A mercury thermometer was broken at home: what to do, why it’s dangerous, how to remove it

Has your mercury thermometer broken at home? The main thing is not to panic. If this unpleasant situation occurs, then it is necessary to clearly follow the steps to destroy the hazardous material. This can happen in every home, but it is not a disaster. You should always be prepared for various household emergencies. Children must be informed of the need to notify adults in this case or call the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

The dangers of mercury

Mercury is a highly toxic harmful substance and belongs to hazard class 1. The main poisons are vapors that, when entering the human body, gradually destroy it deplorably. When broken, small mercury balls can roll into cracks, corners, and under baseboards. Staying indoors for a long time, they will gradually evaporate, thereby harming all living things. Mercury volatilization occurs at a temperature of 18-19C^O, metal vapors enter through the lungs, as well as the skin and mucous tissues.

Affected areas:

Central nervous system. There is a feeling of fear, insomnia, memory loss, depression and paralysis.
The respiratory organs are the lungs and bronchi. There is a constant lack of air, shortness of breath, asthmatic attacks, and symptomatic bronchial contractions.
Internal organs. In the kidneys, liver and thyroid gland, the insidious metal settles and accumulates gradually. The toxin slowly destroys every cell of all living things.
It affects the placental barrier, threatening the intrauterine development of the fetus. Pregnant women are strictly prohibited from coming into contact with very harmful metal. If an unpleasant tragedy occurs with a thermometer, it is better to contact special services for the disposal of this substance.

Mercury vapor is dangerous because it is odorless and completely colorless. It can only be detected using a special device. At a temperature of 18^OOnce the insidious metal begins to evaporate intensively into the atmosphere, once it enters the body, it is no longer removed from it. But in order to accumulate a large dose of heavy metal in the human body, you need to stay indoors for several months or even years. Excessive MPC concentrations threaten the development of severe chronic diseases and range from 0.001 to 0.004 mg/m³. Inhalation of about two grams of poison can lead to fatal intoxication.

Symptoms of poisoning

Depending on the dose of mercury vapor, poisoning can be acute or chronic. It should be understood that if there were very severe poisonings leading to death, then thermometers would no longer be produced. But still, cases of poisoning occur as a result of negligence and incorrect actions to destroy mercury balls.

Symptoms of acute poisoning:

weakness, chills, weakness and malaise of the whole body, symptoms similar to acute respiratory disease;
dizziness, cramping pain in the head and neck area;
excessive salivation, bleeding gums;
constantly nauseated, gag reflexes and diarrhea occur periodically;
a metallic taste appears in the mouth.

In advanced forms, shortness of breath, continuous cough, heart pain and a sharp increase in temperature.

Symptoms of chronic poisoning:

fever, nervous tic;
choking, continuous cough with expectoration of blood and mucus;
fear, irritability, photophobia and insomnia.

The degree of poisoning depends on the concentration of mercury vapor accumulations. All this will not happen if you make the right operational decision to dispose of the harmful substance.

Step-by-step action plan for mercury disposal

If a mercury thermometer breaks, you can immediately contact special services, for example, the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Confusion and panic will have a number of serious consequences. The measures to destroy a broken thermometer are not that difficult.

First of all, make oxygen available to the room, open windows and possibly doors.
It is advisable to remove children, pregnant women and animals from the room where the thermometer broke.
Prepare a concentrated solution of potassium permanganate and a soda solution with the addition of any detergent.
Try to find a medical bulb or syringe, you can use any brush, tape, band-aid or electrical tape.
Wear a mask, rubber or surgical gloves, shoe covers.
Carefully collect the fragments from the thermometer into a jar of water. You can try to drive small balls of mercury onto a sheet of paper with cotton wool; if that doesn’t work, then use an adhesive material (adhesive tape, tape). Inspect hard-to-reach places, crevices and use a bulb or syringe. Place everything collected in a jar of water.
Treat the floor and damaged surface first with a solution of potassium permanganate, and then with a soap-soda mixture. You can also use alkaline laundry soap or chlorinated products.
Place the mask, clothing, gloves and can with contents in a bag and dispose of it. There are paid waste disposal services, you can also contact the Ministry of Emergency Situations or independently take it outside the populated area to a landfill, burying all the collected equipment.

After cleaning, treat the oral cavity with soda water and take water procedures. You can take any adsorbents, such as activated carbon or smecta.

For the first two weeks, daily ventilation and treatment of floors with soap or chlorinated solution is mandatory.

Prohibitory actions:

If you use a vacuum cleaner, the mercury will begin to actively evaporate and be thrown out, resulting in a monstrously toxic mixture being created. The toxin settles inside, and later, when the vacuum cleaner operates, particles of the insidious metal will be sprayed throughout the apartment or house.
Use a broom, broom and dustpan, as the mercury balls will be firmly attached between the small ears.
Throw away the broken thermometer in a general trash can, garbage chute, or on the street.
Rinse mercury beads down drains.
It is strictly forbidden to create drafts until the mercury of the broken thermometer is removed.
Contact clothing cannot be washed in a washing machine or by hand; it must also be subject to mandatory disposal.
Efficiency and speed of correct decisions will protect loved ones and all household members from negative consequences.

Objective advantages of a mercury thermometer

In our modern times, electronic and digital technologies are increasingly developing, displacing previously created objects.But there are also irreplaceable things that are simple and convenient in everyday use. The well-known mercury medical thermometer, which remains the most common human body temperature meter, has had a long service and benefit from year to year. Due to their high parameters, the indicators are considered the most accurate and reliable. At the same time, the thermometer is not subject to the negative influences of various third-party factors. The design is as simple as possible and easy to use. In comparison with electronic and digital goods, a mercury thermometer has a priority advantage in the price category.