They broke the thermometer in the apartment. How and with what to collect mercury if you break a thermometer

Until recently, almost every home, every family had a first aid kit. mercury thermometer, as the first assistant for any manifestations of any disease. Few people think about how dangerous this item is, what it threatens careless handling with temperature meter. So, the thermometer in the apartment has broken - what to do?

The thermometer broke - is it dangerous?

The danger lies in the contents - mercury. Or rather, in its pairs. While the thermometer is in in good condition and the mercury is where it should be, then there is no danger. However, what to do if the mercury thermometer at home is broken? If suddenly for some reason the glass breaks and the contents leak out of the mini-cone, then it’s time to sound the alarm.

In its liquid state, mercury will not cause harm, unless, of course, you eat or drink it. Mercury vapor is dangerous.

If you break a thermometer at home, what to do immediately to avoid poisoning, read below:

• open the windows or at least the vents wide, closing them tightly front door into the room where the thermometer was broken - such measures will help avoid the leakage of vapors into other rooms;
• report the incident by phone special services or Mercury Collection and Disposal Employees;
• do not allow anyone into the room where there was a leak of mercury contents, since mercury easily sticks to the sole of shoes, and there is a risk of transferring it to other rooms.

Collecting mercury yourself

It so happened that the mercury thermometer was broken. What to do, where to start? Mercury is a dangerous substance. Before you start collecting it, equip yourself to protect the skin of your hands and face, as well as your eyes. Use rubber gloves and regular plastic bags on your feet. To prevent mercury from entering the body through the mouth or nose, make a gauze bandage and moisten it well with a soda solution or, if it is not available, with clean water.

You can collect mercury using simple devices: a wet sheet of paper or newspaper, to which small balls of liquid mercury stick very well. A plaster, plasticine or tape, and wet cotton wool will also help.

If you have a syringe at hand, then by removing the needle you can use it to collect small droplets. All collected mercury must be poured into a glass vessel filled with cold water, close the lid.

Check all the cracks and cracks by drawing out the contents with a syringe or bulb. Removable skirting boards can be removed to collect any “escaped” residues. The collection time of spread mercury should not exceed 15 minutes. IN otherwise be sure to take a short break and leave the room to breathe clean air.

Keep the trap jar tightly closed, always away from radiators and other heating devices. Hand it over to special services or Mercury Collection and Elimination Employees.

To avoid negative consequences treat the area where the mercury leak occurred with a solution of potassium permanganate or bleach.

If everything is done carefully, all cracks and cracks are carefully checked, the mercury is transferred to specialists, then the consequences broken thermometer can be considered non-hazardous and not worry about your health and the health of others.

Of course, as practice shows, EMERCOM employees do not always arrive at the scene of an incident such as a broken thermometer. However, it would still be better to achieve your goal and entrust the collection of mercury to specialists. In this case, there is no need to worry about what to do with broken mercury thermometers - hand them over to specialists.

Prohibited actions

Mercury in its normal state is liquid. But what to do if you break a mercury thermometer at home - at high temperatures, that is, in a warm room, it easily evaporates, forming toxic fumes. Therefore, you should avoid performing actions that may provoke the spread of mercury vapor into other rooms if the thermometer in the apartment is broken. What to do and what complications should be feared is stated above.

Ventilate the room, but do not create drafts - this will only help mercury vapor get safely into other rooms along with the air. In strong drafts, air currents can also carry small balls of liquid mercury.

What to do if you break a mercury thermometer at home, where should you put it? Leftover thermometers must not be disposed of in the garbage disposal. The point is that it's not even a large number of mercury vapor can pollute up to 6 thousand cubic meters of air in a closed room (and the garbage chute is located in a closed entrance).

It is impossible to remove mercury using a broom or vacuum cleaner, since the elastic rods of the broom will not collect, but rather will scatter balls of mercury around the room, while the vacuum cleaner, drawing in mercury, will become a new source of infection and, the best thing that can be done is to throw it away his.

If mercury is spilled on a fleecy surface, for example, on a carpet or rug, then you will not be able to collect it completely yourself. Call specialists who know what to do with mercury-containing waste. Knowing how long it takes for mercury to evaporate from a broken thermometer, you will understand how important this is.

You cannot put the clothes you just wore while collecting mercury, the rags you used to work with, into the washing machine or try to wash them in the sink. Say goodbye to them by packing them in a tightly sealed plastic bag and handing them over to the hands of specialists along with a jar of mercury.

Follow these rules to stay healthy.

Actions after collecting mercury and cleaning the room

Prepare a dark brown solution of potassium permanganate and a solution of soda and soap.
Treat all surfaces where mercury may have been present. Rinse the entire room if necessary. It is good if the solution remains on the surfaces for more than 6 hours. Wash the shoes you wore in it.
Please note that permanent stains from potassium permanganate will remain on the surface.

After this treatment, proceed to washing with a soap-soda solution, in the proportions: 40 g of soap and approximately 50 g of soda per liter of water.

This surface cleaning operation must be done over the next few days. The potassium permanganate solution can be kept for an hour. Everyday is welcome wet cleaning rooms, constant ventilation of the room where the broken thermometer was. The consequences of cleaning - stains, dampness - are not so terrible.

After work, it is better to dispose of gloves along with clothing. The oral cavity, including the throat, should be rinsed with a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate and the teeth should be brushed with special care.

Keep activated charcoal handy in your first aid kit; you need to take about three tablets.

Mercury formations that may appear in your body are excreted along with urine, so activate your kidneys with diuretics, tea, juices and other drinks.

How does mercury vapor poisoning manifest?

• Symptoms of mercury poisoning:
• increased fatigue;
• constant drowsiness;
• weakness, lethargy, apathy;
• headaches and dizziness;
• emotional imbalance, expressed in depression, irritability;
• weakening of memory;
• inhibition of reactions;
• decreased performance.

If you began to ask the question “Why do you dream about a broken thermometer?”, then perhaps this is the first sign of poisoning and dementia as a consequence of this process. It’s a joke, of course, but it doesn’t hurt to monitor your body’s reactions.

What is the danger of a broken mercury thermometer? The first is mercury vapor, which causes poisoning. The second is the duration of exposure, the persistence of danger in the apartment where the measuring device was broken.

In case of mercury vapor poisoning within long period trembling of the limbs and nervous tic of the eyelids may be noted. Reduced sensitivity to external influences skin, taste and smell change.

Increased sweating and increased and frequent urination are possible. Medical tests an increase in the thyroid gland, changes in heart rhythms, and a decrease in blood pressure are detected. Despite the fact that these symptoms also appear in other diseases, you should still check the body for the content of mercury formations. This will help avoid problems and begin timely treatment.

If poisoning becomes chronic, there is a risk of diseases such as tuberculosis, atherosclerosis, and hypertension. The liver and biliary organs are also affected.

For women, poisoning is fraught with changes in the menstrual cycle and mastopathy. Changes may result in premature birth, birth of children with low level viability.

Pay attention!

What is most unpleasant is that the consequences of exposure to mercury vapor do not appear immediately, but years after interaction with mercury.

Questions and answers

Dr. Komarovsky answers the questions on this topic in detail on his website.
A mercury thermometer broke: what to do and what not to do – your questions and answers from experts:

1. Where to put a broken mercury thermometer?
   Forget about the garbage chute - you can't go there! Most the best option– transfer it along with mercury to specialists for disposal according to safety rules.
2. How to remove mercury from a thermometer from the floor?
   Collect as above, without using a vacuum cleaner or broom.
3. The thermometer in the apartment broke, how long does it take for mercury to disappear?
   This depends on the degree of ventilation, room temperature and other factors.
4. If you break a thermometer at home, what should you do?
   Restrict access to the room and call Mercury Collection and Elimination personnel. Next follow the instructions above.
5. A child broke a thermometer in the room - what to do?
   Isolate the child from the room, after making sure that he has not had contact with mercury. Call an ambulance to avoid poisoning.

In any case, there is no need to be scared or panic, follow the rules. And buy an electronic measuring device, you will have peace of mind.

*Special services - the Ministry of Emergency Situations of your settlement(tel.: 01 or 001).

Which of us has never had a thermometer slip out of our hands? And who knew exactly what to do at home if the mercury thermometer broke? Unfortunately, in such extreme situation many make a lot of mistakes - but mercury is not only dangerous, it can be fatal to humans.

Mercury is chemical element having certain properties. In fact, it is a cumulative poison that evaporates if it is in a warm room. Therefore, if a mercury thermometer breaks at home, everyone should know what to do to protect themselves and loved ones from serious poisoning.

If the thermometer breaks, then the mercury it contains is enough to fill approximately 100 mg per cubic meter. That is, its amount will be more than 300 thousand times higher than the permissible norm for residential premises. However, by ventilating the apartment, the risk is significantly reduced. In addition, in order for mercury to completely evaporate, it is extremely necessary heat. Therefore, if mercury is not removed, its concentration will be exceeded “only” 100 times.

Mercury vapor is toxic, poisoning occurs unnoticed

Mercury vapor poisoning is not noticeable at first, but that makes it even more scary. Mercury accumulates in the body, after which it begins to cause serious malfunctions various systems: nervous, immune, digestive, and also negatively affects the kidneys, eyes, skin. There are many videos that clearly demonstrate how harmful mercury poisoning can affect the human body.

Direct contact with mercury may have occurred several years ago, and the consequences appear only in currently when it is no longer possible to trace the connection between the disease and its cause.

How to protect yourself

Despite the fact that everyone knows about the dangerous properties of mercury, thermometers periodically slip out of their hands and break. The reason for this is not only a negligent attitude towards potentially dangerous item, but also simple carelessness. To prevent this from happening, you must use the thermometer with caution, following the following rules:

• The thermometer can only be used by people with good coordination, in a sober, conscious state. That is, children, old people, people under the influence of any narcotic substances and you can’t give him alcohol. When measuring the temperature of such categories of people, you need to constantly be nearby and monitor the situation.
• The thermometer must be stored in a special case or container, out of the reach of children.
• When to shake the thermometer to return the mercury to initial position, this can only be done with dry hands, away from hard objects, preferably even over a soft surface - a bed, a sofa.

Store the thermometer in a special protective case

The thermometer broke

What to do if a mercury thermometer breaks in an apartment or any other residential area?

First of all, don’t panic, take all household members out of the room and ventilate the room (but without drafts - you need to close other windows in the house). If it’s warmer outside than in the apartment, warm air will only aggravate the situation, which means you can’t open the windows.

Small balls of mercury easily get into hard-to-reach places

Mercury tends to stick to surfaces, so stepping on it is strictly prohibited. Protect all exposed surfaces of your body - with gloves, shoes, gauze bandages. In this case, the clothes will then have to be handed over to specialists, which means choose as a working option something that you don’t mind throwing away.

Once on any surface, mercury turns into tiny balls, which can be divided into even smaller ones. You can collect them using such improvised means as:

• rubber bulb;
• two sheets of paper;
• plaster or tape;
• wet cotton wool or newspaper.

Carefully collect mercury from all crevices using a syringe or rubber bulb; even a small drop of mercury remaining in the room can subsequently cause a serious illness. If you think that silver balls rolled behind the baseboard or into other hard-to-reach places, don’t be lazy to check if this is so - remove the baseboard, lift the linoleum, move the cabinet. Often it is a drop of mercury, lost in a crack on the sofa or under the baseboard, that can literally poison life for many years. Don’t rely on chance, double-check everything even several times, because health is more valuable.

The process of removing mercury droplets with a syringe

If you had to remove the mercury for more than a few minutes, leave the room and breathe some air near the open window. When the collection is complete, drink activated carbon or another adsorbent. Try to drink more fluids to immediately remove mercury from your body.

If a mercury thermometer breaks at home, you cannot do without the help of the Ministry of Emergency Situations - only specialists know what to do with mercury, how to neutralize it correctly, to whom you will hand over the jar with the toxic contents. To call rescuers, call “01”.

A visual sequence of actions if your mercury thermometer breaks

The area where the mercury spilled must be treated with a special solution:

• Make a dark brown, saturated solution of potassium permanganate, add salt (a tablespoon per liter) and acid (for example, vinegar, citric acid). Be sure to wear gloves and use a brush or brush to treat the entire surface where the mercury has spilled (do not forget about the cracks). The solution should remain in this place for 7 hours, and this surface should be periodically moistened with water. Keep in mind that after such a “cocktail”, after 7-8 hours you need to treat the surface with a soap-soda solution to wash off the reaction products (add about 50 g of soda and 40 g of soap per liter of water). Over the next few days, the procedure must be repeated, leaving the potassium permanganate solution on the surface for only one hour.

• There is a second option to neutralize the effects of mercury. Pour “Whiteness” bleach into a plastic bucket (in a ratio of 1:8 – one part “Whiteness”, 8 parts water). Rinse the hazardous surface with this solution and rinse off with water after 15 minutes. Then prepare a solution of potassium permanganate in the same proportion and now treat the area of ​​contamination with it. In the following days, continue to wash the room with bleach and try to ventilate it as often as possible. If a solution or sponge becomes contaminated with mercury during processing, they are also handed over to specialists.

Positive reviews about these demercurization methods are based on the fact that if a mercury thermometer breaks at home, everything must be done to prevent the spread of mercury vapor throughout the apartment and throughout the house.

Precautions when collecting mercury

Due to certain properties of mercury, when collecting it, precautions must be taken to prevent further spread of the toxic metal.

When cleaning mercury, you should wear protective gloves.

What not to do:

• You cannot use a garbage chute or sewer to dispose of a broken thermometer and collected mercury, and do not throw away rags, sponges or any other means with which you collected mercury - all this must be handed over to a specialized team;
• A broom is no help in the fight against mercury! Its rods will simply break the poisonous droplets into even smaller ones - and therefore it is better to use a brush;
• You also cannot collect mercury balls with a vacuum cleaner - firstly, due to the air being blown, the poison will begin to evaporate faster, and secondly, the mercury will settle on the hose;
• Wash clothes in which you have collected toxic metal in washing machine absolutely not possible;
• If a mercury thermometer breaks on the carpet at home, it will be difficult to clean it yourself, which means it is better to contact the Ministry of Emergency Situations or other specialized services.

Knowing what to do if a mercury thermometer breaks at home, you will be able to prevent serious illnesses through your actions.

Symptoms of mercury poisoning

Mercury poisoning can be either acute or chronic. If a person has inhaled mercury vapor from a mercury thermometer that has broken at home, advice on what to do in this situation will only help if symptoms such as weakness, a metallic taste in the mouth, discomfort when swallowing food, and weak appetite are identified. Also, a person poisoned by mercury vapor may feel sick or vomit.

If you miss these first signs, the symptoms may intensify to the point of bleeding gums and loose, bloody stools.

If you notice such symptoms, you should immediately call ambulance, since severe mercury vapor poisoning can lead to fatal outcome. Greatest danger Inhalation of mercury is harmful to children and pregnant women. A weakened and unformed body is not able to withstand contact with silver poison.

The main symptoms of mercury vapor intoxication

As mentioned above, symptoms of mercury poisoning may not appear immediately after contact with the poison, but after many months and even years. If mercury was not found or it was not removed well enough in rooms where people are often present, then gradually its concentration in the body will exceed permissible norm and the poisoning will begin.

Due to chronic mercury vapor poisoning, a person’s risk of various diseases increases significantly; this is especially dangerous for women, since it affects the reproductive system.

If you have any concerns that mercury poisoning has occurred, be sure to call an ambulance, and before it arrives, try to drink as much fluid as possible. Talk to your doctor by phone about what absorbent medicine you can take while you wait for an ambulance.

The safety and health of every person is primarily in his hands. Often - in the most literal sense. When using not only a thermometer, but also any medications, we must remember that they can save us, or they can kill us. Therefore, take your treatment seriously. Caution is never too much when it comes to life and health. Although a mercury thermometer is common object in every home, it can cause mortal danger.

And remember that by taking care of the proper disposal of mercury, you are helping to protect not only yourself and your family from disease, but also hundreds of people who live in your area. apartment building. Therefore, treat what happened with full responsibility.

What to do if a thermometer breaks in your apartment? What are the possible health consequences? Let's look into this issue together.

IN standard set Almost every home first aid kit includes a thermometer for measuring body temperature, which is one of the most convenient and affordable devices for assessing and monitoring the condition of the human body not only in medical institutions, but also at home. Although World organization healthcare recommends abandoning the use of mercury thermometers in favor of safer analogues, this type thermometers are still widely popular among the population.

Mercury medical thermometer refers to liquid thermometers, the principle of operation of which is based on a change in the volume of liquid that is in the device when the ambient temperature changes. The main disadvantage of mercury thermometers is their fragility and the risk of damage to integrity measuring instrument. If a thermometer breaks in an apartment, this can have adverse consequences.

The appearance of signs of mercury poisoning is a reason to immediately seek medical help.

Why is a broken thermometer dangerous?

Mercury is a transition metal that normal conditions is in a liquid aggregate state, is a heavy liquid of a silvery-white color and easily evaporates at room temperature. Mercury vapor is odorless. According to the level of toxicity and effects on living organisms (hazard class I), which, if used improperly, can adversely affect environment and human health.

The main route of exposure to mercury in the human body is inhalation of its vapor, but cases of ingestion of mercury have also been reported. In addition, the substance is dangerous if it comes into contact with intact skin and mucous membranes.

In medical mercury thermometer contains 1–5 g of mercury. If a thermometer breaks in a small enclosed room, when this amount evaporates, the concentration of mercury vapor exceeds the maximum permissible limit many times and poses a danger to humans. Mercury is a cumulative poison, that is, it tends to accumulate in the body. At the same time, clinical manifestations of mercury poisoning in some cases occur some time after contact with the substance, which can complicate diagnosis.

What to do if a mercury thermometer breaks at home

Mercury vapor can adsorb on paint and varnish coatings, plastered surfaces, in the seams of concrete slabs and brickwork, and also penetrate into microcracks and pores of contaminated materials, which complicates cleaning. In addition, mercury is inert towards many chemicals, which makes it difficult to choose effective remedy for demercurization.

If a thermometer breaks in an apartment, it is recommended to cool the room (turn off the heating, open a window or turn on the air conditioner), and there should be no draft in the room where the mercury was spilled. Before should be protected open areas skin and respiratory organs. It is recommended to carry out cleaning with gloves and rubber shoes and/or shoe covers over regular shoes; the face from eyes to chin should be covered with a moistened cloth bandage.

In separate containers, prepare an aqueous solution of potassium permanganate (at the rate of 20 g per 10 liters of water) and a soap-soda solution. It is convenient to collect large balls of mercury from the floor with a sheet of paper, using it as a scoop; for smaller particles, you can use tape. Mercury is removed from hard-to-reach places (cracks, baseboards, corners) using a douching bulb or a disposable syringe. To find the remains of the substance, you need to illuminate the floor with a flashlight - directed at a certain angle electric light mercury is clearly visible on a flat floor surface. The collected mercury, as well as the remains of the broken thermometer, are placed in a jar with a solution of potassium permanganate. After this, all surfaces on which mercury was or could be found should be washed with soap and soda solution. It may take a long time to thoroughly clean a room in which a thermometer has broken and mercury has leaked. To avoid mercury poisoning, it is recommended to periodically (every 10-15 minutes) leave the room and breathe fresh air. After cleaning the room in which the thermometer broke, you should take a shower, rinse your mouth several times with a soda solution and take an enterosorbent (Activated carbon, Polysorb M, Filtrum-STI or any other).

Mercury has adverse effect on nervous system, gastrointestinal and respiratory tract, immune system, skin, eyes.

Clothing, gloves and shoes in which mercury was removed should be placed in a tightly sealed bag. Collected mercury and items that came into contact with it must be taken to a mercury collection and disposal point.

Based on the level of toxicity and effects on living organisms, mercury is classified as an extremely dangerous substance (hazard class I).

Depression and irritability appear, self-control and memory weaken, and a decrease in mental abilities and attention. As the pathological process progresses, tremor of the fingers and toes, lips, and eyelids occurs and gradually intensifies. In some cases, the thyroid gland enlarges, blood pressure decreases, and heart rhythm disturbances are observed.

First aid and treatment for mercury poisoning

The appearance of signs of mercury poisoning is a reason to immediately seek medical help. In case of acute intoxication, the victim should be taken to fresh air. If mercury is ingested, before the doctor arrives, you should induce vomiting, and then take enterosorbent. Drinking plenty of fluids is recommended to more quickly remove the toxin from the body through urine. If the victim is unconscious, it is necessary to lay him down so that his head is turned to the side. With convulsions and/or retraction of the tongue, breathing problems may occur; in this case, you should carefully tilt the victim’s head back and push the lower jaw forward and upward.

The goals of treating mercury poisoning are to reduce symptoms and remove mercury from the body. When high concentrations of mercury are determined in the patient’s blood and/or urine, complexing therapy is carried out, which consists of intramuscular or intravenous administration of complexing agents medicines, binding mercury and accelerating its removal from the body. If the patient has renal failure, hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis may be performed. In case of chronic mercury poisoning, the patient is advised comprehensive examination and inpatient treatment, which consists of detoxification and restoration of impaired functions.

It is recommended to carry out cleaning with gloves and rubber shoes and/or shoe covers over regular shoes; the face from eyes to chin should be covered with a moistened cloth bandage.

Safety precautions when using a mercury thermometer

To prevent the thermometer from accidentally breaking, you should:

• store the thermometer in a tight, preferably screw-on case, out of the reach of children;
• do not take the thermometer with wet hands;
• do not shake the medical thermometer in close proximity to solid objects;
• measure the temperature of children with a mercury thermometer only in the presence and under the supervision of adults.

Video from YouTube on the topic of the article:

Despite wide use electronic thermometers, many continue to use mercury thermometers, considering them more accurate. They actually make fewer mistakes than their electronic counterparts, but they do have significant drawback– the tips of such thermometers are filled with mercury. And if the thermometer breaks, it can lead to very serious consequences.

If the integrity of the thermometer is damaged, mercury leaks out of it - severely hazardous to human health. liquid metal. It begins to evaporate at temperatures above 38 °C and enters the body through the respiratory tract. At high concentrations, toxic vapors may penetrate the skin and mucous membranes. First of all, the gums, kidneys, nervous and lymphatic systems are affected.

If a thermometer breaks in a room, the main danger is that moving balls of mercury can roll into any crack and long time poison the air. In this case, chronic heavy metal vapor poisoning may develop.

How to properly collect mercury

The very first thing to do if a mercury thermometer breaks at home is to remove all family members from the room where it happened. This especially applies to children, pregnant women and people over 65 years of age. It is preferable for one person to deal with the consequences. This will make it easier to estimate the amount of mercury collected.

If a thermometer in the house breaks, then one of the options for solving the problem is to consult with specialists from the Ministry of Emergency Situations by calling 101 or +7 (495) 983–79–01. The dispatcher will give clear instructions, following which you can minimize the possibility of mercury vapor poisoning. You can also find out what to do with items in contact with mercury.

If you clean the room yourself, you must prepare the following items:

• glass jar with a tight-fitting lid;
• saturated solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate);
• several sheets of paper;
• syringe;
• cotton balls;
• medical mask;
• wide tape;
• latex gloves;
• flashlight.

If the thermometer breaks, first of all, you need to protect yourself - put shoe covers on your feet or plastic bags, gloves on hands. They should be thin, tightly fitting to the hands; medical ones are perfect. It will be inconvenient to collect small balls of mercury in thick household gloves. A medical mask soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate is put on the face - this will protect the respiratory tract.

If a thermometer breaks in an apartment, there is a possibility of chronic poisoning with mercury vapor, which requires attention to the condition of all family members.

The doors to the room where the thermometer broke must be tightly closed. You need to put a rag soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate on the threshold. Since mercury evaporates at air temperatures above 38 °C, it is better to cool the air in the room. To do this, either open the windows completely or turn on the air conditioning.

A glass jar is filled 2/3 with a solution of potassium permanganate and the broken thermometer and the remaining fragments are placed in it. Balls of mercury visible to the eye are driven into one large ball using paper, collected with cotton balls dipped in potassium permanganate, and placed in a jar.

After all visible remains of mercury have been collected, strips of tape are glued to the floor surface in the place where the thermometer broke. In this way, tiny balls of toxic substance are collected that cannot be seen with the naked eye. If mercury has poured into the cracks, it should be pulled out using a syringe. You can also use a regular medical bulb for this.

You can find mercury balls that have rolled under the baseboard using a flashlight - they glow with a metallic color.

After the mercury has been collected, all items used for this are placed in a jar with a solution of potassium permanganate. Cover the container tightly with a lid. Under no circumstances should this can be thrown into the garbage chute or trash container. Disposal of such waste is carried out special organizations. You can find out where to take the can from the emergency dispatcher.

The floor in the room where the thermometer broke must be washed with a saturated solution of potassium permanganate. Until all the mercury has been collected, under no circumstances should the room be ventilated.

All cleaning should be done as quickly as possible. You should not stay in the room where the thermometer has broken for more than 15–20 minutes. Especially if the room is hot and there is no way to reduce the temperature.

Finally, you need to remove all clothes, put them in a separate bag, take a shower and rinse your mouth with a soda solution. If for some reason it is a pity to throw away clothes, they are aired fresh air for several months. It is better to do this not on the balcony, but in places where people rarely visit - in a garage or barn. After airing, all items are washed several times in a soap-soda solution.

Clothes and shoes in which mercury was collected should under no circumstances be washed with other items. Both washing and drying should be carried out separately from the rest of the laundry.

If the thermometer breaks and mercury gets on the carpet, the best thing to do is throw it away. If for some reason this cannot be done, then visible mercury balls are collected with cotton wool or pulled out from the pile using a medical syringe. The carpet is then hung out to air for several months. After this, it is better to take the carpet to dry cleaning.

If a thermometer breaks and mercury gets on a hot heating radiator, in this case you must immediately leave the room or apartment, close all doors tightly and call the Ministry of Emergency Situations. At temperatures above 40 °C, mercury boils. All metal that gets on hot batteries will evaporate into the air, which can cause acute poisoning.

Basic precautions should be aimed at protecting children. They are the ones most susceptible to toxic fumes. Besides, Small child When he sees small shiny balls, he can start playing with them. If a child suddenly swallows mercury, you should immediately call an ambulance medical care. Mercury will not cause poisoning, but tiny pieces of glass from a broken thermometer can enter the digestive tract and cause serious damage.

The consequences if a mercury thermometer breaks can be quite serious. But strict adherence to all the rules will help avoid severe poisoning.

Why is mercury dangerous?

Signs of acute mercury intoxication

Acute mercury poisoning at home is rare. To do this, the concentration of its vapors in the air must be quite high. The first symptoms of poisoning appear 7–10 hours after contact with dangerous substance. They show up as strong headache, nausea and vomiting. The gums are swollen and bleeding.

As the process develops, abdominal pain and stool disturbances (diarrhea) appear. Body temperature rises to 40 °C. If assistance is not provided, a continuous cough and swelling of the nasopharynx develops, progressing to pulmonary edema.

Signs of chronic mercury intoxication

If a thermometer breaks in an apartment, there is a possibility of chronic poisoning with mercury vapor, which requires attention to the condition of all family members.

Mercury affects the central nervous system. Therefore, in case of chronic poisoning, constant headaches and increased dizziness come first. Other symptoms include tremors in the limbs, fatigue, general weakness, inattention, absent-mindedness, and increased anxiety.

Particularly dangerous chronic poisoning mercury for pregnant women. Constant exposure to toxic fumes can lead to intrauterine damage to the fetus.

IN special attention children and elderly family members need. Often, a child’s inattention and absent-mindedness is mistaken for bad behavior and disobedience. And in young children, mercury poisoning can cause serious damage to the kidneys and lungs.

Severe headaches and dizziness in older patients can be mistaken for manifestations of vascular changes in the brain. If left untreated, chronic mercury vapor poisoning is dangerous for the development of senile dementia.

If a thermometer breaks, under no circumstances should it be thrown into a trash can or garbage chute. This also applies to those thermometers, if damaged, the mercury did not leak out, but remained inside. It can evaporate through microcracks in the glass.

When cleaning mercury, do not use a broom or vacuum cleaner. When collecting mercury balls using a vacuum cleaner, they are crushed into tiny particles, which are released into the air through filters. If, nevertheless, mercury was collected with a vacuum cleaner, then it is disassembled, the filters, bag or container are removed, the hose is removed and everything is handed over to special recycling organizations hazardous waste. It is advisable to throw away the vacuum cleaner itself. If this cannot be done, then it is left for several months. outdoors for ventilation.

The floor in the room where the thermometer broke must be washed with a saturated solution of potassium permanganate. Until all the mercury has been collected, under no circumstances should the room be ventilated.

The main mistake when cleaning up mercury is washing it down the drain with a stream of water. This is strictly forbidden. Such actions will not cause significant poisoning. Mercury is heavier than water, it will be washed away wastewater. But there are bends in sewer systems in which mercury settles. The constant release of toxic fumes can cause chronic poisoning.

In this case, the knee is disassembled and inspected for the presence of mercury balls. When they are detected, the contents of the knee are poured into a jar with a solution of potassium permanganate, which is handed over for disposal.

Precautions when handling a thermometer

In order to avoid damage to the thermometer and associated consequences, you need to know the basic safety rules:

1. The thermometer should only be stored in a special plastic case. If the thermometer will fall and breaks in the case, the mercury will not leak out, which simplifies disposal.
2. The thermometer should be stored in one permanent place. And it is better if it is inaccessible to children.
3. You need to shake the thermometer carefully, avoiding sudden movements and away from hard objects that can be touched by your hand.
4. When measuring a child's temperature, his hand should be pressed tightly to his body. You cannot leave children alone.
5. If possible, it is better to replace the mercury thermometer with an electronic one.

If a thermometer breaks, do not underestimate the danger of mercury vapor poisoning. Therefore, it must not only be collected correctly, but also disposed of.

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