If a mercury thermometer accidentally crashes in your home, then there is no need to panic. But you can’t leave it on the floor, as the mercury evaporates, and its vapors are very toxic. Dangerous consequences can be avoided if mercury is collected and disposed of in time and correctly.
You will need
- - latex gloves
- - syringe or dropper
- - paper napkins
- - sunflower oil
- - glass jar
- - adhesive tape
- - detergent with chlorine
Instruction manual
1
First, you need to remove all people from the premises, and especially children. It is necessary to close windows and vents while you collect mercury. In no case do not take mercury with your hands and do not allow contact with skin. Clothing should be disposed of if a drop of mercury gets on it.
2
It is necessary to cover the drops of mercury with wet rags so that it does not spread in the room, but do not wipe it. You can not use a vacuum cleaner to clean the thermometer, since it will only aggravate the situation, heating the mercury to the evaporation temperature.
3
You can collect mercury with a syringe, a pipette, or place it on a piece of paper with a napkin moistened with sunflower oil. You need to collect mercury in rubber gloves. Very small drops are easy to catch with a band-aid or tape. Next, mercury should be placed in a glass jar half filled with water.
4
It is best to transfer the collected mercury to the Ministry of Emergencies and not to pollute the environment. The place where the mercury was must be treated with a detergent containing chlorine. After cleaning, the room must be thoroughly ventilated for several hours.
