What to do if a thermometer breaks

Almost every family has mercury thermometers. The item is very fragile and can easily break. Therefore, it is necessary to know the safety measures when collecting mercury and how to dispose of it. We will describe in detail in the article all the nuances and consequences of a broken thermometer.

How to collect a broken thermometer

It is quite possible to remove mercury from the surface on your own. But if you do not risk doing painstaking work, call the Ministry of Emergencies (phone number 101).

Collection instructions for mercury:

1. Put on shoe covers, rubber gloves, and a mask. This will help protect you from getting the silver beads on your skin.
2. Open a window and start ventilating the room.
3. Take a glass jar with a wide mouth and lid. This is where you put the balls of mercury.
4. Take two sheets of paper and a cotton pad. Moisten it with a solution of potassium permanganate.
5. Gently try to roll the balls onto a piece of paper. Don't let the big ball break into small pieces.
6. Place the collected mercury in a jar, put paper and cotton wool in the same place. Fill with water.
7. Be sure to close the jar lid tightly and take it out onto the balcony.
8. Places where there was mercury, treat with chlorine and potassium permanganate.

After collecting the mercury dust, call the emergency services and find out where you can return the jar for disposal.

Common mistakes when collecting a broken thermometer:

• Cleaning of shards and balls with a vacuum cleaner. In no case should you do this. Otherwise you will have to throw it away. It is prohibited to use contaminated equipment.
• Using a broom or brush. With bristles, you only break down large balls into small ones and the likelihood of mercury getting into distant places increases.
• Collecting balls with a rag. This cannot be done, since the infection radius will only expand.
• Discharge into the sewer system. Mercury is 13 times heavier than water and therefore cannot be washed off. It will settle in the pipes and the fumes will enter the apartment again.
• Disposal in a garbage chute. Do not dispose of in the trash for the same reasons as in the sewer.
• Create a draft when collecting balls. In this case, you need to close the door to the room and open the window. Otherwise, harmful vapors will spread throughout the apartment.
• Wash things in the washing machine. Those things that were worn when collecting mercury must be disposed of. If you wash it in a typewriter, then mercury will settle in your house forever.

The thermometer crashed mercury did not find what to do

The first and foremost rule is not to panic.

If you did not find balls on the floor or furniture, inspect the thermometer itself. Perhaps the flask with metal has not broken and you have nothing to fear.

The situation is worse if the flask is broken and no traces are visible.

In this case, you can use various options for searching for mercury.

If you have any suspicions that the balls may have rolled under the furniture:

• Take a stick or long tube and put double-sided tape on it. Swipe over the suspected contamination spots. The mercury will stick to the tape.
• Brushed tin or copper can be used. Tin sticks balls to itself, and copper absorbs it.

If you still haven't found mercury, then there is an option - it is very rare to be in this room. Ventilate the room daily. The more fresh air is supplied, the faster the mercury vapor will escape.

Thermometer manufacturers declare that the amount of mercury in the flask is minimal and cannot be harmful to health. But it is better to warn yourself against possible consequences.

The consequences of a broken thermometer

Everyone knows that mercury is hazardous to health, or rather its vapors.

What are the consequences of inhaling air with mercury:

• Intoxication. It manifests itself as increased fatigue, dizziness irritability and general weakness of the body.
• Poisoning. Characterized by decreased appetite, pain when swallowing, metal taste in the mouth, pain in the abdomen.
• Chronic poisoning. When the concentration of vapors in the room is very high for several years. Hand tremors appear violation of the cycle in women, bleeding gums.

At the first symptoms of poisoning, call emergency help immediately. Describe all symptoms in as much detail as possible, indicate the time interval from the beginning and end of the collection of mercury. With severe intoxication, hospitalization is possible.

Be careful with thermometers, but rather get an electronic thermometer model. So you will save yourself and your family from negative consequences.