In each house there is at least one mercury thermometer. And despite their insecurity and also existence of electronic and infrared analogs, the mercury thermometer still gives the most right measurements, according to experts.
Unfortunately, mercury in the thermometer is put into a glass flask which at the slightest carelessness is easy for damaging or breaking. Mercury and its vapors belong to the first class of dangerous substances therefore the person needs to know what should be done if the mercury thermometer crashed to avoid very deplorable consequences.
Symptoms of poisoning with mercury and its consequences for a human body
Mercury has melting temperature equal 180 C, that is in the conditions of our warm apartments, it extremely quickly evaporates. Therefore also poisoning comes more often because of inhalation of its vapors which absorbability through airways is more than 75%.
Mercury has the powerful striking effect on cardiovascular, urinogenital and nervous systems, can cause a toxic nephropathy, and getting in the liquid state into a stomach can lead to a lethal outcome. Therefore parents of small children need to know what to do if the thermometer crashed and first of all to limit contact with it of small children.
There are two options of poisoning with mercury: chronic and sharp poisoning.
Sharp poisoning is characterized by brighter clinical picture: nausea, vomiting, a headache, smack of metal in a mouth, the raised office of saliva, pain and reddening of a throat, dacryagogue, the diarrhea is possible. No later than the fourth day from contact with this toxic agent the dysfunction of kidneys is added to the above symptoms.
Chronic poisoning usually occurs at low-quality collecting balls of mercury when they are rolled up in hard-to-reach spots, such as cracks of floors, and for a long time evaporate. Such type of poisonings is the most dangerous as impact on an organism can continue for years and not prove at the beginning significant clinical symptoms.
That is consequences to which can give the broken thermometer in the apartment are very serious therefore we will consider, lower to do that in such situation and how to avoid the most widespread mistakes.
What to do if in the house the mercury thermometer crashed?
First of all it is necessary to calm down and not to panic and also to bring out of the room of children, old men and pets. If incident occurred in cool season, then it is recommended to open windows – it will help to reduce many times the content of vapors of mercury indoors. Further it is necessary to provide protection of respiratory organs by means of a respirator or a damp gauze bandage. Also it is recommended to limit the place where is mercury and cleaning to begin with edges, gradually moving to the center.
Will be necessary for elimination of chemical pollution:
- rubber gloves;
- rubber pear;
- plaster, or paper adhesive tape;
- bank from glass with potassium permanganate solution (1 teaspoon of manganese on 1 liter of water);
- painting or office brush with soft pile;
- sheet of cardboard or foil.
Operations procedure:
- By means of a brush and a leaf of a foil or cardboard large balls of mercury gather and at once develop in a glass jar with a cover. Water with potassium permanganate in this case, entering chemical reaction with mercury, in addition interferes with its evaporation.
- Smaller parts gather pear, and then a paper adhesive tape or a medical plaster.
- In case on a floor there are big cracks and there are suspicions that there mercury could get, then the sexual covering is sorted and carefully make cleaning being guided by above-mentioned rules.
- In completion of cleaning, all surfaces which contacted to mercury or were nearby are washed with the soap and soda solution concentrated by solution which is allowed to be washed away after several days.
- In bank with solution of potassium permanganate all devices used for demercurization of the room keep within, the cover densely is closed. It is impossible to throw out it at all, or to dig in – it is necessary to call the Ministry of Emergency Situations or the center of hygiene and epidemiology and to hand over it on utilization.
- The clothes contacting to mercury are also subject to utilization, and it is possible to wash soles of footwear with strong solution of permanganate of potassium.
What cannot be done at all if the mercury thermometer crashed, so it to use the vacuum cleaner for cleaning of the contents which followed from it. Matter not only that mercury will remain on all its internal details and it should be thrown out, but also that in the course of cleaning by the vacuum cleaner the most part of mercury evaporates, chances to get sharp poisoning respectively increase.
It is also important to remember that even if the thermometer was not damaged completely, and, for example, the tip broke, it is necessary to do too most. Same concerns also slightly cracked thermometer as mercury evaporations incredibly letuch.
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