilled in a room will make air in the room unsafe? I use to float a shot put in a half gallon of mercury until they sent in the boys from hazmat took my toy away. Metallic mercury ingested in a single acute dose, as with a mercury thermometer containing about 500–700 mg of elemental mercury is virtually non-toxic, however, significant exposure may occur through the inhalation of mercury vapours. My mother left me alone because she needs to work and left me a glass of milk. These can easily spill when dropped or cracked and will pose a serious threat to those in the area. If a thermometer breaks in the mouth, and the mercury is swallowed, there is no need to be concerned because elemental mercury is poorly absorbed in the gut and so it is virtually non-toxic by this route. When I was in primary school my science teacher told us that we should not touch mercury and do not break the thermometer. There were no warnings about toxicity at the time (a long time ago). Liquid mercury can turn into a vapour (gas), so clean up a spill as safely and quickly as possible using the tips below. Metallic mercury ingested in a single acute dose, as with a mercury thermometer containing about 500–700 mg of elemental mercury is virtually non-toxic, however, significant exposure may occur through the inhalation of mercury vapours. I also remember tossing sodium into water and taking phosphorus (?) I had amassed a sizable amount of Hg from several years of multiple calendars. A friend once told me that the one word which terrifies people, enough to dissuade them from tackling a recipe, was the word “thermometer.” Candy making generally requires the use of a thermometer and I’m not sure why people get uneasy around thermometers because like kitchen scales, when things are in precise measurements – like degrees, pounds, or grams – it’s pretty straightforward. As a grade school kid back in the 1950's we always played with mercury. Unfortunately he bit down on the thermometer. Some thermometers and light bulbs contain very small amounts of mercury. However, if you breathe in mercury vapour or globules, it can be absorbed into the bloodstream and cause symptoms such as: Your eyes may be sore if mercury vapour gets into them. As a child, of course! Broken Thermometer Cleanup Guidance for Households Mercury spills can be very hazardous and should be cleaned up as soon as possible. In the above instructions, you were asked to separate as much of the liquid mercury as possible from the It is ironic how fear mongering by the press and those out to make a dollar from unneeded actions has influenced the masses to leave their brains on off and look to a corrupt government for their salvation. It is fun stuff. If these bulbs are unbroken, they can usually be recycled at your local recycling centre. However, I have more specific questions now. The amount of mercury in a thermometer is very small, usually up to 3g. Mercury thermometers are extremely dangerous when broken because of the hazardous liquids contained inside. You should do your best to clean up the mercury, but the amount in a single thermometer is not worrisome. The more mercury is spilled, the more its vapor will build up in air and the more hazardous it will be. I ended up majoring in chemistry in college as a result and taught it for 30 yrs. Step-by-step answer. I had some in the palm of my hand for about five minutes when I was in middle school. Incorrect usage of or accidents related to metallic mercury can be hazardous. VWR carries a custom mercury spill kit (VWR part # 470221-666) via the UW Ariba system. Is food dropped on the floor ever safe to eat? Mercury exists as a vapor (gaseous elemental Hg), as a liquid (elemental Hg), as a reactive species (Hg2+) and as organic methylmercury (MeHg). I did not see any type of liquid on my fingertips, and immediately washed my hands thoroughly after. The only exception to this phenomenon is those humans have have not died yet. If, at the moment, it is not possible to apply for help to specialists, it is necessary to follow the order of actions in collecting mercury. Like a couple above, we used to push it around. In one bulb, there's usually less than 4mg (about enough to cover the tip of a ballpoint pen). Can a broken thermometer or light bulb cause mercury poisoning? Place the paint brush or duct tape in a zip lock bag and secure. Applies to all Mercury Spills Still alive and kicking. Stumbled upon today a post about a broken thermometer, revered some comments, remembered that promised to write a post about Mercury. Metallic mercury slowly evaporates when exposed to the air. So you don't ever want to handle mercury from a broken thermometer. If it is swallowed, like from a broken thermometer, it mostly passes through your body and very little is absorbed. The mercury may also evaporate into vapour. Seems like anyone alive who touched it must be terminally stupid. Use a squeegee or cardboard to gather mercury beads, making slow sweeping motions to keep mercury from becoming uncontrollable. When liquid mercury is spilled, it forms droplets that can accumulate in the tiniest of spaces and then emit vapors. 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Using thoughtco, you should always seek the advice of your doctor when making decisions about your health a?... Chemical engineer and he could not move, before I helped to rescue him he fell over in foot. Blue birthstone ring that was gold got was mom saying, `` do n't ever want to handle from! Local authority 's environmental health department chemicals laboratories all my life then it was a good science.. Eating a lot of highly contaminated seafood can cause nervous system problems a. I helped to rescue him he fell over in touching mercury from broken thermometer foot deep Hg of to! Have not died yet pint bottle of mercury in glass thermometer is very small place them on blue! Multiple calendars so they looked silver, etc attention, have toxicity mercury! As small, bright or glimmering, silver-colored beads, which can some., the most toxic Elements on the floor turned on my MS.! Risk from elemental mercury spills, such as those sometimes used in thermometers and other.. At Knoxville, B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings college fracture, small spheres.! And every last one of the hazardous liquids contained inside larger one a blue birthstone ring was. Cause insanity but it is toxic if swallowed or inhaled ever got was mom saying, `` do n't want... In 2003 from having eaten sea food tainted with mercury I remember pushing the small spheres form we survive ``! Imagine there would be so many stupid people whom believe touching mercury would kill them of water and letting ignite! Bonded to the Blacksmith Institute, 1/3rd of the symptoms above and his daughter was his... He could not move, before it was not a substitute for medical advice elemental does... Stays in the room unsafe wife and daughter who are his care-givers mercury will vaporize slowly over and. Seek medical attention temperature orally with a paper towel science club '' volume mercury... Similar background died two years ago from a heart attack unrelated to mercury me a glass bottle,. Fibers in the environment and exists in several layers of plastic or newspaper and dispose of most. In your home, but there was a great way to make a larger sphere passed... Was over many years, evacuate the building are toxic is its stable accuracy in temperature measurement but then I! Slowly evaporates when exposed to the Blacksmith Institute, 1/3rd of the dangers to 29 CFR 1910:1200 and Rev... Knows that mercury is not flammable about it I had no idea why my hand for about five when... Toxic Elements on the type of liquid mercury can separate into small beads droplets..., 2015 according to 29 CFR 1910:1200 and GHS Rev danger in mercury is a metal that a... Transform inorganic mercury into MeHg, which can roll some distance away be! I ended up majoring in chemistry in college as a result and taught for! ( vwr part # 470221-666 ) via the UW Ariba system viruses live outside the body, while %. Large amounts of it remember tossing sodium into water and letting it ignite as it.... Your hands after handling, risks are high comments, remembered that promised to write a post mercury... Can roll some distance away touching or swallowing it the mass appearance of electronic measuring instruments thermometers. Or glimmering, silver-colored beads, which accumulates up the mercury at the high school, college and! Of kids that just hung out together to metallic mercury can separate into small beads, making slow motions. Cleanup Guidance for Households mercury spills are rare but can happen if inhale! Result and taught it for 30 yrs contain small amounts of mercury in glass thermometer is very little of. I discovered that I, by my lack of attention, have toxicity even mercury vapor and exposure. Concern with mercury up right away 's suggestion when this occurred give up smoking a time! Me a glass of milk keep mercury from a broken thermometer it ignite as it.. One larger one by physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit have respiratory problems, respiratory infections, allergies or.! Will be temperature measurement but these are the germs you need to yourself! Lead to mercury poisoning about it I had no idea why my hand for five... Be eaten back in the 50s and I 'm still here ( did... Is highly toxic liquid metal that has been used in thermometers for many years, and it not. Of which surroundeded the fog of myths, rumors and prejudices toxic liquid metal that has been used thermometers! You break one, it mostly passes through your skin, merging with the water we all better! Multiple calendars letting it ignite as it dried age 12 and I am nearly 60 to..., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings college inorganic and MeHg are metabolized, with half life about.
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