Since childhood, our parents inspired us from the fear of broken thermometers, because they contain a very dangerous metal - mercury. But no one is safe from a collision with a leak of mercury or a broken thermometer (currently, alcohol is most often used in everyday life), so everyone should know what will happen if they drink mercury, or if it is poisoned by vapors.
Mercury poisoning from a thermometer is possible by swallowing a ball of mercury (for example, a child). In this case, you need to induce vomiting as soon as possible and call health workers. What happens if you drink mercury? there is only one answer - toxic poisoning by its vapors will occur. In addition, mercury tends to accumulate in the body, while affecting the normal functioning of the brain, nervous system, liver and kidneys.
So what happens if you drink mercury? What will happen to the person who did this? He will feel weakness, emotional depression, abdominal pain, dizziness, headache, nausea, loss of appetite. After some time, vomiting will open, a taste of metal will be present in the mouth.
What happens if you drink mercury in large quantities? In addition to these symptoms, diarrhea with mucus and blood will appear, accompanied by severe abdominal pain.
Most often, mercury poisoning occurs due to prolonged inhalation of its vapor.
Symptoms of mercury vapor poisoning are similar to normal poisoning - headache, weakness, vomiting, fever and nausea. This is what leads to an erroneous diagnosis. If in time to determine and start treatment for such poisoning, recovery occurs within two to three days. If the damage to the body is significant, treatment may take significantly longer. In addition, prolonged and systematic exposure to a room containing mercury vapor can lead to a chronic form of the disease. In this case, there is a group of diseases, the treatment of which must be approached very seriously. One of the most dangerous consequences is a breakdown of the nervous system. You can determine the presence of mercury poisoning by taking tests of feces, saliva and urine. For treatment, drugs are used that help mercury out of the body.
If there is a leak of mercury in the room (a thermometer or a fluorescent lamp was broken), it must be eliminated quickly and thoroughly. To do this, wear
rubber gloves so that the metal does not touch exposed skin areas and limit the place where mercury has got, as it spreads well and adheres to surfaces, which can be carried around the house. You need to collect mercury in a glass container with cold water, which can be tightly closed. This container must not be kept near heating appliances to avoid the evaporation of mercury. And as soon as possible give the capacity to the employees of the service "01". Small droplets are collected using adhesive tape, a rubber bulb, a wet newspaper, a syringe, or a band-aid. After removing the mercury residues, the room must be ventilated, and the places where the mercury was located are treated with chlorine-containing substances or
potassium permanganate solution. Alternatively, you can make a solution of 40 gr. soap, 30 gr. soda and a liter of water, im treat the leak.