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You can hardly find a house or apartment that does not have a thermometer for measuring body temperature - an indispensable device for any ailment. And, for the most part, thermometers in houses in the post-Soviet space are mercury. Electronic and infrared temperature meters, although they have been on the market for quite a long time, are replacing their older counterparts quite slowly.

Older people are skeptical about innovations and believe that only a mercury thermometer can accurately measure temperature, while the younger generation uses what they inherited and changes the thermometer to a modern one only when the mercury one... breaks.

Safety rules when using a mercury thermometer

Of course, this is an aggravated picture. Mercury thermometers have long been treated with care, knowing that they cannot be broken, because inside there is a very dangerous substance - mercury. But thermometers are beating and being aware of the list of actions that need to be taken in such a situation means being ready to overcome it with minimal consequences.
First you need to learn the main rules for handling a mercury thermometer, which will minimize the likelihood of it breaking:

• First and foremost: a thermometer is not a toy. Under no circumstances should children be given it, even just to hold it in their hands;
• the mercury thermometer should be stored in a durable case, usually plastic, in a place where children do not have access;
• When “knocking down” the thermometer, be extremely careful. Do not handle it with wet hands and move away from hard objects. This will avoid slipping and accidental impact;
• Take your child's temperature only under your supervision. Try to hold the patient's hand yourself, as children are known to be restless and forgetful.

Why is a broken thermometer dangerous?

Mercury, with which temperature is measured, is element 80 of the periodic table and belongs to the first class of danger, representing a cumulative poison. This is a metal that is in a liquid state in the range from -39 to +357 degrees Celsius. That is, it is the only metal that at room temperature is not in solid, but in liquid aggregate form. At the same time, already from +18 degrees, mercury begins to evaporate, releasing extremely toxic fumes. And it is precisely this fact that makes a broken thermometer an extremely dangerous incident.

The amount of mercury in a regular thermometer is about two to five grams. If all the mercury evaporates in a room with an area of ​​18-20 square meters, then the concentration of mercury vapor in the room will be about 100 milligrams per cubic meter. And this is 300 thousand times more than the maximum permissible concentration for residential areas, since with standard indicators the level of mercury in residential premises should not exceed 0.0003 milligrams per cubic meter. Of course, these are more theoretical calculations. Natural ventilation of rooms will never lead to such an excess, and a very high temperature is needed to evaporate all the mercury. But without proper action, a broken thermometer will lead to exceeding the maximum permissible concentration of mercury vapor by 50-100 times, which is also quite a lot and very dangerous.

It should also be noted that mercury tends to accumulate in the body. That is, without collecting it carefully, the consequences of inhaling mercury vapor may appear several weeks later, when you have already forgotten about the broken thermometer. In this case, diagnosing the causes of the malaise will be very difficult.

Symptoms of mercury poisoning

If a thermometer breaks, the spilled liquid metal is unlikely to bring critical consequences, if by this concept we mean paralysis, irreversible changes in vital systems and death. After inhaling mercury vapor from a broken thermometer, the following symptoms may appear:

• metallic taste in the mouth;
• general weakness;
• lack of appetite;
• headache and discomfort when swallowing;
• nausea and vomiting.

Failure to provide timely assistance to the victim entails increased symptoms of poisoning, which is manifested by the following markers:

• bleeding gums;
• abdominal pain;
• loose stools with mucous and blood inclusions;
• a sharp increase in body temperature, sometimes up to 40 degrees.

Such symptoms are a reason for immediate hospitalization. Without qualified medical care, the consequences can be critical, even death.
Mercury vapor is especially dangerous for children and women during pregnancy. In the first category, even short-term inhalation of mercury vapor can lead to serious problems in the functioning of the kidneys, and in pregnant women this situation can provoke intrauterine damage to the fetus. Therefore, both children and pregnant women, even without the above-mentioned symptoms, should consult a doctor after just being in the room where the thermometer broke.

First aid for mercury poisoning

The appearance of symptoms of mercury vapor poisoning is a signal to immediately call an ambulance. Before her arrival, the victim should be given the maximum possible amount of water to drink, which will flush the body, and it is very advisable to take the drug Polysorb (price - from 120 rubles depending on the dosage). It belongs to the class of enterosorbents and is recommended for use in acute poisoning.

This is enough unique remedy: the sorption capacity of Polysorb exceeds 300 milligrams per gram of powder, it begins to act within a few minutes after administration and Polysorb has no contraindications for age.

The dosage of the drug is carried out depending on the person’s weight according to the following table:

A mercury thermometer broke: what to do?

But, in fact, a broken thermometer, with correct and well-established actions, is nothing more than an unpleasant situation that can be resolved on your own.
First of all, if the thermometer breaks, remember it physical properties and cool, if possible, the room to 18 degrees. At this temperature, mercury does not evaporate. Often, this just requires turning off the heating, turning on the air conditioning and opening the window. In a room with spilled mercury there should be no draft, which can crush mercury balls, so we open only one window.

Then we deal with the consequences. If you have not yet come into contact with mercury, then change your shoes and change into clothes and shoes that you won’t mind throwing away. It is advisable to wear rubber shoes and clothes made of fabric that does not absorb anything. A cellophane raincoat will do. We put it on our hands latex gloves, and a damp cloth bandage on the face.
Prepare a sufficient amount of potassium permanganate solution (20 grams of potassium permanganate per 10 liters of water) and a soap-soda solution in a separate container. We collect part of the potassium permanganate in glass jar with a tight lid.

Scattered mercury resembles small metal balls. If they are on the floor, collecting them will not be difficult. We collect the larger ones with a sheet of paper and put them in a jar. The smaller ones are covered with a piece of tape, which we then also dip into potassium permanganate. Next, carefully, preferably with a flashlight, inspect the places where mercury could have rolled in - cracks, corners, baseboards. We roll balls out of them with a metal knitting needle, or we suck them up with a douching bulb. We also send all this into a container with potassium permanganate, as well as the remains of the thermometer. We tear off the baseboard and also pack it in a tight bag for later disposal. In the light of a flashlight, the mercury balls will give off a distinct metallic sheen, so that on a flat floor they will all be clearly visible.

Having collected all the mercury, wash the floor and all surfaces where mercury could get in with a soap-soda solution, put clothes, gloves and shoes in a bag, which we tie tightly and call the Ministry of Emergency Situations on 112. They will tell you where you can dispose of the collected mercury and things that came into contact with her.

We wash ourselves thoroughly, rinse the mouth several times with a soda solution and take several tablets of activated carbon for disinfection.

We close the room where the thermometer was broken from visitors for a week, leaving one window open. We regularly disinfect the floor with a soap and soda solution.

Much the situation is more complicated, when mercury from a thermometer gets onto a fabric surface or if a mercury thermometer breaks in a place where it is impossible to collect mercury: in a room with cracks in the floor or where a lot of things are laid out. In such cases, it will be impossible to do without the help of specialists. In such a situation, the first step will be to remove people and animals from the premises. Then you need to open one window, eliminating the appearance of a draft, and call laboratory service specialists who work at sanitary and epidemiological stations and at the departments of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Using special equipment, they will be able to determine the concentration of mercury vapors, as well as the items that will need to be disposed of. Most likely, you will need to say goodbye to everything that mercury could have gotten on.

What not to do if the thermometer breaks

You also need to remember the list of actions that should never be done in a situation where a thermometer in your house is broken:

• Mercury balls cannot be collected with a broom or vacuum cleaner. In such cases, the liquid metal only crushes, and the warm movement of the vacuum cleaner promotes its evaporation. The consequences of such cleaning will only worsen the current situation;
• collected mercury, even in a tightly closed glass jar with a solution of potassium permanganate, should not be thrown into a garbage chute or trash container. There it will inevitably break over time, which will endanger other people (mercury from one thermometer can pollute up to six thousand cubic meters of air). Remains of a mercury thermometer and collected mercury are disposed of only according to the recommendations of Emergencies Ministry specialists;
• It is strictly forbidden to wash in washing machine things that have been in contact with mercury. Even using disinfectants detergents. Disposal of mercury is a very complex process and such actions will not only not save clothes and things, but will also make further washing dangerous;
• Do not flush mercury down the drain. It will not reach the waste station, but will settle in the “elbows” of the pipeline and will pollute the air with evaporation for a long time.

And most importantly: if the thermometer breaks, you should never panic. In this situation she is yours main enemy. If you are worried about what happened and cannot remember what to do, just dial the number of the Ministry of Emergency Situations 112. They will always provide you with qualified advice and tell you in detail what to do if the thermometer breaks. And in difficult cases, they will refer you to the appropriate services that will eliminate the consequences of what happened.

In many homes, body temperature is still measured with mercury thermometers, although many know how insidious they are. One awkward movement - and a lot of moving silver balls scatter from the broken glass case around the room in different directions. What to do? How to collect mercury from the floor without causing harm to yourself or your loved ones?

In this article:

Why are mercury balls dangerous?

Mercury is a liquid metal that evaporates even at room temperature +18°C. Its vapors are a strong poison; they have no odor, therefore they are even more dangerous. A broken thermometer releases 2-4 grams of this metal, which can pollute up to 6 thousand cubic meters of air (unless, of course, all this is removed in time). Droplet balls roll into cracks in the floor and baseboards, hide in the pile of carpets, stick to slippers and spread throughout the apartment. Mercury evaporates and gradually poisons the air. A person, being in a room where a thermometer has broken, inhales these fumes. Toxic metal accumulates in his liver, kidneys, and brain and so-called mercury intoxication develops. The skin becomes covered with strange rashes, stomatitis appears, and the kidneys and nervous system are affected. And long-term exposure can even cause madness. It's creepy, isn't it? How to act to avoid all this?

What to do if the thermometer breaks

• Immediately remove everyone from the “disaster” site, especially children, if any. You won’t even notice how these curious creatures will immediately begin to explore the contents of the thermometer and play with the funny living droplets scattered on the floor.
• Close all doors to other rooms. Avoid a draft that will spread dangerous balls throughout the room. Only after cleaning can you open the window and ventilate the room. And this will have to be done not in a day or two, but over three months.

The right equipment

If the mercury removal operation takes longer, apply a damp gauze bandage to your nose. Every 10-15 minutes, try to leave the room to another room or to Fresh air. Protect your hands with rubber gloves, and put regular garbage bags on your feet if you don’t have disposable shoe covers on hand.

Tools and methods for neutralizing the mercury “catastrophe”

Find a glass container with a tight lid to serve as a container for storing the mercury. Be very careful that this container does not accidentally tip over or break. Pour it there cold water. Place the thermometer in a plastic bag.

Forget about the existence of a broom in the apartment and do not try to collect mercury with a vacuum cleaner. The twigs of the broom will further crush the balls and turn them into toxic dust. It will rise into the air and settle on furniture and walls.

If you want to use a vacuum cleaner, be prepared to throw it away immediately after cleaning. Mercury will cover the inside of the device with a thin film, and will evaporate safely there, especially during operation, when the engine heats up. But that is not all. The microdroplets drawn in by the vacuum cleaner along with the air, safely bypassing the filters, will fly back into the room and be scattered throughout the apartment.

Available demercurization methods

1. How to collect mercury when conventional methods are not suitable? Use the most ordinary syringe - pull the balls inside like a vacuum cleaner, release the contents into a prepared jar of water. It is especially good for catching naughty droplets under baseboards and from cracks. After this, you will have to dispose of the syringe.
2. Wet paper napkins sunflower oil– mercury droplets stick to them perfectly. You can also do this with newspaper soaked in water or wet cotton balls. The insidious metal also sticks to copper wire, tape, and adhesive plaster. Try collecting it with a soft brush on a piece of paper.
3. After collecting, be sure to treat the room with chlorine or soap solution, even if you are sure that you have collected everything. Wash not only the floor, but also the walls. Fill the cracks in the floor with chlorine solution. A solution of potassium permanganate is also suitable for this. Use a disposable rag, which you immediately place in a trash bag. And if, on someone’s advice, you are planning to treat the floor surface with ferric chloride, be careful: it is also very toxic. Why poison yourself twice? In addition, it may leave permanent stains.

After all the procedures, you, as the liquidator of a mercury accident, need to take a shower, rinse your mouth with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, brush your teeth and drink 6-8 crushed tablets of activated carbon. And, of course, drink plenty of fluids to prevent poisoning. Mercury, as already noted, collects in the kidneys, and it is through them that you will remove this toxic metal.

If mercury gets on the carpet

What to do if the thermometer breaks on the carpet? Carefully roll the covering from the edge to the center so that the balls do not roll out onto the floor. Place it in a whole plastic bag. Movements should also be from the periphery to the center.

It is better if the product is thrown away.

What to do in case of emergency? Who should I contact?

Mercury vapor is a class I poison. Even in small quantities they cause irreversible harm to humans and animals.

If your mercury thermometer breaks or mercury spills, provide ventilation, leave the contaminated room and urgently call the mercury collection service.

Entrust the search and demercurization to certified professionals. Specialists go to the scene of an emergency with all the necessary equipment.

The mercury complex was included in State Register measuring instruments. After diagnosing the degree of contamination, thorough demercurization. We guarantee complete elimination of mercury contamination. Specialists carry out work according to the readings of the device until the room is completely cleared of toxic mercury vapor. Control measurement - free!!!

Work is carried out in residential and non-residential premises, offices, country houses, as well as in open areas. Soil samples. Preventive air analysis for mercury vapor content.

MERCURY RECYCLING SERVICE 24 HOUR HOTLINE: +7 495 968 10 86

We specialize in conducting full complex waste disposal work I-IV classes danger.

Complies with the requirements of the GOST R ISO 14001-2007 (ISO14001:2004) standard

Disposal and destruction of contaminated items

Things that have been in contact with mercury must be ventilated for three months. Only after this can they be washed and continued to be used, but it is better to throw them away.

But a jar of mercury, the remains of a thermometer and all the devices with which you collected metal should be voluntarily handed over to the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Don't be surprised if you are politely redirected to a pharmacy or housing office. Be persistent and persistent, demand the disposal of this toxic metal.

Under no circumstances should you pour liquid with silver balls down the drain, toilet, or throw away the thermometer and contaminated items in the garbage chute: do not pollute the environment.

After all this headache, be sure to visit your nearest pharmacy and purchase a safe electronic thermometer.

The main disadvantage of a mercury thermometer is that it is easy to break. One awkward movement is enough for toxic silver balls to scatter across the room. To avoid poisoning by toxic fumes, you should immediately collect the substance that is hazardous to health.

What are the dangers of mercury?

What to do if the thermometer breaks

How to collect mercury correctly

How to collect mercury from a flat surface

Collecting mercury from carpet and sofa

What not to do when collecting mercury

Mercury is a heavy metal silver color, which belongs to the first class of danger, it is used in medicine, metallurgy, mechanics, and most often we encounter it in Everyday life when using a thermometer and fluorescent lamps. If you break a thermometer and drops of mercury roll out in small balls across the surface, in this case you need to know how to remove mercury so as not to harm your health and the surrounding area. This is extremely necessary, since this element of the periodic table is extremely poisonous and mercury vapor poisoning can lead to hospitalization.

Why do you need to carefully remove mercury from a broken thermometer?

When mercury evaporates, it releases toxic vapor that affects the central nervous system, kidney function. It also affects the respiratory system and gastrointestinal tract. If you encounter such a nuisance as a broken thermometer, as a rule, in this situation you need to contact specialists from the sanitary and epidemiological station. But if this is not possible, do not despair! In the absence of special substances, you can cope with this problem even with the help of improvised means. Below you will find a number of recommendations on how to remove mercury from your apartment. different ways.

Where to begin?

Before removing the mercury from the thermometer from the floor, take the following measures:

1. Evacuate the apartment residents while the problem is being removed so that they do not spread mercury on their soles throughout the room.
2. Organize good ventilation and reduce the air temperature in the place where the incident occurred, but under no circumstances create a draft.
3. Wear protective clothing, preferably synthetic, which you dispose of with your tools after use, since the substance does not erode or wash off.
4. Put on a cotton-gauze bandage soaked in a soda solution.
5. Limit the contamination area with wet newspapers.
6. Prepare products and tools to remove mercury.
7. After the procedure, collect all things and objects that came into contact with or onto which mercury came into contact with plastic bags and take them out into the open air.

Important! Since the process of removing mercury takes a long time, periodically go out into fresh air to avoid poisoning by vapors.

What not to do if a mercury thermometer breaks

1. Do not use a vacuum cleaner to clean mercury - after this procedure it will no longer be possible to use it for its intended purpose.
2. Do not broom the silver balls, this will only crush them and make cleaning more difficult.
3. Clothes that have been in contact with mercury cannot be washed in a washing machine, much less by hand.
4. It is strictly forbidden to throw a broken thermometer into the garbage chute, since just 2 g of mercury can pollute 6,000 cubic meters of air. If you do this, harmful fumes, mixed with the released waste decomposition products, will still be for a long time poison everyone living in this house.
5. Under no circumstances should mercury be flushed down the drain; it settles in the pipes, and it is very difficult to remove it from there.

How to remove mercury from a thermometer from the floor?

If you decide not to hire a service that specializes in cleaning up mercury spills, then in this article we offer you the following tools and methods on how to clean up mercury. Follow the recommendations and use the remedies that are most available to you to resolve this problem.

You will need:

• glass jar with a tight-fitting lid;
• table lamp, flashlight;
• sheets of paper;
• brush;
• paper napkins;
• wet cotton wool;
• plasticine;
• vegetable oil;
• suction devices: medical bulb, syringe with a thick needle, pipette;
• plaster, tape;
• mercury neutralizer – “sulfur color”;
• disinfectant and bleaching chemicals that contain chlorine;
• sodium permanganate;
• plastic bags.

Important! You will not need the entire list of funds, but only some of them. Therefore, look at what methods exist, what exactly you have at hand, and then act according to the plan.

How to remove a broken mercury thermometer?

Please note that you can remove mercury from a broken thermometer yourself only if you strictly adhere to all the recommendations in the proposed instructions. When performing work, you must also be very attentive and careful. If you can’t do this, immediately call a special service so that they can solve the problem of how to remove mercury from the floor in the apartment.

Method 1

If the thermometer breaks and the mercury does not flow out:

1. Prepare a glass container with water.
2. Carefully slide a sheet of paper under the broken thermometer.
3. Place the item in the water.
4. Contact the Ministry of Emergency Situations - they are obliged to take disposal measures.

Method 2

Remove a broken thermometer and spilled mercury in several stages.

Stage 1: Preparation:

1. Prepare a room for collecting mercury.
2. Close the door to prevent the substance from spreading through the air throughout the house.
3. Place a rag soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate on the threshold.
4. To prevent mercury vapors from accumulating indoors, open the windows.
5. Protect yourself with personal protective equipment.

Stage 2. Cleaning process:

1. Turn on the lamp or flashlight and carefully examine the infestation site.
2. Collect the fragments of the broken thermometer and put them in a plastic bag.
3. Collect mercury using the devices described above.
4. On open surfaces:
   • Take two sheets of paper and push the mercury balls together so that they stick together into one large one, you can use a shaving brush in the same way.
   • Small drops of mercury can be collected with adhesives. Apply pieces of plaster, plasticine, tape, bread crumb, wet wipes, rags to the mercury areas. This method can also be used to collect invisible glass fragments from a thermometer.
   • Place used products in an airtight container.
5. Remove from hard-to-reach places chemical element using suction tools. Alternatively, you can use a knitting needle and cotton wool:
   • Wrap the cotton wool around the tip of the knitting needle in a thin layer.
   • Prepare a disinfectant.
   • Soak cotton wool in it.
   • After it has absorbed the mercury, replace the tip with a new one.
   • Repeat the process until the dirt is completely removed.

Stage 3. Surface disinfection:

1. Prepare a special solution to neutralize mercury vapor and wash the surface of traces of the substance. In this case, you can use the following substances: laundry soap, “Belizna”, sulfur, potassium permanganate.
2. Dilute the product in strong concentration with water.
3. Using a spray bottle, brush, brush, apply the solution to the areas that you have cleaned of mercury, Special attention paying attention to the cracks.
4. Treat the surface several times.
5. Leave until dry.
6. Wash with soapy water.
7. Re-treat the cleaned area with a solution of potassium permanganate, alternating with plain water.
8. Do a wet cleaning of the entire room.

Stage 4. Disposal:

1. Place the used materials in a jar filled with water, so the mercury will not evaporate.
2. Close the bags with mercury waste tightly and temporarily place them in a non-residential place, away from a heat source.
3. Call a specialized service to come and pick up the collected mercury.