If the thermometer breaks, what should you do? Preventive measures to prevent mercury intoxication. How to eliminate the consequences yourself if a mercury thermometer breaks

Despite the widespread use of electronic thermometers, many continue to use mercury thermometers, considering them more accurate. They actually make fewer mistakes than their electronic counterparts, but they have a 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 - a heavy liquid metal dangerous to human health. It begins to evaporate at temperatures above 38 °C and enters the body through Airways. 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 movable balls mercury can roll into any crack and poison the air for a long time. In this case, it is possible to develop chronic poisoning heavy metal fumes.

How to properly collect mercury

The very first thing to do if you crash at home mercury thermometer- remove all family members from the room where this 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 or plastic bags on your feet, and gloves on your 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. Visible to the eye The mercury balls are collected into one large one 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. Special organizations deal with the disposal of such waste. 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 in the 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 along with other things. 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 emergency medical team. 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 poisoning exposure to mercury 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 a 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, it develops persistent cough and swelling of the nasopharynx, turning into 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, fast fatiguability, general weakness, inattention, absent-mindedness, increased anxiety.

Chronic mercury poisoning is especially dangerous 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 may be mistaken for symptoms vascular changes 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 organizations for hazardous waste disposal. It is advisable to throw away the vacuum cleaner itself. If this cannot be done, then it is left for several months in the open air 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. Persistent selection 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 falls and breaks in the case, the mercury will not leak out, making disposal easier.
2. The thermometer should be stored in one permanent place. And it is better if it is inaccessible to children.
3. The thermometer should be shaken carefully, avoiding sudden movements and away from hard objects that could 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.

Video from YouTube on the topic of the article:

Since childhood, our parents and grandparents told us that playing with a mercury thermometer is very dangerous. Time has passed, progress does not stand still, but most families still prefer to use a traditional mercury thermometer to measure temperature. Both adults and children can drop a thermometer through carelessness, so it is important to know what to do first if a mercury thermometer breaks.

Why is a broken thermometer dangerous?

It's no secret that mercury is a very dangerous Chemical substance, which is contained in the tip of the thermometer. The greatest danger is caused by mercury vapor, which affects respiratory organs. In order to know how to act correctly if a thermometer breaks, each of us must understand how dangerous the presence of mercury vapor in the air can be.

The mercury balls are very mobile and move easily. They can get stuck in cracks, flooring, and animal hair. If you do not immediately take safety measures, it will be very difficult to find mercury residues in the future. The mercury begins to release vapors. Toxic vapor products enter the human body through the respiratory tract. The lungs absorb about 80% of the toxic substance.

If the evaporation is prolonged or in the air there is a large number of mercury material, it can enter the human body through the skin and mucous membranes. First of all, the kidneys, gums and central nervous system are affected.

Of course, if a mercury thermometer were so dangerous, it would not be on the market. Of course, intoxication in the acute phase will not occur when mercury leaks out, but severe consequences can still occur and undermine the health of all family members.

Depending on how long it takes for mercury to evaporate from broken thermometer, and a person inhales mercury vapor, may appear following symptoms and pathologies:

• insomnia;
• trembling of the limbs of the hands;
• anxiety;
• paralysis;
• depression;
• decreased reaction and memory;
• defeat thyroid gland, kidneys and liver;
• dysfunction of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems.

It is especially dangerous for pregnant women to inhale mercury vapor, since not only the functioning of the kidneys and liver of the expectant mother, but also the fetus itself can be affected. To prevent serious consequences from occurring, each of us should know what actions to take if a mercury thermometer breaks at home.

Mercury vapor is a hazard class I poison. Even in small quantities, mercury vapor causes irreversible harm to humans and animals. Residents of Moscow and the Moscow region, if your mercury thermometer breaks or spills, provide ventilation, leave the room contaminated with mercury vapor and urgently call the mercury collection service.

Entrust mercury search and demercurization to certified professionals. Specialists go to the scene of an emergency with everything necessary equipment. The mercury complex is included in the State Register of Measuring Instruments. We guarantee complete elimination of mercury contamination. Control measurement of mercury vapor - free of charge. 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.

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A mercury thermometer has broken: when should you contact emergency departments?

Every person who uses a mercury thermometer in everyday life should know what immediate measures should be taken if it breaks. In most cases, you can handle this situation on your own. But there are situations when contacting the Ministry of Emergency Situations is vital.

You can always contact the Ministry of Emergency Situations and receive a number of instructions on how to collect and dispose of a dangerous substance. If mercury substance gets on a hot surface, for example, a heating device, then you should definitely call the Ministry of Emergency Situations, since at temperatures above 40°C mercury begins to evaporate instantly.

It is not advisable to try to get rid of the consequences yourself in cases where you have not found mercury. It is strongly recommended not to collect mercury residues for pregnant women, persons under 18 and over 65 years of age, as well as people suffering from diseases of the urinary and nervous systems chronic type. In such cases, you must immediately leave the room where the thermometer broke and call the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

How to eliminate the consequences yourself if a mercury thermometer breaks?

When a thermometer breaks in a living room, first of all, you should remain calm. All actions related to the elimination of particularly dangerous consequences must be performed without haste and correctly.

Procedure in cases where a mercury thermometer breaks:

1. All people must leave the room. Also, animals should not be left in the room.
2. The door closes tightly and all windows open.
3. A rag pre-moistened in a soda solution should be laid out on the threshold (potassium permanganate can be used).
4. The person who will clean up the remains of a broken thermometer must wear protective gloves and a bandage (respirator). A cotton-gauze bandage should be made as follows: fold the gauze into 2-3 layers and treat it with water or soda solution.
5. Experts recommend wearing clothes made from synthetic fabric. It is best to throw away these clothes after cleaning the room.

What to do if the tip of the thermometer remains intact and the mercury has not leaked out?

There are cases when, when broken, the tip of the thermometer remains visually intact and no remains of mercury balls are visible next to it. In this case, carefully inspect the thermometer, but do not lift it without gloves and a cotton-gauze bandage. Once you are sure that the contents are in the tip, you need to carefully take the thermometer so that the mercury substance does not leak out, and move it into a container with water, which must be tightly closed.

It is strictly forbidden to throw away mercury waste under the guise of ordinary garbage. Hide the jar in a non-residential premises and notify the Ministry of Emergency Situations employees about the incident or contact a specialized company for the disposal of mercury substances.

How should you collect mercury from a thermometer from various surfaces?

If a mercury thermometer breaks and drops of the contents remain on the floor covering, table, shelf or any other element of the furniture set, then you will have to work hard to completely eliminate the mercury.

Procedure:

1. Prepare a glass vessel that is half filled with water.
2. Using two sheets of regular office paper, collect all the remains of the thermometer in one place. This can be done with a razor brush or a small piece of cotton wool.
3. Larger mercury balls are placed on a sheet using a shaving brush or cotton wool and carefully placed in a prepared container with water.
4. Small particles can be collected using tape or adhesive tape. Then these strips, along with the adhering residues, must be placed in a container.
5. If mercury gets into hard-to-reach places, for example, corners or crevices, you can use a medical syringe or knitting needle to remove it.
6. If mercury gets under the baseboard, the latter must be immediately dismantled.
7. All items and tools that were used during the mercury collection procedure are placed in a tight plastic bag and transferred for disposal.
8. The container with residual mercury must be tightly closed and taken out of the room. Until disposal, it is best to store it away from people. dark place, at low temperature.
9. If mercury substance gets on upholstered furniture, clothes, carpets or toys, then trying to get rid of it with a vacuum cleaner is useless. Such things must be destroyed immediately. If you are too attached to these things, then they can be placed in the open sun away from people and aired for at least a couple of months so that the mercury completely evaporates.

A broken mercury thermometer must be disposed of. This is done by specialized enterprises, the location of which can be told to you by the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

In practice there are situations when mercury thermometer crashed, but no mercury remains were found. In this case, you must take all measures to disinfect the room with a solution of soda, iodine or potassium permanganate. You can use regular white.

Banned: what actions cannot be performed if a mercury thermometer is broken?

Under no circumstances use a broom or vacuum cleaner to remove mercury balls, as all the toxic substances will swirl in the air. It is also prohibited:

• throw away the remaining mercury in the garbage chute;
• pour into the sewer;
• dispose of yourself;
• keep.

Preventive measures to prevent mercury intoxication

People who are in the room where the mercury thermometer has broken should, upon completion of cleaning, take a shower and rinse their mouths with manganese or soda solution. To prevent mercury vapor poisoning, which primarily affects the urinary system, it is recommended to drink more fluids.

As you can see, breaking a mercury thermometer is very dangerous and has negative health consequences. This item must be used carefully. If the thermometer does break, it is important to follow all the rules related to cleaning the room and disposing of mercury substances.

Mercury is toxic. Breaking a thermometer at home means putting the whole family in danger. What to do if this accident happens? What could be the consequences of a broken mercury thermometer? How to remove fragments?

See all the answers in the article.

As Komarovsky said, mercury itself does not harm us. If, for example, a child accidentally swallows a ball of mercury, it will not cause internal organs no harm, since the element does not enter into metabolism. In a day or two it will come out the usual way.

What then is harmful? - And the fumes are harmful.

Starting from +18 Celsius, mercury changes from liquid to gaseous, quickly spreading throughout the room. That is why keeping such a thermometer in an apartment is extremely undesirable.

The thermometer is broken, what should you do first?

The thermometer in the house was broken. Don't panic, do everything in order:

1. We remove all people and animals from the room.
2. We close the door in the room tightly so that the poison does not spread throughout the house.
3. We remember that mercury begins to evaporate only at +18. Therefore, first of all, we try to reduce the temperature in the room. We turn off the heaters (if the accident happened in winter), open the windows, and turn on the air conditioning.
4. We put on the equipment. Ideally, this should include protective overalls, shoe covers, gloves and a respirator. Not everyone keeps such a set at home, so we offer an alternative:

• instead of shoe covers, you can take ordinary plastic bags;
• Everyone often has rubber gloves, but if not, you can use bags again;
• We replace the respirator with a homemade mask: we take gauze, arranged in four or more pieces and moisten it in water. After this, we tie it so as to hide the mouth and nose;
• Wear clothes that you don’t mind. Then you have to throw it away.

Now let's move on to the most important thing - remove the thermometer with mercury. Be careful here. Don’t make the mistakes that the people of our country love so much.

IMPORTANT! What should you not do with mercury?

1. Try to collect the balls with your hands. The poison is absorbed even by intact skin;
2. Sweep away the mercury thermometer with a broom. As a result, it splits into small pieces and turns into dust, which much faster turns into a gaseous state.
3. Remove traces of crime with a vacuum cleaner. By sucking mercury into the pipe, it will seem to you that the problem is solved. But mercury is very cunning. Instead of remaining inside the vacuum cleaner, it comes out in the form of vapor along with the air, spreading throughout the room thousands of times faster. In this case, the vacuum cleaner can be thrown away immediately, it is a carrier of poison.
4. Flush this metal down the toilet, bury it in the ground, throw it away with other waste in a landfill, take it out onto the balcony, etc. By these actions you will harm the environment.

Collecting mercury correctly

How to collect mercury from a broken thermometer both quickly and safely?

And so, we take: tape or band-aid; syringe with a thin needle; glass jar with a tight lid.

Do not forget that at this time we must be wearing shoe covers, gloves and a respirator.

We collect large balls with a syringe: we simply suck it in like any other liquid. To deal with smaller particles, take tape and apply the adhesive side to the balls, so they will all come together quickly.

We immediately put everything we collect into a jar and close it with a lid.

To do this we make a solution:

• liter of boiled water;
• 40 grams of laundry soap;
• 50 grams of soda.

Mix and pour this liquid into a jar with toxin. If a mercury thermometer breaks on the carpet, wipe it with this solution. Even if there is some mercury left between the villi, soapy water and soda will render it inactive. Then you definitely need to do it again.

It happens that the balls fall into cracks or other places where it is impossible to penetrate. In this case, draw the disinfectant into a syringe and spray these areas.

A word of caution: no matter how carefully you clean a broken mercury thermometer, there is still no guarantee that all particles will be removed.

Therefore, in any case, call the Ministry of Emergency Situations employees to determine the content of metal vapors in the room using a mercury analyzer. If something happens, specialists will quickly remove the remaining poison using professional means.

Why is mercury harmful?

All toxins are divided into classes. Mercury is one of the first.

Evaporating, it enters our lungs. And there, along with the blood, it penetrates into all organs of the body and begins to actively poison the body. About 80% of the poison begins to actively poison us.

Like others heavy metals, mercury is not excreted from the body.

The vapors of this metal are dangerous not only for humans, but also for plants, animals, fish and birds. This is why you should not throw a mercury thermometer outside.

Be careful: mercury has no taste or smell, so you won’t be able to smell its vapor. The poisoning process goes unnoticed.

The health consequences are significant. Toxic substances, which accumulate inside the body, gradually begin to affect the liver, nervous system, kidneys and gastrointestinal tract.

Symptoms of mercury poisoning

The consequences of a broken thermometer can be felt within a few hours. Intoxication occurs through the respiratory tract. Oxygen and salts that are in our blood help mercury to be absorbed faster. As a result, it is oxidized and deposited in the form of mercury salts.

Signs of poisoning:

• weakness throughout the body;
• headache;
• complete lack of appetite;
• difficulty swallowing (dull pain);
• metallic taste in the mouth;
• salivation;
• gum swelling and temporary bleeding;
• dizziness, nausea and vomiting;
• stomach ache;
• diarrhea;
• decreased heart rate;
• fainting.

Pneumonia, cough with shortness of breath, and chest pain are also often observed. Body temperature rises (from 38 to 40 degrees). At severe poisoning death may occur within a few days.

Because of the danger, the world has long stopped using mercury thermometers at home. To protect yourself and your family, replace your old thermometer with a new, electronic one.

What to do in case of mercury poisoning?

If a mercury thermometer is broken, the first thing we do is go outside. Even better, go to some forest or park, where the air is truly clean and fresh.

When we’ve caught our breath a little, we move on to first aid.. To do this, we thoroughly rinse all the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, eyes, as well as open areas of the skin.

We use either plain water, or weak solution potassium permanganate (can be used only when there are no problems with breathing or heart function. If there are difficulties, we first perform resuscitation to normalize the patient’s condition).

This is followed by gastric lavage.. Made using potassium permanganate dissolved in cold water. The procedure is repeated several times a day. In this way, doctors stop the burning effect of mercury. Sorbents also help: drink four times a day.

The next step is the intravenous administration of the antidote “Unitiol”.

In parallel with this, diuretics are prescribed to speed up the process of washing out the poison from the blood.

Never try to cure poisoning yourself. When the first symptoms appear, immediately seek help from specialists.

What you can do on your own is eat green apple. This product contains iodine and pectins, which help remove harmful compounds from the body.

Remember that if a child breaks a mercury thermometer, first of all you need to take him to another room. And don’t try to solve the problem yourself, call special services, that’s their job.