Does mercury evaporate in the cold? The thermometer broke: truth and myths about the dangers of mercury. Preventive measures to prevent mercury poisoning at home

Almost everyone who breaks a thermometer panics in the first seconds. From childhood I still have memories of the deadly effect of mercury vapor, but the voice of reason suggests that such a dangerous object would hardly be stored in the apartment. The Village learned from a professional chemist what to do if the thermometer breaks.

What to do with a broken thermometer?

Yuri Belousov

The toxicity of mercury is an issue around which a lot of myths have arisen. A couple of centuries ago, a glass of liquid mercury was used to treat volvulus. Of course, there is no certainty that such treatment took place without a trace in the long term (one can rather be sure of the opposite). But the next day, month, year, no one died from a glass of mercury. Toxic soluble chemical compounds mercury and its vapor. At room temperature, mercury does not react with water, air or building materials. If we exclude extreme options such as watering the floor in the place where the thermometer broke, nitric acid, then you have little chance of quickly obtaining mercury in the form of active chemical compounds.

It will take years or decades for mercury to evaporate from one thermometer. Therefore, even if you ventilate the room well, this will not help evaporate all the mercury. But there is also good news– the rate of evaporation of a small ball of mercury in an ordinary apartment is lower than the rate of accumulation of the maximum permissible concentration. And if you were unable to remove the ball, then most likely this will not lead to dangerous consequences.

If you break a thermometer, you should first turn on a bright light. Arm yourself with a copper object: a coin (non-magnetic versions of 10- and 50-kopeck coins with a notch on the end, or even better - Soviet nickels) or a loose bundle of copper wire. They should be lightly cleaned with a knife to achieve shine. You can easily collect the drops into a paper bag with a copper coin or wire. Carefully examine the scene and try to remove all drops. Don't panic if you miss a small ball. To calm down, you can wipe it off afterwards. dangerous place with a cotton swab.

A common tip is to vacuum up the mercury. It is with this method that you will be able to quickly create a dangerous concentration of mercury vapor in the room. And no bag will help you. Another common advice is to cover mercury with sulfur powder - completely useless. These two substances are out special conditions react extremely slowly. If you don’t mind the surface, you can (removing all large drops) fill it with iodine solution, and then wash it well with water. When doing this, you should wear rubber gloves. But where to put the mercury collected in a bag is a question that I do not dare to answer honestly. Where do you dispose of burnt-out energy-saving light bulbs?

If the mercury cannot be removed (the wooden floor has rolled between the cracks), then you will have to call the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Although, again, this is not urgent, you will not be poisoned the next day, but will receive your toxic dose within a week or several. And the Ministry of Emergency Situations will come, measure the vapor concentration with a special device and, most likely, recommend changing the floor.

Illustration: Nastya Grigorieva

There is a thermometer in every house and apartment. It can be called an essential item, which is indispensable for any ailment. And since most of this device contains mercury, and the body is made of glass, there is a high probability of breaking it due to negligence. And here it is important to know how long it takes for mercury to evaporate, what its danger is and how to eliminate the consequences.

Properties of mercury

Mercury is a metal that is listed as element 80 in the periodic table. Being a cumulative poison, it belongs to hazard class I. This is the only metal that does not turn into a solid state at room temperature, remaining in liquid form. The release of toxic substances begins when the temperature rises to +18 ° C, and since mercury takes a long time to evaporate, this makes it especially dangerous.

An ordinary thermometer contains from 1.5 to 2 g of liquid metal - this amount is very large, and if it evaporates completely in a closed living space, the area of ​​which does not exceed 20 m2, the concentration of toxic vapors will exceed permissible norm, amounting to 0.0003 mg per 1 m 3.

Mercury evaporation rate

In one hour, 0.002 mg of mercury evaporates per square meter. Thus, it is easy to calculate the rate of its evaporation in a living room at room temperature by multiplying this indicator by the total area (90 cm 2) of scattered balls: 0.002 x 90/10000 = 0.000018 mg/hour.

But at the same time, the speed of this process will always be influenced by certain factors: temperature fluctuations, quality of air circulation, surface area of ​​scattered particles and the total amount of toxic substance. After all, it is not always possible to collect all the mercury. Some of it may roll under baseboards, into cracks and small chips in floors.

One small ball of mercury from a broken thermometer takes a long time to evaporate - at least 3 years. If the house has warm floors and rare ventilation, then this period will noticeably decrease, and, conversely, increase with constant ventilation.

You can also roughly determine how long it takes for 2 grams of mercury to evaporate in a normally ventilated living space. Having made simple calculations, we get a period of 30 years. But remember that everything is conditional.

If we talk about how long it takes for mercury to evaporate on the street, then this period will also depend on the conditions environment. It is known that under the influence of direct sun rays and air temperature from +35 ˚С to +40 ˚С, the evaporation rate increases by 15-17 times. In the cold season, it correspondingly decreases.

And don’t forget that over time, the rate of mercury evaporation drops - after a couple of weeks it approximately doubles, and so on.

How dangerous is mercury?

So, we found out how long it takes for mercury to evaporate in a room and at what speed this process occurs, from which it follows that 0.18 mg of toxic vapor is released in one hour. Comparing this indicator with the maximum permissible concentration (0.0003 mg/m3), we see a fairly strong excess. But this still doesn’t say anything. The fact is that the maximum permissible concentration is calculated taking into account the initial criteria - the threshold concentration for a long time - from six months to a year, and plus a guarantee amendment is applied, which reduces this value several times.

There is another value, which is defined as the weekly dose of mercury for a person. It is 5 mg per 1 kg of weight. Thus, it is easy to calculate the maximum permissible dose for each family member. And taking into account the volume of air consumed by a person (25 m 3 per day), we can calculate the maximum permissible dose. To do this, we multiply this value by the permissible level of mercury vapor (0.0003). We get 0.0075 mg per day. We calculate the weekly dose by multiplying the result by 7.

And in order to understand how dangerous mercury from a broken thermometer is, you should determine the volume of air in the room that absorbs the fumes. You can make calculations by multiplying the length of the room by the width and height of the ceilings. In general, it’s worth immediately finding out the volume of air in the entire apartment. This is due to the fact that the vapors of this substance are volatile, and since mercury in the room takes a long time to evaporate, they will certainly spread throughout all rooms. So, with a total area of ​​60 m2 and a ceiling height of 2.7 m, we obtain a volume of 160 m3. We remember that the air is not static; with normal ventilation, 80% of the obtained indicator is replaced in one hour. Thus, circulation automatically increases the volume of air that consumes mercury vapor to 300 m3.

Now you can calculate the mercury concentration. To do this, divide the amount of evaporation (0.18) by the volume (300). The result is 0.006 mg per 1 m 3. Compare with permissible level(0.0003) and we understand that not everything is as bad as it might seem at first glance. We have a double dose, which is not critical. However, it should not go unnoticed.

Thus, knowing in what quantity and for how long mercury evaporates and disappears, you can easily determine it potential harm for a specific room and the people living in it.

Symptoms of poisoning

Mercury from one broken thermometer leads to irreversible changes in the functioning of organs, paralysis and fatal outcome will not cause. But still, the body is able to respond to harmful fumes with general weakness, loss of appetite, headaches, nausea, metallic taste in the mouth and vomiting. And if such symptoms are observed, then the victim must urgently receive medical assistance. In addition, since mercury from a thermometer takes a long time to evaporate, it will continue its effect on the body of a weakened person. And this, in turn, will worsen the signs of poisoning, which will lead to bleeding gums, abdominal cramps, a sharp increase in body temperature and loose stool with blood and mucus. This condition requires urgent hospitalization.

Information about how long it takes for mercury to evaporate and why it is dangerous is especially important for parents and women during pregnancy. The main risk group is children, who may develop kidney problems after short-term inhalation. Pregnant women should also beware - there is a risk of intrauterine damage to the fetus.

How to collect mercury?

Understanding how long it takes for mercury to evaporate and what consequences this brings, everyone should be able to collect it. First you need to lower the air temperature in the room by turning off all heating devices. If it’s cold outside, you can open a window, but only one, so that the draft does not break the scattered balls into smaller particles. In summer it is advisable to turn on the air conditioning. These measures will stop the process of evaporation of toxic metal.

Directly for the cleaning itself, you will need thin copper wire, metal filings or powder, a sheet of sandpaper, a sheet of plain paper and a hermetically sealed jar.

Removing mercury using copper wire

Since mercury takes a long time to evaporate, and when high temperature air is also intense, then before you start cleaning, it is advisable to protect Airways gauze bandage.

Then we take the wire and wind it so that we get a rope about 1.5 cm wide and 15 cm long. To prevent it from falling apart during the cleaning process, we tie it in the middle with thread or a small piece of the wire itself. We cut off the ends on both sides so that they look like brushes. Using sandpaper, remove all the varnish and bend the bundle in half. As a result, both ends should be on the same side.

We make several turns of tape around the loop. This will make it much more convenient for you to hold the resulting brush in your hand. Then use your fingers to slightly open the cleaned area and bring it to the mercury balls. The copper will begin to amalgamate the metal particles, and soon they will all end up at its ends. Upon completion of the procedure, you need to put everything in a jar (along with the wire) and close the lid tightly.

How to use metal filings for cleaning?

To do this, they should be scattered on the infected area and thoroughly rubbed into the surface with a dry cloth. As a result, all the scattered particles of mercury will appear on it. We place them in a jar along with sawdust and seal it tightly.

This method of cleaning mercury is quite simple, but it is only suitable for smooth surfaces, for example, linoleum, plastic, marble, etc. For surfaces with cracks and grooves, a different method should be chosen.

Mercury on shag carpet

It is important to carry out thorough cleaning here, since mercury from a broken thermometer takes a long time to evaporate. If it is not all collected, toxic substances will continue to be released, gradually accumulating in the human body. At the same time, the symptoms of poisoning are not noticeable at first, but the consequences can be felt after a few weeks. And this, in turn, will make diagnosis very difficult.

It is most difficult to collect all the mercury from soft surfaces, especially if they have long piles. But you need to try, otherwise the carpet will simply have to be thrown away.

We pour metal filings in the place where the thermometer broke and roll up the carpet to this area. We wrap the area with mercury in polyethylene, carefully knock it out and leave it to ventilate. Place the fallen mercury balls together with the film into a jar and close it well.

Cleaning carpet without lint

It is much easier to remove mercury from such a coating than in the previous version. It is convenient to use a metal brush here, but you can also use a small syringe or syringe. Using the chosen tool, we collect all the droplets of the substance and pack everything hermetically.

What should you not do with mercury?

Sweeping mercury with a broom, especially from the carpet, is strictly prohibited. This way you will only break up the particles of the substance, expanding the volume of evaporation. You should also not vacuum the contaminated area, otherwise a warm motor will increase the rate of evaporation, and the vacuum cleaner itself will subsequently have to be thrown away.

If mercury balls get on things, they should be destroyed. Machine washing is prohibited, as it will not save clothes - they will become dangerous in the future.

It is not allowed to flush the collected substance down the sink or toilet, as it is heavy and will most likely remain in the water pipe. How long does it take for mercury to evaporate under such conditions? Both long and intense. Thus, you will be constantly exposed to toxic fumes.

Even if a jar containing particles of toxic metal has been carefully sealed, you should not throw it into a trash container or garbage disposal. Sooner or later it will break and other people will be in danger.

Where is mercury disposed of?

In general, if the mercury is on a flat, smooth surface or on a lint-free surface, then collecting it will not be difficult. In addition to the above methods, you can use a sheet of plain paper. But what to do next with this jar if you can’t throw it away? Special organizations can help in this matter, such as:

• sanitary-epidemiological service;
• management of the Ministry of Emergency Situations;
• mercury recycling service.

You need to call one of them and take the jar with the collected mercury to the specified address. Just be sure to ensure that it was carefully packaged. By the way, it is also advisable to recycle the clothes and shoes you wore for cleaning. For this reason, mercury collection is carried out wearing gloves and a special suit.

If it was not possible to collect mercury

When a thermometer breaks, mercury particles often fly quite far. They can get on upholstered furniture, in places where clothes and other things are stored, roll under the baseboard or end up in floor crevices. In such a situation, it is very difficult to collect every last drop. And only specialists can help here. Before the brigade arrives, you need to remove all people and pets from the contaminated room and open the window.

Upon arrival, special services workers will determine the level of mercury vapor concentration, conduct a thorough cleaning and identify items that will need to be disposed of.

Urgently leave the apartment by calling the rescue service and inform your neighbors about the infestation of the house - an example of how not to behave if someone has crashed in the apartment mercury thermometer. The line between truth and fiction about the dangers of mercury for humans is thin, but in order not to panic once again, you need to learn a number of rules.

First actions

It is best to close the room where the thermometer crashed and limit the access of children and animals. The first step is to collect as much as possible all the drops of mercury that have spilled. It is most convenient to do this while wearing rubber gloves with a pear or adhesive tape (for example, tape).

Drops of mercury need to be collected in a container filled with water, and then closed tightly. In the future, it is handed over to special departments for the disposal of mercury. The place where the mercury was spilled should be treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or a chlorine-containing liquid, and the room should be ventilated.

Truth and myths

Can mercury from a broken thermometer contaminate an apartment for many years? A mercury thermometer contains one to two grams of mercury. This is enough to cause mild poisoning if the mercury drops are not collected.

“If all the particles are collected, then there is no danger. If there is any suspicion that it has rolled somewhere behind the baseboard, under the laminate, into some other crevice, then it is better to call specialists so that they take measurements and then directly demercurize the room,” said a specialist from the Sibrtut company. Andrey Pechenkin.

Symptoms of acute poisoning include general weakness, lack of appetite, headache, pain when swallowing, metallic taste in the mouth, drooling, swollen and bleeding gums, nausea and vomiting. If there are no such manifestations, there is nothing to worry about. Moreover, mercury from a thermometer is not enough for such poisoning.

Should clothes that have collected mercury be disposed of? When collecting mercury drops, you need to wear rubber gloves to avoid unnecessary contact with dangerous metal. As for clothing, it remains safe if there is no possibility that it may contain mercury particles. For your own peace of mind, after collecting the remains of the thermometer, you can wash them with any chlorine-containing liquid. This is more than enough. Dangerous and fast: which thermometer to choose

If mercury comes into contact with a pet, is it not a tenant? Getting mercury on an animal's fur is not a death sentence for your pet. If a mercury ball gets tangled in the fur, you just need to cut it off, and if the mercury rolls down on your pet, it needs to be washed with a chlorine-containing liquid.

Can you not enter the room where the thermometer broke for 10 days?“One good ventilation, provided that all mercury particles have been collected, is enough. If poisoning does not occur within 24 hours, then most likely there is no danger to health,” Pechenkin said.

Do you need to notify your neighbors about the infestation of your living space? There is no need to report a broken mercury thermometer to your neighbors. “Mercury, it is all around us, is contained not only in a broken thermometer. But there is a certain norm, if there is no excess, then everything is fine,” the specialist commented.

The most reliable way to make sure that your home is safe is to call specialists. In Novosibirsk, you can contact the department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations (Kolyvanskaya, 4. Tel.: 218 68 00). The team will arrive with equipment, measure the air free of charge and, in case of deviations, carry out demercurization.

There is a mercury thermometer in every home. And, probably, many of you have had situations when the thermometer broke. Mercury is a very dangerous substance and can cause serious poisoning. Today we will talk about what to do, if the thermometer breaks at home.

Why is mercury dangerous?

It is not the mercury itself that is dangerous, but the vapors it emits. This metal has no odor, which only increases its danger. Interestingly, mercury can evaporate even in the cold. And in conditions room temperature it begins to evaporate very intensely. Being in a room where mercury is located leads to its gradual accumulation in the body and poisoning of the nervous system and internal organs.

How to recognize mercury poisoning

Just in case, we’ll tell you right away how mercury poisoning manifests itself. It can be acute or chronic. Acute poisoning occurs when a person inhales a large amount of mercury vapor. Symptoms appear a few hours after this. There is a sharp and very severe weakness, headaches, there is a metallic taste in the mouth and increased salivation. Intestinal disorders such as vomiting, nausea and diarrhea appear. Sometimes the gums begin to bleed.

Chronic poisoning can occur when mercury gradually accumulates in the body. For example, if a thermometer broke at home, but this was not noticed and it was not removed. In this case, you may not feel that you have been poisoned. At first there may be no symptoms at all. But with time general health will worsen - fatigue, headache, sleep disturbances and trembling in the hands will appear. Therefore, you need to take this issue very seriously and carefully clean up the consequences of a broken thermometer.

What to do if the thermometer breaks?

If a thermometer breaks in the apartment, don't fuss and don't be scared. It's better to take action right away. First of all, take everyone out of the room and collect the mercury. Do not use a broom or vacuum cleaner under any circumstances, as these things will become unsuitable for further use. Use a piece of paper or a brush to collect the largest balls into a small jar. Small, almost invisible balls can be collected with tape.

Pour the mercury that you were able to collect cold water and close the lid of the jar tightly. Now you can start processing the floors. The floor and all objects on which mercury may have come into contact should be washed with a solution of iodine or potassium permanganate. The solution must be strong.

Processing is complete. There's nothing more you can do. All that remains is to open the windows and ventilate the room well. You need to ventilate for a long time, since the smallest particles of mercury could remain in the cracks.

The collected mercury must be taken to a special recycling center. Call the Ministry of Emergency Situations and find out if there is one in your city. If not, then the smartest thing to do is to pack the jar well and take it outside the city. This is the only way it will not harm people and animals.

What should you never do?

Remember a few things you should not do if you accidentally break the thermometer:

• Do not throw collected mercury down the toilet. This is a heavy metal and, as it settles in the pipes, it will continue to poison you.
• As we have already said, you cannot collect mercury with a vacuum cleaner or broom. Not only will these things no longer be usable, but it will be even more difficult for you to collect the mercury, since it will crumble into tiny particles and evaporate much faster.
• Do not throw mercury down the garbage disposal.
• Open windows for ventilation only when you are sure that you have collected all the mercury balls. A draft will cause the balls to scatter throughout the room.
• Do not turn on the air conditioner - metal may settle on the filters.

That's all. If measures are taken in time, then one broken thermometer will not harm anyone. The main thing is not to panic, act judiciously and calmly.

What does the average person know about mercury? Firstly, you can often hear the expression “mobile, like mercury”; secondly, mercury is often called living silver, because it has a silvery color and is very restless - it tends to crumble into tiny balls, and then “run away” altogether. Everyone also knows that mercury is poisonous.

In addition, it is known that the countries of the European Union abandoned the use of mercury thermometers back in 2007, since mercury from broken medical devices had an extremely negative impact on the population, and the refusal of these devices was supposed to protect residents of European countries from health risks and the state of the environment.

Some interesting facts about mercury

Fact No. 1. Mercury is a metal. One of the most interesting features of mercury is low temperature melting. And it’s really low - mercury melts in the cold, and, by human standards, in quite severe frost: the melting point of mercury is -38.86 °C. Therefore, frozen mercury can only be seen in Antarctica, where the temperature drops below -70 °C.

Fact No. 2. Mercury is very heavy - its density is 13.5 g/cm3. If mercury were collected in a standard bucket, its weight would be 162 kg.

Fact 3. Mercury dissolves in aqua regia(a mixture of hydrochloric and nitric acids).

Fact 4. Mercury can dissolve other metals, forming so-called amalgams. Nickel, iron and manganese do not form amalgams (that is, they do not dissolve in mercury).

Fact 5. Mercury in pure form found in nature extremely rarely and in very small quantities - in the form of drops on cinnabar (a compound of mercury and sulfur). Most often, mercury is found in the form of compounds with sulfur, chlorine, iodine, selenium and silver. The most significant reserves of mercury are located in Austria, Spain, California (USA), Peru and Chile, as well as in China and Russia.

Fact 6. The combination of mercury and iodine is explosive.

Fact 7. Mercury was used even before our era - in Mesopotamia, China and the Middle East.

Fact 8. Attention! World Organization Health ( WHO ) counts mercury alone them from ten essential chemicals (groups of chemical substances ), which I represent T poses a very significant health problem worldwide.

On this occasion, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a special Information Bulletin No. 361 in September 2013.

Mercury poisoning

Mercury is a hazardous substance - it is defined as a substance of the first hazard class, that is, extremely dangerous Chemical substance. The maximum permissible level of average daily content of mercury vapor in residential premises is considered to be 0.0003 mg/m³. At high concentrations in the air, mercury can penetrate the body even through intact skin.

It is very important to understand that scattered and “scattered” mercury is extremely dangerous, since it evaporates and constantly poisons the body.

Unfortunately, mercury poisoning can begin completely asymptomatically or resemble, for example, chronic fatigue: a person becomes irritable, complains of constant nausea and quite sharply loses weight for no apparent reason.

However, even with such inexpressive symptoms, the kidneys and central nervous system suffer. nervous system, which are very sensitive to mercury vapor poisoning.

Among other things (and this is very important), chronic mercury vapor poisoning can make itself felt through long time, which can be measured not even in months, but in years. That is why mercury vapor poisoning is very dangerous, and rooms where mercury is spilled need careful demercurization.

Attention! Chronic poisoning can make itself felt even several years after stopping contact with mercury.

Primary symptoms of mercury poisoning

The primary symptoms of mercury poisoning are clearly neurological in nature, but they can easily be mistaken for symptoms of overwork, an onset of a cold, or the harmful effects of some stressful situation.

1. Mercury poisoning causes very noticeable and persistent fatigue.
2. At the same time, severe weakness is felt.
3. When poisoned by mercury vapor, a person constantly wants to sleep, that is, drowsiness increases, which is often attributed to fatigue or the onset of a viral or cold.
4. Inhaling mercury vapor can trigger a headache that is very similar to a migraine.
5. General weakness and headache can trigger dizziness, but dizziness can occur on its own.
6. Mercury vapor poisoning provokes changes in mood and emotional instability: apathy and depression are possible, which are replaced by irritability.
7. When poisoned by mercury vapor, a person complains of a significant decrease in concentration and significant memory impairment.

In severe cases of mercury vapor poisoning, symptoms worsen.

1. Fingers begin to tremble slightly.
2. Some time later, the lips and eyelids begin to tremble, and after some time the whole body begins to tremble (the so-called “mercury tremor” develops).
3. Mercury vapor poisoning provokes a deterioration in the sense of smell (perception of smells) and touch (the ability to feel something through touch).
4. As a result of mercury poisoning, the arterial pressure.
5. One of the symptoms of mercury vapor poisoning is increased urination.
6. Mercury vapor poisoning causes increased sweating.
7. One of the symptoms of mercury poisoning in women is. If a woman is pregnant, the extremely harmful effects of mercury extend to the fetus.
8. Chronic mercury poisoning causes increased predisposition to the disease.
9. Chronic mercury poisoning causes serious damage and liver and gallbladder diseases.
10. With chronic mercury vapor poisoning, blood pressure can become elevated up to the level.
11. One of the significant consequences of mercury vapor poisoning is vascular atherosclerosis.

Attention! Women and children are most sensitive to mercury poisoning.

Hidden danger

Mercury and its effects on humans are very dangerous even at seemingly negligible exposures. Such very slow poisoning with minute amounts of mercury is called micromercurialism and can develop after five or ten years of such minimal exposure.

The possibility of negative effects of mercury vapor can never be excluded, because the cause of micromercurialism can even be the diffusion of a minimal amount of mercury vapor from neighboring rooms or a mercury thermometer broken even ten years ago if the mercury was not removed properly.

Attention! Most often, mercury enters the body by inhaling mercury vapor, which does not have any odor or any other signs that can be detected independently without special tests and analyses.

Preventive measures to prevent mercury poisoning at home

The most common source of mercury vapor poisoning in everyday life is mercury thermometers that have broken and the mercury from which has scattered.

The most important way of prevention is to replace mercury thermometers with ones that do not contain mercury.

If a mercury thermometer breaks and the mercury scatters, you should be careful to ensure that small children do not swallow the beautiful silver balls. If a child swallows a ball of mercury, you should immediately seek medical attention. medical care. You can give your child milk to drink and induce vomiting on your own, but it is better to get precise recommendations from a medical service.

Independent demercurization of the premises

You can demercurize the premises yourself only in cases where the amount of spilled mercury is very small.

1. Remove all people, especially children, and pets from the premises.
2. Ensure the maximum amount of fresh air flows into the room by opening all windows.
3. Before you start independent work After demercurization, protect the respiratory tract - wear a respirator or at least a gauze bandage. Hands must be protected with rubber gloves.
4. Carefully collect the thermometer fragments in a plastic bag. Tie the bag tightly. How to properly throw away a broken mercury thermometer.
5. Before starting work, provide very good lighting - under bright lighting the mercury balls will be more visible because they shine.
6. The collected mercury should be placed in a hermetically sealed container; in extreme cases, it can be a jar of cold water.
7. You can try to collect mercury with duct tape; pieces of wire: a pipette, after which all these items must be disposed of.
8. After collecting mercury, you must not enter the room for at least 24 hours if you are sure that all the scattered mercury has been collected.
9. After work on demercurization of the room, you must thoroughly rinse your mouth with a weak solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate).
10. After demercurization of the premises, you should take several tablets of activated carbon.
11. It is necessary to treat the area where the mercury was spilled with a weak solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) or alcohol solution 5% iodine.
12. The floor must be treated just as thoroughly the next day.
13. Throwing collected mercury into a garbage chute or garbage container is strictly prohibited.
14. Advice on the correct and safe disposal of mercury can be obtained from the Ministry of Emergency Situations (Ministry of Emergency Situations).

When demercurizing a premises independently, it is strictly prohibited:

1. Use a broom, since the rods of the broom break the mercury balls into even smaller ones. Thus, instead of cleaning, you can get a large number of very small balls of mercury, which will be much more difficult to remove.
2. Use a vacuum cleaner to collect mercury. Firstly, the vacuum cleaner heats up during operation, which provokes increased evaporation of mercury. Secondly, the mercury will contaminate the inside of the vacuum cleaner, so the vacuum cleaner will be dangerous and will have to be disposed of.
3. Wash clothes that have been demercurized in a washing machine, since in this case the washing machine will also become a source of danger. Hand washing is also prohibited. All items that have been demercurized must be thrown away.

If a significant amount of mercury is spilled in a room (and this also happens), then demercurization includes a complete replacement of plaster in the entire room, replacement of the floor (up to the ceilings between floors), replacement of windows and doors. However, in this case, primary demercurization and collection of spilled mercury must be carried out by special services.

Sometimes a room in which mercury is spilled is considered unsuitable for further use.

Attention! Any medical measures and any treatment for mercury poisoning should be prescribed only by a doctor after a very thorough diagnosis and all necessary studies.