A thermometer broke in a room without windows. What consequences are possible if the thermometer is damaged? Everything will be fine! An algorithm for what to do if a child breaks a mercury thermometer

If a mercury thermometer breaks at home, you must follow a clear algorithm for neutralizing such a dangerous substance as mercury. The main rule is to suppress panic, since this situation, although quite unpleasant, is not catastrophic, every family faces this.

Familiarization with this material will benefit everyone, since you will be prepared for such an emergency. It is also worth having a conversation with loved ones, especially children, about the danger broken thermometer and that it is impossible to hide the fact of damage to the integrity of the flask with mercury.

What is dangerous about a broken mercury thermometer?

The tip of the thermometer contains mercury, which is a substance hazardous to human health. The danger comes from mercury vapor, which, if the thermometer is damaged, can penetrate into respiratory system person. Incorrect actions when eliminating emergency situations can lead to prolonged exposure to small balls of mercury in the indoor air.

The danger of a broken thermometer is that the mercury balls are very mobile and can penetrate into small cracks and far corners of the room; it is quite difficult to get them out, as well as to notice them. It is these “missed” balls of mercury that will further poison the atmosphere in the room.

Mercury begins to evaporate at a temperature of 18 degrees; substances released during evaporation enter the human body in 80% of cases through the lungs. With a large leak of mercury and large evaporation, the vapors begin to penetrate the skin and mucous membranes, affecting the gums, kidneys, and primarily the central nervous system.

There is an opinion that if a thermometer is dangerous, then it would not be sold in every pharmacy. Of course, mercury from a thermometer cannot cause acute intoxication of the body, but it is quite capable of weakening a person’s health. If the thermometer breaks, then consequences for the body arise from prolonged inhalation of even a small amount of vapor, which leads to the development of:

pneumonia, possible breathing problems;

damage to the cardiovascular system and thyroid gland;

irreversible processes in the liver and kidneys;

changes in the state of the central nervous system (paralysis, depression, decreased cognitive function and memory, anxiety, insomnia);

hand tremors;

gingivitis.

Mercury is even more dangerous for pregnant women and children:

children may experience changes in the functioning of their lungs and kidneys;

Pregnant women are at risk of intrauterine damage to the fetus if they are chronically exposed to mercury vapor.

The thermometer is broken - what to do?

If, in a panic, all the data presented in this material flew out of your head, dial the Ministry of Emergency Situations or the sanitary service and strictly follow their instructions. If you have the strength to cope with the problem yourself, you need to do the following:

remove people and animals from the room in which the mercury leak occurred and close the door tightly;

prepare:

• soap-soda solution and saturated solution of potassium permanganate;

  fill a 3 liter jar with a tight lid with cold water or a solution of potassium permanganate;

  two sheets of paper;

  medical bulb or syringe;

  a brush or a piece of cotton wool;

  an awl or knitting needle, electrical tape, plaster or tape;

put on rubber slippers, which you won’t mind throwing away later, or plastic bags;

put a wet gauze bandage on your face to protect your lungs, also put on rubber gloves (preferably medical ones due to their convenience when performing small manipulations with your hands);

moisten a rag in a strong solution of potassium permanganate and lay it on the threshold of the room where the “accident” occurred;

close the doors tightly and open the window, but do not open windows in other rooms in order to prevent a draft;

pick up the thermometer and all the fragments, being careful not to scatter the mercury remaining in the tip, place everything in a jar of water;

carefully form small balls of mercury into one large one using paper;

drive a large ball onto a sheet of paper using a brush and pour the mercury into a jar of water;

after cleaning visible to the eye drops of mercury need to be dealt with small ones by gluing tape to the place where the thermometer was broken, after treating the area, place the tape in a jar;

Using a flashlight, examine all possible places and crevices into which balls of mercury could have rolled (a metallic reflection when the light beam is directed). Mercury balls must be removed from hard-to-reach places using a syringe or rolled out with a knitting needle;

Place the bulb or syringe in the jar as well;

if there is a possibility of mercury penetrating under the baseboard, you need to dismantle the latter and inspect everything;

close the jar with a lid;

wash surfaces and floors with a solution of potassium permanganate or soap and soda solution(you can do both at once);

remove gloves, shoes and clothes in which “disinfection” was carried out, and put everything in a bag that is tightly tied;

call the Ministry of Emergency Situations and find out where you can send the jar with dangerous contents, as well as all the items that were used when cleaning up the mercury (clothing, a floor rag, a blower, gloves, a brush);

rinse your mouth with soda solution and take a shower.

All actions must be performed carefully, but the demercurization process (mercury collection) must not be delayed for hours. In the next week, you need to try to eliminate the time that people and animals stay in the room, ventilate it often, while eliminating drafts. Wash floors and surfaces that have come into contact with mercury every day using a soap-soda solution or water with bleach.

If you feel that one of the balls is still left in the room, you need to call the laboratory station of the sanitation station or the Ministry of Emergency Situations, who will measure the concentration of mercury vapor.

What not to do if the thermometer is broken:

Do not throw mercury, the thermometer itself, and the materials used to collect mercury into a garbage chute or sewer;

if all actions are performed according to the algorithm and the fragments are placed in a jar of potassium permanganate, such a jar cannot be thrown into the places listed above; mercury neutralization is carried out in specialized organizations;

Do not use a vacuum cleaner or broom to collect mercury;

You cannot use clothes in which mercury was collected, even after washing, they must be handed over to the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

Popular questions on the topic and answers to them

What should you do if, at the time of damage to the thermometer, you were wearing expensive clothes that could come into contact with mercury? It would be a pity to throw away such an outfit?

Clothes should be placed in a bag and hung outdoors for airing. Naturally, this cannot be a balcony that is directly connected to the apartment. You can hang the bag in the barn, in the attic of the cottage, such ventilation should be carried out for about 3 months, after which the clothes should be washed in a soap-soda solution several times.

What to do if a thermometer breaks on the carpet or mercury balls fall on the bed or soft toys?

In such cases, collecting mercury from the carpet is a rather complicated procedure. There is a high probability that you will have to part with the carpet and take it for disposal, but do not delay this. If things are very expensive, you need to follow the principle described above for expensive clothes. After weathering, the carpet or toys should be dry cleaned. If a thermometer breaks on a bed, upholstered furniture, or bed linen, they need to be aired out for 3 months and then thoroughly treated with a soap-soda solution and washed.

The advantage of a mercury thermometer is its stable accuracy in temperature measurement. The main disadvantage of a thermometer is that it is easy to break. One awkward movement is enough for toxic silver balls to scatter across the room. To avoid mercury poisoning, you should immediately collect the hazardous substance.

Why is mercury dangerous?

Upon impact, the mercury is divided into small balls, which instantly roll around the room. Mercury droplets roll into the cracks of the baseboard and floor, penetrate into the underground space and settle in the carpet pile. Toxic dangerous substance evaporates at a temperature of 18°C, poisoning the air in the room.

Once in the human body, mercury from a broken thermometer has a local irritant effect and causes internal poisoning of the kidneys, cardiovascular and central nervous system. Recommendations on what to do if a thermometer with mercury breaks will help you avoid intoxication.

What to do if the thermometer breaks

If you break a mercury thermometer, it is important to carry out demercurization correctly. It includes the removal and disposal of mercury balls in the leakage area. To remove toxic mercury balls yourself, you need to follow these steps:

• Remove people from the room, close the door tightly and open the windows for ventilation.
• Wear a respirator, rubber gloves and shoe covers.
• Fill a glass jar halfway with water, put a mercury thermometer with the remaining mercury in it and tightly close the container with a lid.
• You need to take a break every 15 minutes. Get some air and drink more cold water.
• For 3 weeks, ventilate the room daily and disinfect the area where the mercury spilled.

How to remove mercury if a thermometer breaks?

Toxic mercury balls roll everywhere when they fall. More often they are concentrated in the cracks of the floor and walls, on the surface of the floor covering and on the carpet. To collect mercury, prepare:

• medical cotton wool and plaster
• thick sheet of paper or cardboard
• glass jar with an airtight lid
• medical syringe and long knitting needle
• solution of potassium permanganate and bleach
• latex gloves
• disinfectants
• flashlight and small pieces of fabric
• plastic bags for collecting contaminated items.

It is necessary to limit as much as possible the area where the mercury thermometer broke. Liquid mercury sticks to the soles of shoes and spreads throughout the apartment. Wear gloves and place the broken thermometer in a jar of water. Start collecting mercury balls, moving from the periphery of the affected area to the center.

How to collect mercury from a flat surface

Collecting toxic mercury droplets from a table or floor can be done in several ways:

• Using a syringe, the liquid balls are sucked up, after which the mercury is placed in a glass jar.
• Mercury is collected from the floor onto a sheet of paper or foil, helping with a brush.
• Using paper napkins or sheets of newspaper moistened sunflower oil or water.
• Toxic drops of mercury stick perfectly to the patch or tape.
• Mercury is collected with cotton sponges soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate.

After removing mercury particles, treat the room 2-3 times with bleach, manganese or soap solution. To clean the floor, use unnecessary scraps of cloth, as they will have to be thrown away. If the thermometer is broken in the kitchen, it is better to wash the kitchen utensils.

What to do if a thermometer breaks on a carpet or sofa

For treating not very fluffy surfaces, carpets, leatherette and leather sofas, the same tools are suitable as for removing mercury from the floor. It is more difficult to collect mercury beads that are located inside long-pile carpeting. Carpet cleaning steps:

• Gather the edges of the carpet towards the middle so that liquid metal does not leak onto the floor.
• Place the rug in a thick plastic bag and take it outside.
• Lay oilcloth or cellophane on the ground to prevent mercury from getting onto the ground. Hang the rug over the oilcloth laid out.
• Using smooth blows, knock out the mercury balls from the carpet. Collect the mercury from the oilcloth and place it in a glass container.
• Air the carpet for 3 months or hang it on long time to the garage.

How to get mercury out of cracks

Collecting mercury from floor or wall cracks is a difficult but doable task. There are several ways to solve the problem:

• Use a gypsy needle or a long knitting needle and wrap it with cotton wool soaked in water.
• Pour sand into the crack and sweep it out with a brush along with mercury balls.

Is it possible to collect mercury balls with a magnet? Mercury is a liquid metal, so it is easily magnetic. During the procedure, you must wear thick rubber gloves. They must be removed so that the magnet with the mercury balls stuck to it is inside the glove.

What not to do when collecting mercury

It is strictly forbidden to use a vacuum cleaner to collect mercury. The air heated by a vacuum cleaner accelerates the evaporation of toxic liquid metal. Mercury lingers on the parts of the device, making it a distributor of toxic fumes.

If a member of your family breaks a home thermometer, you will have to collect drops of mercury from it yourself. broken thermometer. To do everything right, you should watch thematic photos and videos. This will help protect loved ones from the consequences of toxic mercury poisoning.

Discussion

Good question. The first time I saw in the hospital how a thermometer broke and mercury rolled into small beads on the floor. We collected them by rolling them with a napkin to each other to make a single ball. I was about 10 years old then. But in the end it turned out that it was impossible to do that! What was urgently needed to be reported to the medical post, because mercury is toxic and evaporates quickly, and we breathe it. I know for sure that you need to open the windows, put bags on your feet, and under no circumstances pick them up with a broom, vacuum cleaner, or rag.

Comment on the article “How to properly remove mercury from a broken thermometer”

Collect the mercury with wet rags in a jar of water and close tightly. If on the floor, then wash it with potassium permanganate. What is forbidden to do if the thermometer breaks? Where is mercury most often found? Almost every house has a thermometer, and we immediately take it to...

I broke the thermometer, collected mercury, washed the floor with potassium permanganate, but doubts remained. Has anyone called specialists for demercurization? There are so many companies that offer these services, I don’t know which one is better to choose and based on what criteria. Are there any...

SOS - the kid broke the thermometer! Force Majeure. Farming. Housekeeping: housekeeping tips, cleaning, purchasing and use household appliances, repairs, plumbing. What to do if the thermometer breaks. How to collect mercury from a broken thermometer?

Mercury and thermometers. Incidents. Child from 1 to 3. Raising a child from one to three years: hardening and development, nutrition and illness, daily routine and development of household skills. Section: Incidents (the thermometer in the case fell). Mercury and thermometers. Comrades, save me, help me!

Discussion

Girls, thank you all SO MUCH!!!
They calmed me down.
But I probably won’t develop suspiciousness in myself. And so it is :-))

You need to relax, nothing will happen from one thermometer,
you've already done everything. Call and measure something in this
case only for the suspicious, the dose of mercury is too small
in the thermometer, you didn’t break a jar of mercury.

The mercury thermometer broke at home! We seem to have collected mercury from the floor, and what to do now?!?! At home Small child is sick, sits with a nanny. Nothing will happen from one thermometer, but you need to collect as much mercury as possible, put it in a jar, fill it with water and close it, so it won’t...

Discussion

Nothing will happen from one thermometer, but you need to collect as much mercury as possible, put it in a jar, fill it with water and close it - so it will not evaporate.

Thank you very much, so many people responded. From now on I will know exactly what to do.
And so the husband was at home dealing with mercury and the nanny. What did they do there, I’ll go home now and find out the details.
And I will wash the floor with potassium permanganate.
Thank you girls!!!

They don’t even recommend collecting mercury yourself and throwing it in the trash - they write everywhere that you need to call special services. I would call you if you want, I just stopped measuring BT after the thermometer broke (I really didn’t call for rescue, but the mercury...

Discussion

Maybe my answer is late, but still the closet must be moved aside, otherwise the mercury vapor evaporating from there will cause various diseases, and you won’t even know why! Wash the area where the mercury balls fell with any chlorine-containing cleaner for sinks and toilets.

I don’t want to scare you, but this is very dangerous, mercury poisoning is VERY bad, it will lie there for years. We need to call the rescuers to collect them. This is very harmful and unpleasant - impressions, even when I was in school, we had an accident - BRR.

Here: -If you break a thermometer and mercury rolls across the table or floor, under no circumstances try to wipe it with a rag - this will only lead to smearing the mercury and increasing the evaporation surface. To collect mercury, prepare a jar filled with water with a thick...

Discussion

Please, on the topic of what to do with old thermometers? At the pharmacy, the bastards don’t accept them and shrug their shoulders, but I have three of them!

Don't worry. The vacuum cleaner works best if it has paper disposable replacement bags. Collect the mercury and throw the bag into the garbage disposal.

Broken thermometer. How to proceed?. About yours, about your girl’s. Discussion of issues about a woman’s life in the family, at work, relationships with men. Good day...I found a broken thermometer at home - the body itself and a thin tube through which mercury rises.

Discussion

or maybe the nanny had already collected and thrown away the mercury a long time ago. Usually, places where mercury may be found are treated with ferric chloride, but it leaves behind very unattractive stains. The child definitely couldn’t eat it, firstly, the fragments, and secondly, try to collect it. Wait for the nanny and Find out, maybe you’re panicking in vain.

call the Ministry of Emergency Situations

I broke the thermometer - what should I do? Serious question. About yours, about your girl’s. Discussion of issues about a woman’s life in the family, at work, relationships with men. I broke the thermometer - what should I do? The mercury fell quite compactly - on the blanket and on the floor (carpet).

Discussion

and they didn’t forget to clean the cleaner... I, as a fan of hacking thermometers, eventually bought an electronic mercury-free one... but the scary childhood stories about playing with mercury - it’s scary to even remember and I can’t say (as in Zhvanetsky): “But we have nothing nothing is felt, nothing is felt, nothing is felt." Maybe it’s just a strong organism, maybe compared to the radiation from the Semipalptinsky test sites, these games with mercury are a pot-bellied trifle...
And how much we don’t know what’s going on here... One day recently I came to pick up my child at the kindergarten. And they tell me: “Dad took Lisa a long time ago, even before afternoon tea.” I'm confused what happened. 2 hours passed and no one called me. I come home, it turns out that smart dad read on the NTV website that on the left bank of Kyiv (I live there) a lot of mercury was spilled at a production facility - dad immediately threw all his very important work and rushed after the child. Only the next day (or even 2 days later) our (Ukrainian news) reported that there was a planned removal of mercury at such and such a plant... So think about it now - what was it...

Here, read:
Actions of the population in the event of a mercury spill indoors.
If a mercury thermometer is broken in the room:
remove all people from the premises, primarily children, disabled people, and the elderly;
open all the windows in the room wide;
isolate the contaminated room from people as much as possible, close all doors tightly;
immediately start collecting mercury: collect large balls with a syringe and immediately dump them into a glass jar with a solution (2 g of potassium permanganate per 1 liter of water), collect smaller balls with a brush on paper and also dump them into the jar. Close the jar tightly with a lid. Using a vacuum cleaner to collect mercury is prohibited;
wash the contaminated areas with a soap-soda solution (400 grams of soap and 500 grams of soda ash per 10 liters of water) or a solution of potassium permanganate (20 grams per 10 liters of water);
close the room after treatment so that they are not connected to other rooms and ventilate for three days;
keep the room temperature, if possible, at least 18-200C to reduce processing time during all work;
Clean and rinse the soles of your shoes with a strong, almost black solution of potassium permanganate if you step on mercury.
If there is more mercury spilled than in the thermometer
stay calm, avoid panic;
remove all people from the premises, provide assistance to children, disabled people and the elderly - they are subject to evacuation first;
protect your respiratory system with at least a damp gauze bandage;
open all the windows wide;
isolate the most contaminated room, close all doors tightly;
quickly collect documents, valuables, drugs, food and other necessary things;
turn off the electricity and gas, turn off the fire in the stoves before leaving the house;
Call specialists immediately through your local government agency on questions emergency situations And civil protection population. IN as a last resort- call the police by phone.
Dealing with large amounts of mercury and its vapors is very difficult. Chemists call it demercurization.

Demercurization is carried out in two ways:

chemical-mechanical - mechanical collection of mercury balls with further treatment of the contaminated surface with chemical reagents (after this method of treatment, the room requires increased ventilation);
mechanical - mechanical collection of mercury balls from the surface with the subsequent replacement of the floor, plaster or major repairs buildings (this method can be used together with chemical-mechanical).
If you find or see mercury balls in any other place, please report it immediately local authorities on issues of emergency situations and civil protection of the population or the police.

When struck, mercury from a broken thermometer breaks into small drops and disperses throughout the room. At least go outside, find the nearest Tajik, give him money. Recommendations on how to properly collect mercury from a broken thermometer will help you avoid intoxication.

Discussion

White bread, crumb. Absorbs mercury perfectly!

You need to fill everything with a very strong solution of potassium permanganate: it oxidizes mercury and turns it into a powder (which does not evaporate). Well, then rinse thoroughly. When deactivators arrive, that’s exactly what they do.

Almost each of us has a mercury thermometer at home, which is used for its damage can be very dangerous: mercury is the only metal contained in a liquid state at room temperature, and inhaling its vapors can lead to poisoning. That is why you need to have a good idea of ​​what you should do if you crash. Below we will describe the actions that should be taken in such a situation.

So, what to do if a mercury thermometer breaks: step one.

To begin with, without panicking in any way, you need to limit access to All people not involved in cleaning should be taken outside (or to another room) and the door of the room in which the thermometer was broken should be tightly closed. Be attentive and careful, do not trample in dangerous places, so as not to later spread mercury balls on the sole of your shoes to other rooms.

What to do if a mercury thermometer breaks: step two.

Put on and collect the thermometer fragments and mercury balls. It is convenient to do this with a syringe without a needle, tape, adhesive tape or two sheets of paper. The last method is as follows: using sheets of paper, connect mercury balls to each other, and then roll them onto the paper. To remove balls of mercury from the crack, use a needle with a cotton swab soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate wrapped around it. An alternative is to use copper wire (mercury sticks to copper), but the copper content in the wire must be significant, and the surface of the wire must be cleaned of oxides.

The collected mercury and tools should be placed in a jar of water and closed tightly.

What to do if a mercury thermometer breaks: step three.

Mercury vapor evaporates in smaller quantities when low temperatures, so it is advisable to ventilate the room, unless, of course, it’s plus thirty outside. Next, you need to treat the area where the thermometer broke with a solution of potassium permanganate at the rate of 2 grams of potassium permanganate per liter of water, and then with a soap-soda solution at the rate of 50 grams of soda and soap per liter of water.

What to do if a mercury thermometer breaks: step four.

After the work has been done, you need to get rid of the jar of mercury. You should call the Ministry of Emergency Situations and find out where you need to take it, and until then put it away from heating objects, in a cool place where there is no access sun rays.

As for you, increase the amount of fluid you consume in the near future, since mercury formations leave the body through the kidneys.

A few words about what not to do.

Avoid contact of mercury with skin.

Do not create a draft in a ventilated room.

You should not sweep mercury balls with a broom, as hard rods can crush the mercury balls, after which it will be difficult to collect them.

You cannot collect mercury using a vacuum cleaner, since the air blown by the device facilitates the evaporation of mercury vapor.

Do not wash shoes and clothing that have been in contact with mercury in washing machines. Ideally, it should be thrown away (clothes and shoes).

You cannot get rid of mercury using the sewer system, because if it settles in the sewer pipes, then removing it from there is almost impossible.

You should not throw a broken thermometer into the garbage chute, since the tiny fraction of mercury that evaporates there can contaminate a large area.

Don't let this information pass you by. When they happen similar situations, you begin to reproach yourself for your careless attitude and inability to take action when necessary. If you know how to behave when a mercury thermometer breaks, “what to do” - the question that instantly arises in difficult moments will not confuse you.

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 rooms will never lead to such an excess, and to evaporate all the mercury you need a lot heat. 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 drug Polysorb(price – from 120 rubles depending on the dosage). It belongs to the class of enterosorbents and is recommended for use when acute poisoning poisons.

This is a rather unique product: 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 unpleasant situation, which you can resolve yourself.
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 rubber gloves on our hands and a damp cloth bandage on our 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 put some of the potassium permanganate into a 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 to dispose collected mercury and things that came into contact with her.

We wash ourselves thoroughly, rinsing several times. oral cavity 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.

The situation is much 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 many 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 air). Leftovers mercury thermometer and the collected mercury is disposed of only on the recommendations of the Ministry of Emergency Situations specialists;
• It is strictly forbidden to wash in washing machine things that have been in contact with mercury. Even using disinfectants detergents. Recycling mercury is very difficult process and such actions not only will not save clothes and things, but will also make further washing dangerous;
• Do not flush mercury down the drain. It will not reach the sewage 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 such a situation, she is your 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.