Where to throw a mercury thermometer if it crashes?

A thermometer is an indispensable thing for every person, but when using it, you must be extremely careful. However, it is not uncommon for a thermometer to break due to negligence or due to innocent childish pranks. Then logical questions arise: what needs to be done in this situation and where to put an outdated thermometer?

Why is mercury dangerous?

Mercury, or more precisely, its vapors are dangerous to human life. The substance from a broken thermometer usually enters the body in two ways: either through the mouth or through inhalation of toxic fumes. The first option is rare, unless a small child decides to taste the fun "silver balls". In this case, your actions should be instant. Immediately induce vomiting in the baby and dial the ambulance number. Otherwise, the consequences can be sad.

But the second option is a common phenomenon, and this happens most often due to banal negligence and unwillingness or lack of knowledge of how and where to properly dispose of a broken thermometer.

As a result, a person receives mercury poisoning. The danger also lies in the fact that at first it is practically impossible to determine whether a substance has entered the body or not, since poisoning can occur for a long time without visible symptoms. Later, irritability, fatigue, and sudden weight loss appear. As a rule, many attribute this to a busy schedule and difficult work. However, at this time, mercury slowly reaches the central nervous system and kidneys.

Important!

A broken thermometer should be cleaned as quickly and thoroughly as possible, and this should be done correctly, without neglecting the rules of personal safety.

What to do if a mercury thermometer crashes?

What should be your actions if you broke a thermometer, where you need to pass it after, and how to remove traces of mercury? If such a situation occurs, do not panic, follow the instructions below, and everything will be in order.

1. Open a window or window, but be sure to close the door to neighboring rooms so that toxic fumes do not spread around the house. Airing time - from one hour or more.
2. Do not go once again to the place of the “accident”; mercury spreads easily and sticks to the soles. By negligence, you can carry hazardous substances throughout the room.
3. Before embarking on mercury removal and disposal, take care of personal safety. Put rubber gloves on your hands and protect your feet with plastic bags. Do not forget about the respiratory system, to protect them, use a bandage soaked in a solution of soda.
4. Prepare a glass jar of cold water where you will collect mercury. Water is necessary, it will not allow mercury to evaporate.
5. Carefully, without fuss and panic, collect the poisonous substance as much as possible. Most often, poisoning occurs due to neglect, therefore, in order not to gain unnecessary worries, take this process seriously.
   

   Tip

   The smallest mercury balls can be removed using tape, plasticine or a syringe.

   If the collection of toxic substances drags on, then do not forget to go out every 15 minutes without fail, otherwise you will get mercury poisoning.

6. Screw on the lid of the can with mercury; do not allow it to be near heating appliances. Throwing away the bank is strictly prohibited!

Where and how should mercury be delivered?

So, suppose you have already successfully completed the task of removing a thermometer and collecting all the mercury. What to do next, because it is not safe to store toxic substances at home? Where to pass the container or just throw it away and forget it? In no case!

If you broke the thermometer, removed the mercury according to the instructions above, your next steps should be a call to the Ministry of Emergencies, where you should report the incident. After the brigade arrives, you need to hand them a jar of substance, as well as a thermometer and all the materials that you used when cleaning: gloves, syringes, bags, etc. The responsibilities of the Ministry of Emergencies include the mandatory disinfection of the room.

At the end of the disinfection, pay attention to your health, even if you are sure that the mercury has not affected you. For prevention, take a weak solution of potassium permanganate and rinse your mouth with it, throat, brush your teeth. It also does not hurt to take a few tablets of activated carbon. The next couple of days, consume as much clean water as possible, since all mercury formations are effectively excreted through the kidneys.

If you are sure that you yourself were able to completely clean the room from mercury, then you can avoid calling the Ministry of Emergencies. Where in this case it is necessary to hand over a toxic substance?

Take a jar of mercury, as well as a thermometer and all the instruments that were used during the cleaning process, clothes that were on you (if there is suspicion of mercury getting on it). All this should be turned over to a special enterprise that deals with the disposal of mercury-containing waste. And, again, after that, do not forget to take care of personal health, because it is better to play it safe than to suffer later. Be sure to ventilate the room by opening a window for this.

Where to take the jar of mercury, if you do not have such enterprises nearby? You can contact an organization that distributes various medicines. As a rule, they should have special containers available for the disposal of mercury-containing and other chemical wastes threatening human life. To find out if there are such organizations in your community, contact the help desk.

If this item did not suit you, then you can turn in a thermometer to a state pharmacy or sanitary-epidemiological station. There you will need to fill out a special application. By law, these institutions are not allowed to refuse you and must accept the things you brought.

What is absolutely not recommended if you break a thermometer?

If you break a thermometer, be careful not to take rash actions, since without knowing it yourself, you can significantly aggravate the situation and get serious mercury poisoning.

So what should not be done in this case?

• In the room where the accident occurred, you can not arrange a draft until mercury is collected.
• When cleaning the substance, do not use a broom, this will only aggravate the situation and spread the mercury balls over the entire surface. It is also not recommended to use a vacuum cleaner, as this helps toxic fumes spread throughout the room.
• It is strictly forbidden to wash or rinse things used in cleaning a substance in a sink or a washing machine. They must be taken with the collected mercury.

A mercury thermometer should always be handled with care. Keep it only in a safe place, using a special capsule, and do not give it to children, since most often it’s the little curious children that cause their parents to worry — a broken mercury thermometer. Of course, it is better not to allow such a situation, but even if you have to face a similar problem, you know how to protect your health and where to turn in mercury balls.