How to collect mercury from the floor

Despite the prevalence of electronic thermometers, many use proven, most accurate - mercury. The advantages of this measuring device, of course, more, but there is one big minus. It's no secret for anyone that mercury thermometers are fragile and very dangerous because of their filler - mercury. One awkward movement and mercury is on the floor. What to do in this case? How to prevent poisoning?

What is the danger of mercury?

By itself, mercury, or rather its balls, have a metallic color and are extremely mobile. From the course of school chemistry, it is known that this substance is a liquid metal, which begins to evaporate at room temperature, ranging from +18 degrees.

Mercury vapor is toxic and is the strongest poison, this is precisely its danger. In one broken thermometer contains about 2 to 4 g of the substance. And this amount is quite enough to pollute 6000 cubic meters of air. Mercury balls can easily penetrate and roll into the cracks in the floor, under the baseboards, get stuck in the pile of carpets. They stick to slippers and quickly spread around the apartment.

If a person inhaled mercury vapor, the metal begins to accumulate in the liver, kidneys, brain, so that mercury intoxication is formed. Symptoms of it is the appearance of skin rashes, stomatitis, metallic taste in the mouth. Gradually, more serious pathologies appear that may threaten human health. Delayed symptoms are renal failure, central nervous system damage, and even insanity.

What to do if the thermometer broke?

Most often, thermometers are smashed by kids who wanted to help their mother play or just out of interest. The thermometer is broken and the mercury is released. What to do? The first step is to immediately remove the children in the next room, the fewer people in the room with a broken thermometer, the lower the risk of poisoning.

It is not enough to evacuate the little ones to the neighboring rooms, it is important to close all the doors, not only in the room with the broken thermometer, but in all the rooms in the house. We can not allow drafts, in this case, mercury vapors will disperse throughout the apartment, and poisoning can not be avoided.

Before you collect mercury from the floor, you need to protect yourself, on the face should be a wet gauze mask. Every 10 to 15 minutes it is necessary to go to another room, and preferably to fresh air. When cleaning mercury from the floor, you must protect your hands with rubber gloves, and put on shoe covers or garbage bags on your feet.

Collect mercury is necessary in a glass container with a tight lid. Cold water should be poured at the bottom of the jar, so the substance will not evaporate and remain. A broken thermometer must be put in a tight plastic bag and firmly tied.

Collecting mercury can be used and improvised items, such as an ordinary syringe. It is necessary to tighten the balls like a vacuum cleaner, but everyone should be disposed of in a container before cleaning the next one. This method is especially effective when collecting mercury from under the baseboard and from various slots. After use, the syringe should be disposed of.

You can moisten paper napkins with regular sunflower oil - mercury balls will adhere perfectly and fix securely. Instead of such napkins it is advised to use copper wire, adhesive tape or adhesive tape.

After all the mercury has been collected, the room should be thoroughly disinfected - with soap and chlorine solution. It is necessary to wash not only the floor, but also the walls. All the cracks, spaces under the baseboards must be treated with bleach, you can use a solution of potassium permanganate.

After the rag, which washed the floor and walls, should be disposed of with a thermometer. The final stage of cleaning is taking a shower, brushing your teeth and rinsing the mouth with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. In addition, it is necessary to drink activated carbon, at the rate of 1 tablet per 10 kg of body weight. For several days, it is necessary to drink as much water as possible to prevent intoxication and mercury accumulation in the renal tissue.

How to collect mercury from the carpet?

1. A broken thermometer on the carpet means only one thing - you must immediately take it out to the street. The coating must be carefully rolled from the edge to the center, while strictly observing that mercury balls do not scatter on the floor. Wrapping the carpet, it must be removed in a large plastic bag, trash bags are perfect for large containers.
2. Having moved an infected object to the street, before unfolding it, it is necessary to lay a film with which, in the future, it will be possible to collect mercury. It will be necessary for her to knock the substance balls out with careful movements. From the film they also need to be collected in a container with cold water. You can not leave mercury on the street, it quickly evaporate and will cause poisoning of plants and people who will be close.
3. After cleaning the carpet, it will need to be regularly ventilated outside, about once a week, for 3 months. But the most acceptable option is to recycle this coating.

How to dispose and destroy items contaminated with mercury?

All things that have been in contact with a poisonous agent should ideally be thrown away. But if they are too valuable, then they must be regularly aired for 3 months. A jar with collected mercury, a broken thermometer, if used, a syringe or adhesive tape, should be collected in one package and transferred to the local Emergency Situations Department.

It is strictly forbidden to pour mercury into the sewage system, to throw a broken thermometer into the garbage disposal. When cleaning it is worth forgetting about such items as a broom and a vacuum cleaner. Broom rods will crush mercury into even smaller components and turn it into toxic dust that will quickly spread around the apartment.

If there is a desire to use a vacuum cleaner, then after cleaning the room - it must be thrown out. Mercury will cover the entire device from the inside and will evaporate there, especially when it is working.

Mercury is a dangerous metal that can cause serious poisoning! That is why it is not necessary to leave the thermometer accessible for children; it is necessary to be extremely careful when working with this device. Although electronic thermometers are less accurate, they are still safer. It is especially advisable to opt for such a model, if you have a small child.