The toxic effects of mercury compounds have been known for a long time. Once in the human digestive tract, liquid mercury, as a rule, is not particularly dangerous. Mercury poisoning occurs when it evaporates, especially at room temperature. In this case, toxic fumes penetrate through the lungs, and in high concentrations through the mucous membranes and exposed areas of the skin. From the lungs, mercury vapors easily enter the bloodstream, which rapidly spreads poison throughout the body. What to do if a thermometer with mercury crashes , and what could be the consequences of this?
Mercury vapor affects the human nervous system, disrupts the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract. If a thermometer crashes at home, how dangerous can poisoning be? The first symptoms of mercury poisoning are headaches, a metallic taste in the oral cavity, decreased appetite, general fatigue and malaise. With severe intoxication, bleeding of the gums, salivation, soreness when swallowing, cramping pains in the abdomen, diarrhea and vomiting can be observed. In severe cases, fatal pneumonia may develop.
In order to avoid such consequences, it is necessary to figure out what to do if the thermometer with mercury crashes. To get a competent consultation, you can call the special service, where your further actions will be explained in detail.
If, nevertheless, the thermometer crashes, and it is not possible to consult with specialists, one should not panic. It is better to immediately begin a thorough collection of mercury. First of all, it is necessary to arm yourself with rubber gloves to avoid skin contact with a dangerous substance. The fragments of the thermometer should be collected in a glass container filled with cold water to prevent the evaporation of mercury, after which the container is tightly closed with a lid. Smaller particles are recommended to be collected using a syringe, a wet newspaper, a rubber bulb, duct tape, tape or adhesive tape. A container with parts of a broken thermometer should be transferred to the Ministry of Emergencies.
After a thorough cleaning, open the windows and ventilate the room well. The place where the mercury was located should be treated with soap-soda or chlorine solution. Prior to the arrival of specialists, it is recommended that the jar of mercury be put on the balcony to reduce the release of toxic substances.
What to do if a thermometer with mercury crashes, we found out. Now consider what to do in this situation is strictly prohibited. So, in case of leakage of mercury it is forbidden:
- throw parts of a broken thermometer into the chute;
- Collect mercury balls with a broom or vacuum cleaner;
- Prevent the room from airing until the mercury has been completely eliminated;
- drain mercury into the sewage system;
- wash clothes in contact with a toxic substance in the washing machine.
For prevention purposes, it is recommended to consume a large number of diuretic drinks in order to remove possible mercury formations from the body. You should not store the thermometer in an accessible place for children, because such games can end very badly. In order to avoid many serious health troubles, it is necessary to know firmly what to do if a thermometer with mercury crashes and be able to correctly eliminate a possible danger.