The thermometer is irreplaceable thing for every person, but when using it you must be extremely careful. However, it is not uncommon for a thermometer to break due to negligence or an innocent child’s prank. Then logical questions arise: what needs to be done in this situation and where to put the outdated thermometer?
Why is mercury dangerous?
Mercury, or more precisely, its vapors, is dangerous to human life. The substance from a broken thermometer usually enters the body in two ways: either through the mouth or through inhalation of toxic fumes. The first option is rare, except Small child decides to taste the funny “silver balls”. In this case, your actions should be immediate. Immediately induce vomiting in your child and dial the emergency number. Otherwise, the consequences can be sad.
But the second option is a common phenomenon, and this happens most often due to banal negligence and reluctance or ignorance of how and where to properly dispose of broken thermometer.
As a result, the person gets mercury poisoning. The danger also lies in the fact that at first it is almost impossible to determine whether the substance has entered the body or not, since poisoning for a long time may occur without visible symptoms. Later, irritability, increased fatigue, and sudden weight loss appear. As a rule, many people attribute it all to a busy schedule and difficult work. However, at this time, mercury slowly reaches the central nervous system and kidneys.
A broken thermometer must be removed as quickly and thoroughly as possible, and this must be done correctly, without neglecting the rules of personal safety.
What to do if a mercury thermometer breaks?
What should be your actions if you break a thermometer, where should you take it after and how to properly remove traces of mercury? If such a situation occurs, do not panic, act according following instructions, and everything will be fine.
- Open a window or window, but be sure to close the door to adjacent rooms so that toxic fumes do not spread throughout the house. Ventilation time is one hour or more.
- Do not go too close to the “accident” site; mercury easily spreads and sticks to your soles. If you are careless, you can spread a dangerous substance throughout the room.
- Before you start cleaning up mercury and throwing it away, take care of your personal safety. Wear rubber gloves on your hands and protect your feet with plastic bags. Don’t forget about your respiratory organs; to protect them, use a bandage soaked in soda solution.
- Prepare a glass jar with cold water where you will collect mercury. Water is absolutely necessary; this will prevent the mercury from evaporating.
- Carefully, without fuss or panic, collect as much of the toxic substance as possible. Most often, poisoning occurs due to negligence, so in order to avoid unnecessary worries, take this process seriously.
The smallest mercury balls can be removed using tape, plasticine or a syringe.
If collecting the toxic substance takes longer, do not forget to go outside every 15 minutes, otherwise you will get mercury poisoning.
- Screw on the lid of the jar with mercury, do not allow it to be near heating devices. It is strictly forbidden to throw away the jar!
Where and how should mercury be deposited?
So, let's say you have already successfully completed the task of removing the thermometer and collecting all the mercury. What to do next, since storing a toxic substance at home is unsafe? Where should I return the container or just throw it away and forget? In no case!
If you break the thermometer and remove the mercury according to the instructions above, your next action should be to call the Ministry of Emergency Situations, where you should report the incident. After the team arrives, you need to give them a jar of the substance, as well as a thermometer and all the materials that you used during cleaning: gloves, syringes, bags, etc. The responsibilities of the Ministry of Emergency Situations include mandatory disinfection of the premises.
After disinfection is completed, pay attention to your health, even if you are sure that mercury did not affect you. For prevention, take a weak solution of potassium permanganate and rinse with it. oral cavity, throat, brush your teeth. It also wouldn't hurt to take a few tablets of activated charcoal. Over the next couple of days, consume as much as possible. clean water, since all mercury formations are effectively eliminated through the kidneys.
If you are sure that you were able to completely clear the room of mercury on your own, then you can avoid calling the Ministry of Emergency Situations team. Where should the toxic substance be disposed of in this case?
Take a jar of mercury, as well as a thermometer and all the instruments that were used during the cleaning process, the clothes that you were wearing (if there is a suspicion of mercury on them). All this should be handed over to a special enterprise that deals with the disposal of waste containing mercury. And, again, after this, do not forget to take care of your personal health, because it is better to be safe than to suffer later. Be sure to ventilate the room well by opening a window.
Where to take a jar of mercury if you don’t have similar enterprises nearby? You can contact an organization that distributes various medications. As a rule, they should have special containers for disposal of mercury-containing and other life-threatening human chemical waste. To find out if there are such organizations in your community, contact the help desk.
If this point does not suit you, then you can take the thermometer to a state pharmacy or sanitary and epidemiological station. There you will need to fill out a special application. By law, these institutions do not have the right to refuse you and are obliged to accept the things you bring.
If you break a thermometer, be careful not to take rash actions, since, without knowing it, you can significantly aggravate the situation and get serious mercury poisoning.
So, what should not be done in this case?
- There should be no draft in the room where the accident occurred until the mercury has been collected.
- When cleaning the substance, do not use a broom; this will only aggravate the situation and spread mercury balls over the entire surface. It is also not recommended to use a vacuum cleaner, as this helps toxic fumes spread throughout the room.
- It is strictly forbidden to wash or rinse in a sink or washing machine things used for cleaning the substance. They must be handed in along with the collected mercury.
A mercury thermometer should always be handled with care. Store it only in a safe place, using a special capsule, and do not give it to children, since most often it is small, curious children who become the cause of worries that parents have - a broken mercury thermometer. Of course, it is better to avoid such a situation, but even if you have to face a similar problem, you know how to protect your health and where to donate mercury balls.
Many apartments still have mercury thermometers. They are familiar, and their testimony is trusted.
Mercury thermometer
How is mercury dangerous?
Mercury is a class 1 toxic substance. It is extremely volatile and evaporates even when negative temperatures. At room temperature the rate of its evaporation increases many times. When you inhale mercury vapor, it enters the lungs and spreads throughout the body. Its peculiarity is that it is extremely difficult to remove mercury that has entered the human body. And it does a lot of harm.
Mercury primarily affects the lungs, liver and kidneys. With high concentration and prolonged exposure, the human brain may be at risk.
Broken thermometer - how to dispose of it
If the thermometer fails (broken or cracked), you must immediately take measures to dispose of it. You can't just throw it in the trash - the consequences can be dire. But the degree of concern and the course of action depends on how exactly the thermometer is damaged.
The thermometer is damaged, but the mercury has not leaked out
- Prepare a hermetically sealed container in which the thermometer will fit. It is better to find a glass container - for example, a jar with a screw cap.
- First of all, you need to put on rubber gloves and further actions carry out only in them. They will protect you from cuts, and if the mercury does leak out, there will be no contact with it.
- Carefully inspect the entire thermometer to make sure there is no mercury leakage.
- Carefully place the thermometer into the prepared container and close it.
- Take the jar along with the thermometer to the nearest disposal point or container. IN as a last resort- to a clinic or pharmacy.
Recycling container
Mercury leaked from the thermometer
So that all or part of the mercury has leaked out, then first you need emergency measures to reduce exposure to spilled metal fumes.
Broken thermometer
- Remove children and animals from the room where the spill occurred. The liquid metal breaks up into small shiny balls that look beautiful. Children and animals will definitely want to play with them. Not to mention that this is simply dangerous - they can push some of the balls into hard-to-reach places.
Mercury balls
- Close all doors leading into the room. Place a rag soaked in a soda solution under the doors.
- Open the windows to ventilate the room. But avoid drafts. When there is a draft, mercury vapor will penetrate into other rooms, and mercury balls will spread throughout the room.
Important: if the temperature outside is higher than in the room, then it is better not to provide ventilation. With increasing temperature, mercury vapor increases sharply.
Further actions depend on the possibility of calling specialists. IN big cities There are special mercury services that can dispose of broken thermometers. You can contact the Ministry of Emergency Situations.
If calling a specialist is not possible, then you should begin collecting the hazardous metal yourself. The chances of successful cleaning will be higher if the mercury balls did not scatter throughout the room, but flowed onto a table or smooth floor. If mercury gets on the parquet or spreads across large area It will be difficult to collect it all.
- Put on strong rubber gloves on your hands, shoe covers on your shoes and a gauze mask on your face.
Latex gloves
- This will protect you from accidental contact with mercury and reduce the risk of inhaling its fumes. It also doesn’t hurt to change into synthetic clothes so that mercury balls cannot linger on them.
- Prepare a jar with an airtight lid and pour some water into it. The water should be cold to reduce mercury evaporation.
- If the mercury spill is small, you can fence off the area with thick rope or wet rags. In case of awkward actions when collecting metal balls, they will not roll out of the fenced area.
- When collecting mercury balls, do not touch them with your hands, even with gloves. They should be moved with cotton swabs or swabs. You need to collect them on sheets of paper or napkins. It is useful to soak napkins sunflower oil– the balls will stick well to such a surface.
Mercury collection
- The thermometer itself and everything collected mercury Place together with napkins and cotton swabs in a jar of water and close the lid tightly.
Jar with water, mercury and a cracked thermometer
- To collect small balls that have fallen into the cracks of the parquet or rolled under the baseboard, you can use tape or a syringe.
Using a syringe
- Place all items used for collection that do not fit in a container with water - shoe covers, gloves, syringes - in a tight container. plastic bag and tie it tightly
- Hand over the container and bag to a specialized recycling point
No matter how carefully the mercury is collected, there is no guarantee that all of it has been collected. Therefore, even after carrying out all the actions, it is recommended to call the emergency services or paid organizations to check the level of mercury vapor in the apartment. Give them the collected mercury and objects in contact with it. It is advisable to dispose of everything that came into contact with mercury. But if there is something valuable among them, then this item should be put out for airing for several weeks.
Mercury got on difficult surfaces - carpet, upholstered furniture
If fleecy objects are contaminated - carpets, furniture, shoes, then complete elimination dangerous substance impossible. It is recommended not to leave such things in the house. But just throwing them out into the street or in the trash is wrong. They must be immediately taken outside, but carefully so that all the mercury that gets on them does not roll off.
Already on the street, collect as many dangerous balls as possible from them, using all the precautions discussed. If decontamination specialists are expected to arrive, then, of course, you need to trust them to carry out these procedures.
What not to do with a broken thermometer
- Do not simply throw a damaged thermometer down the garbage disposal, sewer, or try to bury it in the ground.
- Create drafts in an infected room
- Collect mercury with a brush or broom. When cleaning this way, some of the balls will probably crumble and roll to the side.
- Do not use a vacuum cleaner under any circumstances! Not only because it will then have to be handed over for recycling. Mercury vapor, and even heated in the vacuum cleaner, will be spread throughout the room.
In general, it is better to rely on help in removing mercury special services. Before their arrival, carry out only the most necessary actions - removal from dangerous place all people and animals, isolate the contaminated premises.
Impact of mercury on the environment and humans
The danger of improper disposal of mercury is its long-term impact on the environment and its inhabitants. Once in the soil, it is absorbed by plants, and with them it can enter the body of animals and humans. After that it is difficult to get her out of there.
This substance can accumulate for years, and when it reacts with acid derivatives, it forms even more toxic compounds. Its extraordinary ability to evaporate causes serious poisoning not only when ingesting contaminated food, but also when inhaling its toxic fumes.
In a person whose body has been exposed to mercury in one form or another, signs of poisoning may appear within a few days. With prolonged exposure to mercury poisons, dysfunction of many organs occurs - liver, kidneys, lungs. Ultimately, this leads to the development of chronic diseases. If a large dose of this toxic substance enters the human body, it can lead to death. There are many similar cases in history.
One should not think that the small amount of mercury contained in a thermometer is incapable of causing dangerous effects. These few grams, if not eliminated promptly and correctly, can seriously poison everyone living in the contaminated room with their fumes.
Where should you take your mercury thermometer for recycling?
There is no complete order with the disposal of mercury thermometers and containers with collected mercury, even in big cities. There are stationary points and terminals for the collection of mercury-containing items, and in Moscow and St. Petersburg there are even vehicles designed for mobile collection of hazardous substances.
Old mercury thermometers should also be taken there, even if they are not damaged. If there are no such points nearby or their addresses are unknown, then you should choose one of the following options:
- Call the Ministry of Emergency Situations. The workers of this service are able to disinfect the apartment themselves. As a last resort, they will advise on how best to cope with the infection and suggest disposal addresses.
- You can hand over the collected remains of the thermometer and mercury to a clinic, sanitary and epidemiological station or the nearest pharmacy
- There are paid services that carry out disinfection, accept hazardous waste and analyzing indoor air after disposal.
In any case, it is worth checking for the presence of mercury vapor in the room where the thermometer was broken. No matter how carefully the metal is removed, there is still a chance that part of it remains undetected. The test will reveal the danger or convince you of its complete absence.
How is final disposal carried out?
After collecting waste containing mercury, it is sent to demercurization enterprises. There, mercury is converted into a state that is not dangerous to the environment.
The thermal method involves intensive evaporation of mercury in a specialized installation. At the end of the process, mercury vapor is captured in cooled traps.
Mercury waste is treated with reagents that convert pure mercury into slightly soluble ones chemical compounds, which are not poisonous.
U mercury thermometers There is no expiration date, but there is a risk of damage to the glass case. They contain mercury, the toxic fumes of which can cause irreparable damage to health.
About 20% medical waste pose a danger to environment. They are divided into 5 classes, mercury thermometers belong to the 1st. This means that they should absolutely not be thrown away with regular trash. Demercurization centers, which have special equipment and qualified personnel, are responsible for the disposal of mercury. Individuals, as well as organizations wishing to get rid of waste containing mercury, can contact such an organization.
What is mercury recycling?
Toxic metal tends to accumulate in living organisms and the environment, causing poisoning and disease even at low concentrations. IN industrial scale mercury is disposed of in a technically complex way, and is also recycled using the metal to make lamps. Mercury disposal in Moscow is carried out by licensed enterprises. If a lamp or thermometer breaks, you need to call the Ministry of Emergency Situations. For the safety of your family, it is better to replace mercury-containing devices with electronic ones. Plus it's on sale now big choice accurate and safe thermometers and lamps.
If the thermometer breaks
The mercury leaked out:
- remove children and animals from the room;
- do not vacuum or sweep, as the molecules will only disperse;
- toxic fumes pose a danger, so you cannot create a draft, otherwise you will have to disinfect the entire apartment;
- if the temperature outside is higher than +18°C, you cannot open the windows, otherwise the mercury molecules will react with oxygen, increasing harmful fumes;
- with bare hands you cannot collect the contents, mercury accumulates in balls, they are collected with an oiled napkin, which is immediately lowered into a jar of water;
- You can use wide tape to collect fragments - the smallest glass and balls will stick to its surface;
- It is very difficult to collect mercury from soft and fleecy surfaces, so these things will have to be thrown away;
- everything collected should be placed in a glass jar with a solution of potassium permanganate and the lid tightly closed;
- Do not pour out or throw away the collected contents under any circumstances;
- wash the floor with disinfectants (potassium permanganate, bleach, soap and soda solution), they envelop the remaining mercury molecules and neutralize them harmful effects;
- carry out work only in gloves.
The mercury did not flow out:
- Do not throw away the device along with household waste or bury in the ground;
- the thermometer is placed in a glass container with a solution of potassium permanganate;
- Disposal of mercury from a thermometer without damage is carried out by specialized enterprises; the device should only be taken there;
- Where to take collected mercury in the capital can be found on the website of the Moscow Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology.
- It is prohibited to dispose of mercury into sewers;
- Items used to collect mercury must be thrown out of the apartment;
- Mercury should not be kept near heating devices or near heat;
- There should be no drafts in the room, as toxic fumes are very volatile;
- Rinse the mucous membranes of the mouth and nose, brush your teeth - during the cleaning process, metal could settle on them.
- Disposal of thermometers must be carried out strictly according to the rules and only by specialists;
- The device contains about 2 g of toxic metal, but even this small amount is enough to cause serious poisoning.
- If possible, it is better to immediately call emergency services specialists.
- The mercury disposal service for demercurization uses products that guarantee complete removal of contaminants. The substance enters into an oxidation reaction and the dangerous metal is neutralized.
How to store a mercury thermometer
At home, thermometers are stored in places inaccessible to children to prevent them from falling or damaging the glass case.
There are separate conditions for broken thermometers:
- According to the rules, all 1st class waste is placed in a cylindrical galvanized container and covered with a cover;
- When the waste is collected, the container is marked with a sticker;
- Waste containing mercury must be stored in a specially designated room with a hard floor, and access to it must be limited.
Mercury disposal procedure
- Substances of the first hazard class are extremely hazardous waste; only licensed enterprises are allowed to process them;
- In a special installation (demercurizer), mercury is recycled from thermometers and mercury lamps;
- The glass is crushed, mercury vapor rises, after which it is deposited followed by condensation (a sorbent is used);
- The thermocryogenic method is also used for disposal - it is installed heat at 170°C, in a vacuum dangerous fumes condense, then freeze out using liquid nitrogen. The defrosted mercury is then collected in a receiver;
- For lamps, a separation method is used - in a countercurrent system with vibration and air pressure, the lamp is divided into components (broken glass, aluminum parts, phosphor), each component is sent to a separate receiver.
Lamps and thermometers containing mercury are dangerous to the environment and human health. Mercury vapor and the substance itself tend to accumulate in living organisms, causing damage to the nervous system and organs, causing poisoning and cancer.
According to current legislation, a special disposal procedure is provided and it is prohibited to store such waste for more than 1 year in basements and warehouses without permission. Proper management of mercury waste involves only demercurization.
Licenses for this type activity issues civil service on nuclear, technological and environmental supervision.
More from school years Each of us knows that mercury is a substance quite dangerous to human life. And if you inhale its vapors for a long time, then the likelihood that the matter will end in death is quite high. Where can you find mercury in Everyday life? For example, in a thermometer.
This primitive device for measuring temperature is found in almost every home, which means you expose yourself potential danger every time you pick it up.
That is why today we will look at how to dispose of a thermometer and what needs to be done to ensure that small particles of mercury do not remain in your apartment.
To begin with, it is worth noting that most likely 90% of our readers have not even thought about the issue of recycling broken thermometers. And from this it follows that you do not even suspect what needs to be done in this case.
But before we begin to describe the procedure for disposing of a mercury thermometer, let's find out why this substance is so dangerous.
What is the danger of mercury for humans?
Mercury is very toxic substance, prolonged inhalation of vapors of which can even lead to fatal outcome. Particular attention to thermometers should be given to those who have small children in the house.
In this case, the problem is that pouring out of a broken thermometer, mercury forms shiny balls that can be different sizes and configurations. And given that young children are attracted to everything shiny, the likelihood that your baby will simply pass by such an interesting and incomprehensible object is quite low.
It is worth knowing that once mercury enters the body, it is quite difficult to remove it. In addition, it gradually begins to spread throughout the body, affecting everything. internal organs. The route of harmful particles is as follows: mercury first enters the lungs, then it seeps into the blood. But there is no need to continue further.
Considering that circulatory system covers our entire body, then sooner or later all organs become poisoned. The kidneys and liver are usually the first to fail. Then the cardiovascular system fails. And the final point of poisoning is the brain.
Doctors classify such poisonings into acute and chronic. Although acute poisoning is rare case, because to do this you need to inhale quite a large number of poisonous fumes in a short period of time. Symptoms of poisoning appear within 6-8 hours after contact with the substance.
These include the appearance of a metallic taste in the mouth, shortness of breath, and general weakness. Over time, the patient's condition worsens, headaches, abdominal pain appear, gums swell and bleed.
Quite often, such patients experience diarrhea, difficulty breathing, elevated temperature bodies. And if no urgent measures are taken, death may occur within a few days.
Chronic poisoning occurs in case of prolonged stay in a room with a source of evaporation. In this case, the central nervous system is mostly damaged. The patient feels general weakness and nausea. Headache not sharp, but rather reminiscent of a migraine.
Another symptom may be distraction and constant trembling of the limbs. Also, a poisoned person gets tired quickly and constantly experiences drowsiness. As for mental disorders, with fairly long-term exposure to poisonous substances on the body, the patient may experience excessive irritability, aggression or, conversely, apathy.
And if you do not pay attention to your health for quite a long time, then in a few weeks you may develop dementia, and then death.
So, you already understand that you cannot joke with such things as a broken thermometer. By not paying due attention to this problem, you are putting not only your health and life, but also the health of your loved ones at great risk.
So if such a problem occurs, then you need to take it seriously. And now we will tell you how to recycle mercury from a broken thermometer.
Mercury thermometer: where to dispose of it
First of all, we inform you of the fact that even if you did not break the thermometer, but just want to buy a new electronic one, you cannot simply throw the old one in the trash. In this case, no one is safe from the fact that you simply place the bag poorly and the thin glass bulb will crack. You are, of course, unlikely to get poisoned under such circumstances.
But think about others! Animals that sometimes like to climb in garbage dumps and workers can also suffer health damage. utilities. And in order not to have sin on our conscience, let's do everything right. The thermometer for disposal must be accepted in state pharmacies. There they are placed in special containers and transferred to enterprises for the production of mercury lamps.
You can try to pass mercury thermometer and to the hospital. Although, judging by reviews on forums on the Internet, our government medical institutions are in no hurry to take responsibility for the disposal of such dangerous substances.
If you still couldn’t get rid of the device, then in order to protect yourself and your family, you can put the thermometer in water mixed with a solution of potassium permanganate, poured into a jar, and take it to a special institution as soon as possible.
So, we have already figured out where to dispose of an unbroken temperature measuring device. But what to do if you manage to break a cone?
Broken mercury thermometer: how to dispose of it
If you accidentally break a mercury thermometer, then do not panic. In this case, you need to remain calm, otherwise you may lose sight of something. And the fate of your family depends on your actions in this situation.
Let's look at a certain algorithm of actions that will help you properly dispose of a broken thermometer:
- Be sure to take the children out of the room. If possible, then the best option will send them outside;
- Open all windows and doors. You should get a draft. This action is due to the fact that mercury molecules are volatile, which means you can simply weather them away. Attention! If the temperature outside exceeds 18 degrees Celsius, then opening windows is strictly prohibited. The fact is that at a given temperature or when it increases, mercury reacts with oxygen molecules and produces those same toxic vapors. And the apartment will be saturated with harmful substances. Therefore, if it is winter outside, then the windows must be opened, but on hot summer days it is better to refrain from this method of getting rid of harmful fumes;
- We collect all the fragments of the cone in a glass jar. Attention! Do not touch the glass with bare hands, as there is a possibility of getting harmful substances no one has canceled it into the body through the skin. We collect mercury balls from the floor using a thick napkin, thoroughly soaked vegetable oil. We also put the napkin into a glass jar. Be sure to tightly seal the jar with a plastic lid.
After all visible consequences have been eliminated, you definitely need to wash the floor with disinfectants. You should not do this with bare hands; be sure to use special gloves.
Despite the fact that modern thermometers have appeared a long time ago different types, ordinary mercury continues to be used. They are found in almost every home or medical institution, because they are easy to use and always accurately show body temperature. However, the mercury content in a thermometer makes such a device hazardous to health if it is damaged. It is better to find out in advance where to take a broken thermometer and how to dispose of mercury.
The dangers of mercury
A mercury thermometer is glass flask, inside of which there is a thin cone located inside on the scale. It contains a reservoir of mercury (2 g). There is no air inside the flask. The scale has a certain range - from 34 to 42 o C. Each degree is divided into 10 divisions so that you can find out a more accurate body temperature. When the thermometer comes into contact with the human body, the mercury begins to heat up and expands. The error of the measured temperature is 0.1 degrees.
In normal condition, the thermometer is not dangerous, but if it breaks, then mercury poses a health threat. Chemical element Mercury is a heavy metal and tends to emit toxic gases. At an air temperature of +18 o C, mercury begins to evaporate in air and water.
When it hits a hard surface, mercury breaks into small round particles. It can fill the smallest cracks and immediately begins to evaporate, poisoning the air. Symptoms of poisoning usually appear within a day and are expressed as:
Such services are mainly located in megacities and, in addition to Moscow, in 10 other cities in Russia. If there is no such service in locality, you can find out the disposal details by calling 064 or going to a state pharmacy. Workers are required to take collected mercury and items after contact with toxic substance or explain where to take the mercury thermometer.
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