Is mercury in water dangerous? Prevention of mercury poisoning from a thermometer. The danger of mercury from a thermometer

You probably didn’t know, but mercury was used back in ancient egypt, bottles of mercury served as an amulet. Moreover, they even tried to cure with this metal. When a person had a volvulus of the intestine, then he was given a certain amount of this substance in order to restore order in internal organs. Subsequently, this metal served medicine for a long time, mercury could be found in many medicinal products. But this happened until people realized what it was. toxic substance and it can be hazardous to health.

Mercury thermometers are still used today, as this substance is an excellent conductor of heat. But they have an unpleasant feature of breaking. And many people, if the thermometer crashed, do not know what to do. Some believe that the apocalypse has happened and it is urgent to call all kinds of services in order to eliminate the devastating consequences.

But do not panic if you accidentally break a mercury thermometer, you just need to know the information on what to do and how dangerous it is. This has happened in every home and will continue to happen. Moreover, in medical institutions thermometers break all the time. Although the situation seems unpleasant, there is a way out of it. There is a clear action plan to address the consequences.

You must know how to collect mercury if a thermometer breaks at home and eliminate this unpleasant consequence. In addition, you should acquaint your household with what to do if the thermometer breaks. Children should understand that it is impossible to hide the fact that they broke the thermometer, as this is fraught with backfire. They are obliged to tell about it immediately, and if there are no adults nearby, it is advisable to call the rescue service.

What can a broken thermometer lead to?

At the very end of the device for measuring body temperature, there are mercury balls that are not dangerous to our body until they start to emit steam. And if mercury vapor enters the lungs, then a person can become seriously ill. Mercury balls are too small, they can easily roll into the gap, hide from the eyes.

If the balls of mercury are not removed, then a person can be poisoned only by inhaling the air in this room. After a while, the balls will begin to evaporate and will poison the lungs. And given that evaporation occurs at 18 degrees, you can imagine how quickly this process occurs.

In large quantities, this substance penetrates through the lungs, skin pores or mucous membranes. After some time, there is a lesion of the central nervous system, the kidneys begin to fail, the gums are destroyed. As a result, this leads to other dangerous changes organism.

A dangerous dose when a person dies is 2.5 mg. But do not worry, the thermometer is too small to cause great harm to the body. However, doing nothing when it gets damaged can really have huge repercussions. The mercury ball is very small, it weighs only two grams.

But even one gram will create a concentration in the room above any norm and vapor poisoning occurs immediately. However, this does not mean that you have to leave the apartment, but you should not leave it all like that. You just need to know how to collect mercury from a broken thermometer.

Mercury overdose symptoms

When a person is exposed long time let little exposure to mercury, he develop chronic diseases. There are many diseases of the central nervous system, accompanied by insomnia, nervous disorders, depression. At the same time, hands often tremble, pneumonia develops. Kidneys, liver, heart are also malfunctioning.

In no case should children and pregnant women be in such a room, they are the most vulnerable and can suffer the most. Pregnant women risk the health of their unborn child. Among women childbearing age disrupted menstrual cycle.

Prolonged exposure to mercury vapor will irreversible consequences. A person will most likely have huge problems with memory, his performance will decrease significantly, since it will be difficult for him to concentrate. Hypertension, psychosis, tuberculosis can affect him.

To understand that you have had mercury poisoning, staining of the mucous membranes of the mouth in red will help you. The taste of metal appears in the mouth. With severe intoxication, nausea, vomiting, severe, unbearable pain in the stomach occurs. Body temperature can rise to 39 degrees.

Children react to poisoning with the appearance of diarrhea with blood. Their urine becomes cloudy. The gums swell and bleed.

A person severely poisoned by mercury feels intense fear, his whole body trembles, shudders with convulsions. He has a severe headache, it is difficult for him to swallow. When the body is affected large quantity mercury, then death is immediate.

How to collect mercury from a broken thermometer

If a mercury thermometer breaks, it can be difficult for some people to remember what to do. If you find it difficult, then call the special services, you should know their numbers in advance. They are always ready to provide their assistance in this case and describe in detail how to collect mercury from a thermometer. Then you need to ask everyone in the household to leave and take your pets with you.

After that, you can take measures to remove the harmful substance. For example, if a thermometer crashed at home, what to do:

1. Prepare water, add potassium permanganate there, if not, then a small amount of soap and soda;
2. Take a container of water of a fairly large size;
3. Prepare paper, syringe, cotton swabs, knitting needle, any adhesive tape, a small light source, you can flashlight;
4. Put on shoes that you can then throw away;
5. Make a gauze or cloth bandage to protect the respiratory organs;
6. Protect your hands with gloves, preferably rubber medical;
7. Wet a piece of cloth in a potassium permanganate solution, put it on the floor near the door;
8. Open the window in the room, but front door keep closed;
9. Carefully remove the fragments of the thermometer, trying not to make unnecessary movements;
10. Collect balls of mercury on a piece of paper and cotton wool, lower them into a jar of water;
11. Apply duct tape to the floor to collect any small particles that may be accidentally left behind. Then the adhesive tape should be placed in a jar of water;
12. Using bright light from a light source, inspect the entire surface of the floor, all the cracks. If there are metal balls left, then you will see them immediately, as they shine with metal. Try to pull them out with a knitting needle if they rolled into the slot and take them into the syringe;
13. If you suspect that mercury has got under the baseboard, then it will have to be broken in order to collect everything that could have got there;
14. The jar where you put the mercury should be well closed;
15. Wash the floor with a solution of potassium permanganate or with soap and soda;
16. Take off your mask, gloves, outerwear, put it in a plastic bag;
17. Call the number of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and ask how to get rid of everything that has come into contact with harmful substances;
18. Wash thoroughly in the shower, do not forget to rinse your mouth. You can use any disinfectant solution. Take also two tablets activated carbon to avoid poisoning the body. Mercury will be excreted from the body after some time with urine and therefore it is worth helping him. The use of diuretics will help to remove this harmful substance for a short time.

All actions to collect mercury from a broken thermometer must be quick. This should not take you several days. It is better not to live for some time in the room where the thermometer broke. Washing floor surfaces with water is mandatory, make a solution with the addition of disinfectants. We can use chlorine. Open the window from time to time to clear the air. Avoid drafts.

If you suspect that you have not removed all the mercury balls, call the sanitation service to come and check the room with special devices.

Undesirable actions in the disposal of mercury

In no case should a broken thermometer be thrown into a trash can or garbage chute. Even if mercury has not leaked out of the thermometer, it should still be disposed of in a special place.

Keep the jar in which you put the fragments of the thermometer and mercury balls with you until it is taken away specialized organization. She must destroy such things.

Do not attempt to clean up precipitated mercury with conventional means house cleaning. Neither a broom nor a vacuum cleaner is suitable in this case.

Clothing and slippers that you were wearing during your self-disposal of mercury should also be handed in to sanitary organization, do not wash it yourself.

Drafts after disposal of mercury in the room are unacceptable.

What you must know

If you feel sorry for throwing away clothes for recycling because they are expensive, you can air them out on the street. Try to hang clothes away from people, you can use an attic or a barn for this purpose. Clothing should be outdoors for at least 3 months, and then it must be washed several times, adding soap and soda to the water.

When the balls of mercury are on the carpet, their removal becomes more difficult. The carpet will most likely have to be recycled. But if you are unable to part with something dear to you, then you can place the carpet on open air for several days. After that, give the carpet to the dry cleaner.

Sometimes mercury gets on other things - furniture. In this case, it is better to remove it for a while. Support furniture in a country house or garage where it will weather. After 3 months you can take her back home.

When the thermometer broke at home and the mercury balls got into the heater, the matter here becomes much more complicated. Mercury will definitely boil and its vapors will poison the air in the room. You can not try to get rid of the consequences yourself. In this situation, only a tight closing of the door and a call to the rescue service will save.

Women who are expecting the birth of a child, children and the elderly should in no case be in the room where the thermometer has broken.

It often happens that a child swallows mercury balls. It is necessary to call the ambulance number so that they examine it and eliminate the danger. Under such a combination of circumstances, the child is unlikely to be poisoned, but fragments of a thermometer, which can also accidentally get inside along with mercury balls, can damage the LCD.

If you find out that one of your household has removed the mercury balls with a vacuum cleaner, then get rid of this device. Otherwise, mercury will spread indoors through the filters of the vacuum cleaner and poison the human body. The hose from the vacuum cleaner, the bag is scrapped, the rest of the parts can be weathered and then reused.

Some people unknowingly wash mercury balls down the drain. In this case, you should check the knees to see if they are stuck there. If this did not happen, then they are most likely not worth it, since wastewater it's already washed away. But if you find balls in your knees, then put them in a jar of potassium permanganate solution and hand them over to a sanitary organization.

How to deal with mercury thermometer

You should always remember what consequences a broken thermometer can lead to and handle it carefully.
Never keep it in a place where small children can reach it.
When measuring temperature, it should be tightly pressed against the body.

When you try to remove the reading, then shake it in a free space where nothing interferes.
Keep the thermometer in a hard case.

To save yourself from severe anxiety, you should purchase electronic thermometer. At least you will not be afraid for the health of your household and your own.

Found on the internet

Each of us has a medical thermometer at home, in other words, a thermometer. But it is so fragile, made of thin glass, and if there are still children in the apartment who can inadvertently break it ... We all know that the thermometer contains mercury. And a parent's nightmare is to come home from work to see a broken thermometer on the floor and a small amount of characteristic shiny balls-drops of metallic mercury. Is this mercury dangerous to humans, is it dangerous to get into internal environment apartments, is there a danger of a thermometer for children? These and other similar questions are often asked by anxious people. We will try to answer them in order.

Is a broken thermometer dangerous to human health if it happened in an apartment?

If mercury was collected immediately, then no, it is not dangerous. If not immediately, but after a certain period of time, then it is also not scary. 1 gram of metallic mercury is a small amount to cause an increase in vapor concentration to critical levels. Intensive ventilation - and the air is almost clean.

The danger exists in the following cases:

1. mercury got on upholstered furniture, carpets, parquet cracks, children's toys, clothes, rolled under the baseboards.

2. mercury was not collected, but was spread on the soles of slippers or boots throughout the apartment by an inattentive or careless tenant, or a child.

3. Mercury got into digestive tract person (usually a child).

The worst case is the third one. In such situation clinical picture poisoning manifests itself immediately: Vomiting, suffocation and other signs that are impossible not to notice. An ambulance must be called immediately.

In the first case, the danger lies in the fact that the pile of the carpet, upholstered furniture very well absorbs small drops of mercury, which can be completely invisible in the structure of the fabric, but, nevertheless, actively evaporate into the internal air of the room.

The same is true in the second case: mercury gets into the cracks of the parquet, into the pores of the linoleum throughout the apartment and evenly evaporates, filling the internal air with toxic fumes.

If mercury enters the digestive tract of a child, then the symptoms are immediately visible - vomiting, blue skin, etc. It's impossible not to notice.

How dangerous is mercury in indoor air?

I think about the danger of mercury, it is not worth mentioning once again, it is worth saying that according to the Russian Sanitary Standards (SanPiN), the permissible maximum concentration of mercury in the indoor air of a dwelling is 0.0003 mg / m3. This figure is calculated in such a way that a given concentration of mercury vapor in the inhaled air does not have a detrimental effect on human health and does not cause chronic poisoning mercury. It should be noted that, according to doctors, in a healthy adult, signs of chronic mercury poisoning begin to occur when this concentration of MPC in the air of a dwelling is exceeded by 2-3 times. However, for children, a 1.5-fold excess is sufficient.

It should be borne in mind that if the apartment in which you live is not new, then there is a possibility that thermometers have already been broken in it and the remnants of “old” mercury vapors can, together with “new”, exceed the MPC level.

Is one broken thermometer enough to "poison" the air in an apartment?

No. According to our measurements, if a thermometer is broken in an apartment and mercury is not removed, then the concentration of vapors usually does not exceed the MPC. However, in half of the cases, mercury vapors were still detected (in concentrations 5-6 times lower than the MAC), even if all the visible part of the metallic mercury, according to the residents, was collected. Several times we have found significant excess of mercury vapor concentrations in the indoor air of the apartment (2-4 times). However, in these cases, there was repeated entry of mercury into the room from broken thermometers (2-3 times), most often on carpets and upholstered furniture.

How long will mercury stay in the apartment if it is not collected?

AT ideal conditions(good ventilation, large volume of the apartment) mercury in such an amount (less than 1 gram) will evaporate in a few months without causing harm to human health.

What to do if the thermometer is broken?

Do not panic! Try to collect all the mercury without using a vacuum cleaner (!!!), treat the floor and objects on which mercury has fallen with a solution of potassium permanganate (concentration is optional), or a chlorine-containing preparation. (ideally ferric chloride, but for interior spaces it is not suitable). In the future, it is desirable to regularly wash the floor with a chlorine-containing preparation (several times) and intensive ventilation. For disposal of mercury (it must not be poured into the sewer, thrown out the window), it is better to contact the district SES. If there is any doubt about the correctness of the actions to remove mercury, the presence of mercury vapor residues in the room, it is advisable to call specialists in the search for mercury (if it is not known where the mercury got into). Ecologists will carry out the necessary measurements and/or search for mercury residues.

According to the hazard class, mercury belongs to the first class, that is, it is considered an extremely dangerous chemical. The penetration of mercury into the body often occurs by inhalation of its odorless vapors.

Mercury exposure even in small quantities can cause health problems and severe poisoning. Mercury has a toxic effect on the nervous, digestive and immune system, on the lungs, kidneys, skin and eyes.

Mercury poisoning is divided into mild ( food poisoning), acute (after accidents at enterprises, due to safety violations) and chronic.

Chronic poisoning increases the risk of tuberculosis, atherosclerosis, and hypertension. At the same time, the consequences of mercury poisoning can appear several years after the termination of contact with it.

Acute mercury poisoning can lead to death. Also, if poisoning is not treated, then the functions of the central nervous system may be impaired, mental activity, there are convulsions, exhaustion. Acute stages mercury poisoning causes loss of vision, complete paralysis, baldness.

Especially mercury and its compounds are dangerous for pregnant women, as they pose a threat to the development of the child.

To date, mercury compounds (merthiolate) are used

As a preservative for vaccines;

- for medical thermometers - one medical thermometer contains up to 2 g of mercury;

- Energy-saving gas-discharge fluorescent lamps contain up to tens of milligrams of mercury.

Mercury is also found in fish and shellfish, so it is recommended to avoid seafood during pregnancy.

Note that heat treatment products does not destroy the mercury they contain.

mercury poisoning

Chronic forms of mercury poisoning are called mercuryism, which occurs due to prolonged exposure small doses of mercury vapor per person. Mercurialism can cause not only physical, but also mental deviations.

Symptoms of poisoning. Acute mercury poisoning manifests itself a couple of hours after the onset of poisoning. Symptoms acute poisoning: weakness, headache, sore throat, metallic taste in the mouth, drooling, swollen and bleeding gums, nausea and vomiting. Often there are severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, chest pain, cough, severe chills, and body temperature rises to 38-40 ° C.

Fatigue, drowsiness, general weakness, headache, dizziness, apathy, irritability speak of chronic mercury poisoning.

What to do? At the first sign of mercury poisoning, it is important to call a doctor as soon as possible. Before the arrival of the ambulance, the victim must drink milk, and then induce vomiting to remove the liquid.

Prevention

In everyday life the main source possible poisoning are mercury thermometers. To protect yourself and your children, you should purchase thermometers that do not contain mercury.

How to get rid of mercury indoors

Mercury is disposed of by special services, including those that are part of the Russian Emergencies Ministry. On a household call, if you broke a thermometer, they, as a rule, do not leave. You can get rid of a small amount of mercury yourself.

To begin with, you need to remove children and pets from the room and open a window to provide fresh air.

Before cleaning mercury, you should protect yourself as much as possible - put on a respirator or gauze bandage, rubber gloves.

Fragments of a thermometer can be put in a tight plastic bag and tightly tied. Mercury itself is best placed in a sealed container, for example, in a jar of cold water. During collection, you can use a paper envelope or paper towel. Before you start collecting mercury, illuminate the space with a lamp - under the rays of light, the balls of mercury will be noticeable, as they will begin to shine.

Mercury can be collected by:

Brushes made of amalgamated metals;

- pieces of wire, they will help to collect mercury in the cracks;

- adhesive tape - suitable for collecting small balls;

- pipettes with a thin nose.

Place the collected mercury and used items in a pre-prepared airtight container.

The room needs to be processed. chemicals. The simplest composition for processing the premises - alcohol solution 5% iodine. You can also fill the place where the mercury was with a solution of "potassium permanganate". The floor must be thoroughly washed the next day.

Do not dispose of mercury in a garbage chute or sewer. After collecting mercury, call the local Ministry of Emergency Situations, they are required to accept it for disposal.

Sweep away mercury with a broom. The rods break the ball of mercury into smaller ones, and it will become more difficult to collect them.

Collect mercury with a vacuum cleaner, as during operation it heats up and the evaporation of mercury increases. In addition, mercury will settle inside the vacuum cleaner, and it will have to be thrown away.

Wash clothes where you have cleaned mercury, as this can lead to contamination with harmful metal washing machine. All things that have come into contact with mercury should be thrown away.

The thermometer is in every house and apartment. It can be called an essential item, which is indispensable for any ailments. And since most of this device contains mercury, and the body is made of glass, there is high probability break it inadvertently. And here it is important to know how long mercury evaporates, what is its danger and how to eliminate the consequences.

Properties of mercury

Mercury is a metal that is listed as element 80 in the periodic table. Being a cumulative poison, it belongs to the I hazard class. It is the only metal that room temperature does not go into a solid state, remaining in liquid form. The release of toxic substances begins when the temperature rises to +18 ˚С, and since mercury evaporates for a long time, this makes it especially dangerous.

An ordinary thermometer contains from 1.5 to 2 g of liquid metal - this amount is very large, and if it evaporates completely in a closed living space, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bwhich does not exceed 20 m 2, the concentration of toxic vapors will exceed allowable rate, which is 0.0003 mg per 1 m 3.

Mercury evaporation rate

In one hour, 0.002 mg of mercury evaporates per square meter. Thus, it is easy to calculate the rate of its evaporation in a living room at room temperature by multiplying this figure by the total area (90 cm 2) of scattered balls: 0.002 x 90/10000 = 0.000018 mg / hour.

But at the same time for speed this process certain factors will always influence: temperature fluctuations, the quality of air circulation, the surface area of ​​scattered particles and total poisonous substance. After all, it is not always possible to collect all the mercury. Some of it can roll under the baseboards, into cracks and small chips in the floors.

One small ball of mercury from a broken thermometer evaporates for a long time - at least 3 years. If the house has warm floors and rare ventilation, then this period will noticeably decrease, and, conversely, increase with constant ventilation.

You can also estimate how long it takes 2 grams of mercury to evaporate in a well-ventilated home. Having made simple calculations, we get a period of 30 years. But remember that everything is conditional.

If we talk about how long mercury evaporates on the street, then here this period will also depend on the conditions environment. It is known that under the influence of direct sunlight and air temperature from +35 ˚С to +40 ˚С, the evaporation rate increases by 15-17 times. In the cold season, it, accordingly, decreases.

And do not forget that over time, the intensity of mercury evaporation decreases - after a couple of weeks, approximately two times, and so on.

How dangerous is mercury?

So, we learned how long mercury evaporates in the room and at what speed this process takes place, from which it follows that 0.18 mg is released in one hour poisonous vapor. Comparing this indicator with the maximum permissible concentration (0.0003 mg / m 3), we see a rather strong excess. But that doesn't say anything yet. The fact is that the maximum allowable concentration is calculated taking into account the initial criteria - the threshold concentration for a long time - from six months to a year, and plus a guarantee amendment is applied to this, which further reduces this value by several times.

There is another value, which is defined as a weekly dose of mercury for a person. It is 5 mg per 1 kg of weight. Thus, it is easy to calculate the maximum allowable dose for each family member. And taking into account the volume of air consumed by a person (25 m 3 per day), you can calculate the maximum allowable dose. For this given value multiply by the allowable level of mercury vapor (0.0003). We get 0.0075 mg per day. We calculate the weekly dose by multiplying the result by 7.

And in order to understand how dangerous mercury is from a broken thermometer, you should determine the volume of air in the room that absorbs evaporation. You can make calculations by multiplying the length of the room by the width and height of the ceilings. In general, you should immediately find out the volume of air in the entire apartment. This is due to the fact that the vapors of this substance are volatile, and since the mercury in the room evaporates for a long time, they will certainly spread throughout all the rooms. So, with a total area of ​​​​60 m 2 and a ceiling height of 2.7 m, we get a volume of 160 m 3. We recall that the air is not static; with normal ventilation, 80% of the obtained indicator is replaced in one hour. Thus, the circulation automatically increases the volume of air that consumes mercury vapor, up to 300 m 3 .

The mercury concentration can now be calculated. For this, the amount of evaporation (0.18) is divided by the volume (300). The result is 0.006 mg per 1 m 3. Compare with acceptable level(0.0003) and understand that not everything is as bad as it might seem at first glance. Before us is a twofold excess of the dose, which is not critical. However, it should not go unnoticed either.

Thus, knowing in what quantity and how long mercury evaporates and disappears, one can easily determine its potential harm to a particular room and people living in it.

Symptoms of poisoning

Mercury from one broken thermometer irreversible changes in the functioning of organs, paralysis and lethal outcome won't call. But still the body is able to respond to harmful fumes. general weakness, loss of appetite, headaches, nausea, metallic taste in the mouth and vomiting. And if similar symptoms are observed, then the victim needs to urgently render medical care. In addition, since mercury from a thermometer evaporates for a long time, it will continue its effect on the body of a weakened person. And this, in turn, will aggravate the signs of poisoning, which will lead to bleeding gums, abdominal cramps, sharp rise body temperature and liquid stool with blood and mucus. This condition requires urgent hospitalization.

Information about how long mercury takes to evaporate and why it is dangerous is especially important for parents and women during pregnancy. In the main risk group are children who, with short-term inhalation, may develop kidney problems. Pregnant women should also beware - there is a risk of intrauterine damage to the fetus.

How to collect mercury?

Understanding how long mercury takes to evaporate and what consequences this has, everyone should be able to collect it. First you need to lower the air temperature in the room by turning off all the heaters. If it is cold outside, you can open a window, but only one, so that the draft does not break the scattered balls into smaller particles. In summer it is desirable to turn on the air conditioner. These measures will stop the process of evaporation of poisonous metal.

Directly for the cleaning itself, you will need a thin copper wire, metal filings or powder, a sheet of sandpaper, a sheet of plain paper and a hermetically sealed jar.

Removing mercury with copper wire

Since mercury evaporates for a long time, and at high temperature air is also intense, then before you start cleaning, it is advisable to protect Airways gauze bandage.

Then we take the wire and wind it in such a way that we get a bundle about 1.5 cm wide and 15 cm long. So that it does not fall apart during the cleaning process, we tie it in the middle with a thread or a small piece of the wire itself. We cut off the ends on both sides so that they look like brushes. Sandpaper remove all the varnish and bend the beam in half. As a result, both ends should be on the same side.

Around the loop we make several turns of adhesive tape. So it will be much more convenient for you to hold the resulting brush in your hand. Then, with your fingers, slightly open the cleaned area and bring it to the mercury balls. Copper will begin to amalgamate metal particles, and soon they will all be on its tips. Upon completion of the procedure, it is necessary to put everything in a jar (along with the wire) and tightly close the lid.

How to use metal filings for cleaning?

To do this, they should be scattered on the infected area and carefully rubbed into the surface with a dry cloth. As a result, all the crumbled particles of mercury will be on it. We put them in a jar along with sawdust and close it hermetically.

This method of cleaning mercury is quite simple, but it is only suitable for smooth surfaces, such as linoleum, plastic, marble, etc. For surfaces with cracks and grooves, a different method should be chosen.

Mercury on pile carpet

It is important to carry out a thorough cleaning here, since mercury from a broken thermometer evaporates for a long time. If not all of it is collected, toxic substances will continue to be released, gradually accumulating in the human body. At the same time, the symptoms of poisoning are invisible at first, the consequences can be felt after a few weeks. And this, in turn, makes it very difficult to diagnose.

It is most difficult to collect all mercury from soft coatings, especially if they have a long pile. But you need to try, otherwise the carpet will simply have to be thrown away.

We pour metal filings in the place where the thermometer crashed, and turn the carpet to this area. We wrap the area with mercury with polyethylene, carefully beat it out and leave it to be ventilated. We send the dropped balls of mercury together with the film to the jar and close it well.

We clean the carpet without lint

It is much easier to remove mercury from such a coating than in the previous version. It is convenient to use a metal brush here, but you can also use a small syringe or syringe. Using the selected tool, we collect all the droplets of the substance and pack everything hermetically.

What can not be done with mercury?

Sweeping mercury with a broom, especially from a carpet, is strictly prohibited. So you will only break the particles of the substance, expanding the volume of evaporation. It is also impossible to vacuum the infected area, otherwise a warm engine will increase the evaporation rate, and the vacuum cleaner itself will subsequently have to be thrown away.

If balls of mercury got on things, then they should be destroyed. Machine wash is prohibited, as it will not save clothes - they will become dangerous in the future.

It is not allowed to flush the collected substance into the sink or toilet, as it is heavy and will most likely remain in the knee of the water supply. How long does mercury evaporate under such conditions? Long and intense. Thus, you will be constantly exposed to poisonous fumes.

Even if the jar of particles poisonous metal has been carefully stoppered, it must not be disposed of in a waste bin or waste chute. It will break sooner or later and other people will be exposed to danger.

Where is mercury recycled?

In general, if the mercury is on a flat, smooth surface or on a lint-free coating, then it will not be difficult to collect it. In addition to the above methods, you can use a sheet of plain paper. But what to do next with this jar if you can’t throw it away? In this matter, special organizations can help, such as:

• sanitary and epidemiological service;
• management of the Ministry of Emergency Situations;
• mercury recycling service.

You need to call one of them and take the bank with collected mercury on specified address. Just be sure to make sure it's packaged carefully. By the way, it is also advisable to dispose of the clothes and shoes in which you cleaned. For this reason, mercury collection is carried out with gloves and a special suit.

If the collection of mercury failed

When a thermometer breaks, mercury particles often fly quite far. They can get on upholstered furniture, in places where clothes and other things are stored, roll under a baseboard or end up in floor crevices. In such a situation, it is very difficult to collect all the droplets to the last. And only specialists can help here. Before the arrival of the brigade, you need to remove all people and pets from the infected premises and open the window.

Upon arrival, security personnel will determine the concentration of mercury vapor, conduct a thorough cleaning and mark items that will need to be disposed of.

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Mercury is a metal, one way or another familiar to man. Someone interacts with mercury in the course of their activities, someone simply uses a mercury thermometer, but absolutely everyone should know how dangerous mercury from a thermometer is for a person.

According to statistics, more than half of the cases of mercury poisoning are due to the negligent attitude of people to thermometers. Due to the specifics of the use of a thermometer, as a rule, it breaks in apartments and other residential premises, carrying a mortal threat to the inhabitants.

At room temperature, the metal is small balls, metallic color. Before answering the question of why mercury from a broken thermometer is dangerous, it should be noted that the threat lies not in the substance itself, but in the vapors. They begin to form already at room temperature, poisoning everyone who got into the affected area.

Types of poisoning and their symptoms

The hazard class of the metal is in the first place, but the main thing is that mercury vapor penetrates imperceptibly into the human body, since it does not have any aroma. There is not much of it in the thermometer, but even this amount can significantly harm if you do not quickly and correctly get rid of it.

Metal poisoning is divided according to the complexity class into 3 cases:

1. Chronic. The action of mercury from a thermometer manifests itself only over time, causing health problems. In particular, a significant risk of hypertension, tuberculosis, and atherosclerosis develops. It is important that this is possible already several years after contact. You can determine chronic poisoning by the characteristic trembling of the hands, lips, legs, fingers. The person is irritated, apathetic, feels unwell and complains of headaches, fatigue.
2. Acute. Occur after serious accidents that occur at enterprises. You can recognize this stage by vomiting, bleeding and swelling of the gums, shortness of breath. Further, baldness, pneumonia, loss of vision, and sometimes even paralysis are possible. Mercury in such quantities is especially dangerous, since poisoning of such strength provokes death after a few days, in the absence of therapy.
3. Lungs or household, which usually include food poisoning.

Mild poisoning occurs most frequently, in about 65% of cases. They appear almost immediately if metal particles enter the esophagus and a little distantly when penetrating through the respiratory tract. In particular, there is cyanosis, nausea, shortness of breath. If such symptoms are detected, a number of measures should be taken, and an ambulance should be called after them. So, if it enters the stomach, it is required to induce vomiting. greatest danger represent mercury vapor for those who are least protected - children and pregnant women. Their body is weakened and very susceptible to the external environment, so you should be more careful.

Danger - broken thermometer

Not everyone understands how dangerous a broken thermometer is. Some people are in no hurry to sound the alarm, and their antipodes, on the contrary, are very serious about cleaning up metal balls spilled from a thermometer. Doctors tend to support the latter, because poisoning harmful fumes very easy - this metal begins to emit them already at +18 degrees, and this is standard room temperature!

Particular attention should be paid to the problem of mercury in the presence of children in the living quarters. They are most susceptible to exposure to harmful metal, since small organism simply unable to resist the poison. In this case, it is recommended to get rid of all mercury thermometers and purchase modern electronic thermometers.

In fact, in everyday situations, the danger is not only mercury in the thermometer. Now very common and energy-saving, as well as fluorescent lamps. The content of this metal in such bulbs is equal to tens of milliliters, while in a thermometer it is only 2 grams.

Negative effect on the body

The metal negatively affects the following vital organs:

• kidneys
• Lungs
• Liver
• Nervous system

Mercury inhalation through the lungs (vapours) is characterized by a number of symptoms:

• Irritability
• Sleep disturbance
• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Apathy
• Violation of working capacity

The above symptoms are generalized. Each person's body is unique. Some of the symptoms may appear, while others may not. It is important to remember that if at least 2-3 of the listed symptoms were found, it is urgent to go to the nearest hospital to identify the causes.

Hit in respiratory organs, this is why a broken thermometer is dangerous, especially if mercury was discovered late, then this threatens with chronic poisoning. Therefore, in each individual case, the severity of the symptoms depends on how long the person has inhaled the fumes. Indeed, up to 80% of this metal is not excreted, remaining in the body. It is especially dangerous if the balls of mercury were not properly removed and rolled into the cracks, remaining there. The larger the area of ​​the spread mercury, the higher the rate of evaporation.

So, it has already been said above, about from a household thermometer, it contains up to 2 grams of mercury, and inhaling this amount of vapor is enough to cause death. Even 0.001 mg / m3 can provoke the development of serious diseases with chronic course. If mercury has been removed poorly, then the symptoms inherent in chronic poisoning will appear after a few months.

It is fair to say that the metal itself does not pose any danger, and in the old days they were even treated with it. The harm of mercury is precisely in its vapors that it emits, as well as other types of mercury compounds (for example, salts). But in the body a serious concentration of vapors will accumulate only if they are constantly in the air for at least several months. In any case, you need to be careful and not break the thermometers, and if you have already broken them, then it’s better right away so as not to expose your loved ones and yourself to the danger of poisoning.