How and with what can you remove mercury from the floor, carpet, sofa or toilet at home if the thermometer breaks? What to do if a mercury thermometer in an apartment breaks.

You will need

• - latex gloves;
• - jar;
• - syringe;
• - copper plate or wire;
• - solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate);
• - iodine;
• - water;
• - rags.

Instructions

If it happens that the thermometer breaks on the carpet, then the carpet should be taken out and knocked out in a place where there are no people. The concentration of a dangerous substance from one broken thermometer is not very high; within three days it will evaporate without harming people or the environment.

After the contents of the broken thermometer are safely collected and ready for disposal, you should treat the “accident” site with a solution of potassium permanganate (2 g per liter of water). But since this product cannot be used in all cases due to the stains it leaves, you can cover the entire area where mercury could get from a broken thermometer with bleach or any disinfectant containing it. For example, a glass of “whiteness” is taken onto a ten-liter bucket of water and the surface is treated with this solution to convert mercury into a non-evaporating compound. Then we wipe it with a soap solution again, finally removing the mercury from the outskirts to the center (100 g of soap powder and 100 g of soda per bucket of water).

Under no circumstances should collected mercury be thrown into a garbage chute or sewer system. Balloons collected mercury, the broken thermometer, as well as all its contents, must be placed in a glass container filled with water, then tightly sealed with a lid and transferred to the Ministry of Emergency Situations. It should be remembered that a few grams of mercury contained in can poison up to 6000 m3 of air!

Video on the topic

If your home accidentally crashes mercury thermometer, then there is no need to panic. But you can’t leave it on the floor, since mercury evaporates and its vapors are very poisonous. You can avoid dangerous consequences if you collect and dispose of mercury promptly and correctly.

You will need

• - latex gloves
• - syringe or pipette
• - paper napkins
• - sunflower oil
• - glass jar
• - scotch
• - detergent with chlorine

Instructions

First you need to remove all people from the premises, especially children. It is necessary to close windows and vents while you collect mercury. Never handle mercury or allow it to come into contact with your skin. You should get rid of clothing if a drop of mercury gets on it.

It is necessary to cover drops of mercury with wet rags so that it does not spread in the room, but do not wipe it off. Do not use a vacuum cleaner for cleaning, as it will only worsen the situation by heating the mercury to the evaporation temperature.

Now you can safely begin demercurization. Demercurization is a measure of prevention. There are several methods you can use: Nowadays, more and more kits are appearing that neutralize household mercury contamination. The attached one will help you do everything correctly, step by step. This kit should be kept in your home medicine cabinet.

If you do not have a demercurization kit, then collect large balls in a paper envelope. Use rubber to collect smaller balls, and use adhesive tape or a damp swab to collect the smallest droplets. Close the collected mercury tightly in the jar. Then wash the floor thoroughly and treat it with a solution of potassium permanganate.

If mercury gets into places where it is difficult to remove, then use the old method - fill them with sulfur. If you don't have sulfur, then use a thin metal plate and push it into the cracks. Balloons mercury"will be attracted."

If mercury gets on soft things, shake them out and then ventilate them in the air for 4 months.

After extraction mercury, the floor needs to be washed. The most affordable and effective way- a solution of soap and soda (500 g of soap, 600 g of soda per 8 liters of water). Effectively treat the floor and walls with a 1% iodine solution, which can be obtained by purchasing a 10% iodine solution at a pharmacy and dilute it in a proportion of 100 ml per 1 liter of water. It would also be good to rinse the surface with any chlorine-containing product.

note

Important! Do not collect mercury balls into one big ball.

Don't vacuum! The vacuum cleaner, heating up, increases the area of ​​mercury evaporation, and the droplets that fall into it will then spread in the form of vapor.

Helpful advice

And remember! Never throw mercury into garbage bins and a toilet.

In a well-closed glass jar, take the mercury to the SES.

If you accidentally break a thermometer in the house, it is very important to properly remove the mercury. Everyone knows that two grams of this liquid metal is enough to poison the air in an apartment. Therefore, to avoid trouble, it is worth taking a number of measures to clean up mercury.

You will need

• - gauze bandage
• -latex gloves
• -glass jar
• -plastic bottle
• -paper
• - potassium permanganate
• -bleach
• -patch
• -scotch

Instructions

In the room where all this happened, immediately open the windows, and it is better to close the doors to other rooms. If there are children and animals in the house, take them away from the scene of the “accident”.

To protect your respiratory system, wear a gauze bandage soaked in clean water, and wear rubber gloves on your hands.

A glass jar with a lid or a plastic bottle half filled with water is suitable for isolating mercury.

Remove mercury from the floor and carpet with two sheets of paper, carefully pushing it into a pile and ensuring that the small balls merge into one large one.

Also, tiny mercury balls can be collected on a patch or tape to which they are glued. Then throw the tape or patch along with the mercury into a jar of water.
Remove mercury from crevices using a syringe or rubber bulb and also throw it into a jar.

When all the mercury is in a container of water, be sure to treat the floor surface with a solution of potassium permanganate or bleach. Place the rag, bandage and gloves immediately in a disposal bag.

The container with mercury must be tightly closed and handed over for disposal to one of the local specialized organizations. You can find out her address at the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

note

Under no circumstances should you use a regular broom to clean mercury. It will be impossible to remove balls broken by rough rods.
You should also not use a vacuum cleaner, this will lead to actual spraying of mercury throughout the room, and you will have to say goodbye to the vacuum cleaner, because it will be impossible to disinfect it.

Mercury is a dangerous substance. If a mercury thermometer breaks, you must immediately take action and remove everything that is possible before the bodies of people nearby have time to become poisoned. Mercury can enter the human body through the respiratory tract or digestive tract - this must be kept in mind when eliminating the consequences.

Mercury should not come into contact with open areas leather - be sure to wear rubber gloves before collecting it. Try to ensure that no one enters the room where

Did you break your thermometer and spill mercury?

The main thing now is to collect the mercury correctly so as not to harm yourself and your loved ones even more.

We need to pull ourselves together and act as quickly, collectedly and competently as possible.

Consider 5 rules:

1. DO NOT throw mercury or thermometer residues into the garbage disposal, toilet, sink, or bathtub. Just 2 grams of mercury, when evaporated, will poison entire 6000 cubic meters of air in your house!
2. DO NOT collect mercury with a vacuum cleaner, broom, or rag!

NEED TO:
3. Open the window (but without a draft!) and close the door.
4. Prevent others from accessing the contaminated area to avoid spreading mercury throughout the room.
5. Next, act STRICTLY according to the instructions approved by specialists (perhaps best guide on the prevention of poisoning and proper collection of mercury).

Chronic mercury vapor poisoning is dangerous!!!

Indicative cases from the archive of public consultations on the removal of mercury contamination:

Question: Hello. We have a serious problem. Yesterday, a thermometer was carelessly broken, and mercury spilled not only on the floor, but also on the rug. What can you do to properly clean your rug? Will cleaning with a vacuum cleaner or tape and airing the rug in the cold help? Ira, Moscow.

Expert's answer: Good afternoon! I would not advise you to clean your rug this way. You can't vacuum it. Needs to be put off until summer. And in the summer, beat it thoroughly in the sun, protecting your respiratory organs before doing this. Now remove the mercury-contaminated rug away from your home - in a barn at the dacha, for example. Important: roll up, line with newspapers, pack in plastic.

Question: The children were playing around - they put a thermometer in a hot kettle. The thermometer, naturally, burst. Is it possible to drink tea if there is no mercury in the teapot? Olesya. Zelenograd.

Answer: Hello! In principle, you can drink tea, but first rinse the kettle (preferably more than once) with a descaling agent. Although the risk of poisoning from mercury and its vapor will still remain, it is better for you to buy a new kettle.

Question: We dropped a thermometer on the floor in the nursery. Tell me, can drops of mercury be absorbed? For example, in children's things? Or sneak into a bag of toys? Kira.

Answer: Good afternoon, Kira! I hasten to reassure you. Mercury does not absorb, “bounce” or penetrate closed containers. Nevertheless, it is worth calling our specialist for demercurization. If you are not from Moscow and there are no such specialists in your city, then children's things should be ventilated and shaken out properly on the street if there is a concern that mercury has come into contact with them. You can't vacuum it.

Question: It seems like all the mercury was collected with a wet rag. We treated the apartment with bleach. They ventilated for a long time. What else can you do? Yes, there is a mat next to the spill. Maybe chlorinate it too? We are worried - we have children. Inga. Mytishchi.

Answer: It is better to wash the floor thoroughly with chlorine-containing products ( see instructions at the beginning of the article), after removing the carpet. Treat it separately - expose it to the sun in summer. You can't vacuum it. If there are cracks in the floor, also fill it with bleach (again, taking into account the instructions). If you have any doubts, call services to measure the content of mercury vapor in the air.

Question: Help! The child bit off the thermometer. Everything seemed to be spat out onto a napkin. There are no wounds in the mouth. I induced vomiting. There was no mercury in the vomit. It's been two hours, but so far so good. Could a child still ingest mercury? And now what i can do? Alexandra, Moscow.

Answer: Good afternoon! Anything swallowed most likely came out in vomit. If there was anything left in the stomach, the symptoms of mercury poisoning would occur very quickly, within an hour or two. The body itself will eliminate the minimum and relatively safe amount without consequences. Now it will be enough to rinse with soda, and check again for any cuts.

Question: It is suspected that a two-year-old child has ingested mercury. The thing is that I just discovered today: the tip of the thermometer is broken. The son became depressed, it was necessary to take the temperature and so... When this happened is unclear, last time I've been using it for over a week. Neither the tip nor the mercury is visible. What to do? Where to run? What to take? Natalia. Lyubertsy.

Answer: Hello, Natalya! The likelihood that your child swallowed it all is very low. In this case, there would be serious symptoms of mercury poisoning ( heat, asphyxia, vomiting), which occur immediately in children - in the first hours after poisoning. If you don’t find liquid metal spilling from the thermometer right now, it means it has spread throughout the apartment. Call specialists as quickly as possible.

Question: A child was measuring the temperature in bed and broke the thermometer. The tip itself was knocked off, and it was never found. But, in my opinion, all the mercury remained in the thermometer itself. Or could it be in the tip? Elya.

Answer: Dear Elya! Be sure to find and collect all the mercury - there is always more of it in the tip. This is very important and serious, after all, dangerous! Apparently something got into the bed. Inspect everything carefully. First, the most depressed places, recesses, then - under the mattress. Look around the room. If you don’t find it yourself, call specialists. This is, in any case, more correct.

Question: The thermometer fell and broke while it was in a closed plastic case. The case was not damaged or opened. What is the probability that the mercury leaked? Michael.

Answer: Good afternoon! Most likely it didn't leak. Just look at everything very carefully.

Question: Greetings! I spent money on a supposedly safe thermometer covered protective film, which should prevent splashing of mercury. It turned out to be defective. It looks intact, but upon first use - shaking - mercury ended up on my hands, table and other surfaces. I immediately washed my hands and face with soap, and treated the rest with potassium permanganate. I cleaned without a mask. Could I have been poisoned? Zhanna.

Answer: Good afternoon! If you do not feel any obvious worsening of your condition, you are unlikely to be harmed. It is best to measure the mercury vapor in your home to make sure there is no danger.

Question: I always thought that in order to protect yourself and your children from mercury from a broken thermometer, you just need to carefully collect everything with a wet rag, flush the mercury down the toilet, wash the floor with bleach, some kind of Domestic Cleaner, and ventilate it. Is not it? Evgenia.

Answer: Good afternoon. No, that’s not true, these measures are not enough to completely disinfect the premises from the effects of mercury contamination. Moreover, it was impossible to collect mercury with a rag and flush it down the toilet.

Question: Is mercury - about one gram - in a garbage pit next to my garden very bad? Yulia Semenovna.

Answer: Hello! Nothing good for sure. In any case, waste from this pit cannot be taken for composting.

Question: What if balls of mercury from a broken thermometer rolled into the cracks of the parquet? We tried bleach and potassium permanganate - the mercury did not dissolve. Zoya.

Answer: Good afternoon! To prevent fumes from rolling balls, you can, of course, cover the cracks using parquet putty. But it is better to call demercurization specialists, because it would be better to completely get rid of mercury in the room and possible chronic poisoning with its vapors.

Question: How to remove mercury from metal surface? From the car wash, for example? I heard that it is very difficult...
Alexey, Lyubertsy.

Answer: It is indeed not easy to remove mercury from metal, but it is not impossible. Use bleach - see instructions above.

Question: Will the background from mercury vapor from a broken medical thermometer remain and for how long if the cleaning was carried out according to all the rules? Is it possible to walk on the floor barefoot? Gregory, Zelenograd.

Answer: The “background” from mercury vapor decreases to normal very quickly, but only if it was really removed “properly.” It's better to call specialists. But you shouldn’t walk barefoot at all - flat feet develop.

Question: My wife washed mercury with bleach for two days. The apartment stank beyond belief. What to do now? Igor.

Answer: Wash the floor with detergent or soap solution, ventilate the apartment thoroughly and continue to live in peace. For complete peace of mind, you can call our specialist to check the premises for the presence of harmful fumes.

Question: A month after contamination with mercury in the children's room, the vapor value in the air is 240. Is this dangerous? Albina.

Answer: Indicators above 300 ng/cubic meter are considered dangerous. In your case there should be no poisoning.

Question: What to do if mercury gets into the kettle? Hermann. Balashikha.

Answer: If you are not ready to just throw away this kettle, remove the mercury from it, rinse it, use an oxidizing agent and rinse it again with potassium permanganate. Only after this can the kettle be used for its intended purpose again. And it’s better not to take risks.

Question: What consequences can happen if you drink tea twice from a teapot in which a broken teapot was discovered? mercury thermometer? Vyacheslav.

Answer: It’s good that only twice. Mercury does not dissolve in water. But there may be salts in the water. Theoretically, the dose received should not be dangerous, but we advise you to drink more milk and take enterosgel. At the first symptoms of poisoning, consult a doctor.

Question: I discovered a tiny crack on the thermometer. Could mercury have leaked out even if it wasn't visible?
Tatiana.

Answer: No, this is hardly possible. But it is better to immediately hand over such a thermometer to a recycling facility.

Question: Good evening! How dangerous is a broken thermometer for people and pets? What if you collected everything, threw it away, washed the floor and ventilated the apartment? Ella.

Answer: It is not a broken thermometer that is dangerous, but mercury vapor. Without monitoring their concentration and identifying all outbreaks in the apartment, I can’t say anything accurate.

Question: Hello! I have been having health problems for several months now, recently my hair started falling out a lot. I read that similar symptoms can occur with mercury vapor poisoning and remembered: about a year ago in the office, right next to my workplace, an ordinary medical thermometer was broken. Special cleaning, of course, no one did, but it seems like everything was collected with a vacuum cleaner and with tape. What should I do? Aglaya. Mytishchi.

Ecologist's answer: See a doctor as soon as possible. If the majority of the mercury has actually been removed from the office, poisoning is unlikely, but still possible, unfortunately. You need to have your blood tested for mercury. In addition, it could be another disease; it is better to start treating it earlier.

Question: How and with what devices do they monitor mercury vapor in a residential area? Galina. Moscow.

Answer: The procedure begins with measuring the concentration of mercury in the air. For this purpose, a gas analyzer is used, also known as a universal mercury meter complex. This device measures the air in different areas of the room. And then, using the attachments of the same complex, they find the source of infection, i.e. mercury spill sites. You can call our employee, see instructions.

Comments (27)

My daughter decided to heat a thermometer in a glass of tea, it burst. The mercury immediately appeared at the bottom. Frightened, she poured everything into the sink, but it wasn’t my fault that she poured a new one and drank 1-2 sips... Will there be evaporation and will her daughter be poisoned?

My sister broke the thermometer in the thermal kettle, what should I do? I pulled the mercury out of there, but it’s possible that small balls got into some crevice!!! How to disinfect it 100%? Is it possible to drink tea from this teapot??

Hello! My thermometer fell into a glass of water (boiling water), and when I pulled it out, the tip was missing. put it in a bag and tied it. The problem is that I didn’t see the mercury, maybe it didn’t leak out?! please tell me, I washed the glass with detergent, is it possible to drink from it later?

Broke the thermometer coffee table and I collected part, about a drop of mercury in 1 cm2, part fell between the armrest of the sofa and the table, then while I was collecting drops fell on the carpet, from there I collected three more small drops, then I poured a steep solution of potassium permanganate onto this area and cut out a strip of carpet, after which he left the house, leaving it to ventilate, the next day he collected 3 more tiny drops with copper wiring, treated the table and armrest with a solution of soda and soapy water, couldn’t stand it and vacuumed, I buried the vacuum cleaner, I also took out the bedspreads and children’s toys, they were lying nearby. How much do you need to ventilate and not live in an apartment? Children are small, it’s scary, maybe throw out the whole sofa and carpet, not an oligarch, but health is more important, and how much mercury is in a thermometer in cm square? to know approximately whether you collected everything?? And how much is left?

People, why do you feel sorry for the teapot and mug? and health? We don’t have any disinformation in our city. services, I’m thinking about throwing out the furniture and the 20 sq. m. carpet. and invite measurers, where can you find them? how to measure the background, experts?

Tell me, please, how many days later does the victim die?

I washed everything with a rag and threw it into the garbage chute. I filled it with a special solution consisting of soap and soda, but after reading the article about what to do and what not to do, I was very scared. Tell me what to do???

The victim does not die

The outdoor thermometer was most likely alcohol rather than mercury.

Hello, I broke a thermometer while sitting on the sofa, mercury balls got on the surface of the sofa, the TV remote control and the computer mouse, and possibly on the floor on the carpet, in a state of shock I grabbed a vacuum cleaner and vacuumed everything. And later I read that this was impossible to do. I treated everything, including the vacuum cleaner, with a solution of potassium permanganate and threw the bag out of the vacuum cleaner. and washed the linen from the sofa. The question is whether it is possible to use a vacuum cleaner, bed linen where mercury spilled and whether it is now dangerous to be in this room.

Hello! I am an 11-year-old child. I broke a thermometer when I was alone at home. Stupid me, I vacuumed it later. In the evening, my mother asked me: I admitted that I had broken the box in the bathroom and said that I had vacuumed everything. Mom yelled at me and called a technician now to clean the vacuum cleaner. Is it dangerous? Even after cleaning, should you throw away the vacuum cleaner?

Good afternoon. I collected everything I could with a piece of paper, but also vacuumed it just in case. I threw away the filter from the vacuum cleaner. The floor was washed with bleach. There are no gaps in the floor. I'm interested in this question: what to do with the vacuum cleaner? Is it possible to continue using it? Thanks in advance for your answer.

When I was shaking the thermometer, I hit my nail and it broke. The mercury was collected with paper, wrapped in a bag and thrown into the garbage chute, you are not sure that you threw out all of it, what should you do? The room was locked, the windows were opened and the gap under the door was covered with rags. I touched the mercury with my finger but soon washed it off. walked barefoot on the floor. It seems like he didn’t step on the balls, but stepped on the fragments. what to do next if suddenly you haven’t collected everything, can toxic fumes be absorbed into the clothes that are lying there???

It is advisable to process everything as written in the link above. If not everything has been collected, couples can influence.

They broke the thermometer. Vacuumed, not sure if they collected everything, stayed to sleep in this apartment, didn’t wash the floors. What to do??? There is a cat, but we can’t close the room because it happened in the living room.

good afternoon, please tell me what to do? we smashed it right onto the blanket, and I started collecting the mercury with my hands, I couldn’t collect everything, but a small ball fell on my palm, even the gold ring that was on my finger turned a little white, then I shook out the whole blanket through the window, tell me what danger can be expected when the poison comes into contact with your hand? thanks in advance.

Wash your hand and forget. Nothing will happen.

I broke the thermometer in the kitchen. She quickly opened the window. I removed the mercury with cotton wool. I put everything in a jar.
I walked around with wet gauze and bags (there were no shoe covers or gloves at home). I washed everything with soap and soda, and then potassium permanganate and poured salt into the cracks. Can mercury be absorbed into food on the table? Could I have been poisoned?
(I am 12 years old)

It could not be absorbed into the food. You did everything right. Now we need to ventilate the kitchen every day.

Please help, particles of mercury ended up in the toy basket. I ventilate as best I can, since the window in this room does not open. I washed the toys, now the floor is with bleach. Tell me, is this enough?

Check again to see if there is any mercury left in the crevices of the basket, toys, or floor. And follow the instructions, everything is written there.

Hello, today the thermometer in the toilet was broken. But they immediately collected it with a vacuum cleaner. Tell me, is it possible to get poisoned by mercury? And what should we do anyway?

Help, I was shaking the thermometer and broke it, they collected the mercury, my mother collected it, we threw it in a trash can. I then took out the bucket and what could happen. Christina

fell, the street thermometer broke on the street. Frost: 13 degrees. What needs to be done, please tell me? Tatyana

Good afternoon 2 weeks ago I accidentally broke a thermometer on the bed (I sat on it). I immediately collected the balls with a wet rag, threw the sheet into the wash, but it turned out that I didn’t collect everything! I noticed balls on the mattress. IN urgently Vacuumed them all. I read that you should never vacuum vacuum. What to do? Could the balls have leaked into the mattress? And what to do with the vacuum cleaner? I've already washed it. Maybe it's stuck somewhere in the filter? Help! I'm worried there's a baby in the room!

If possible, call specialists to check the concentration of mercury vapor in the room, incl. while the vacuum cleaner is running. You can also check washing machine. If you do not have such specialists, then simply ventilate the room sufficiently, especially after collecting dust with a vacuum cleaner.
Or throw away the vacuum cleaner.

Today, there is probably no such person whose body temperature does not rise. In order to accurately determine how much it has increased or decreased, there are special devices. Despite the fact that today electronic thermometers are sold literally at every step, many people nevertheless continue to use thermometers containing mercury. This is due to the fact that the latter are more reliable and make mistakes much less often. But such thermometers have one big drawback— they contain mercury inside, which can cause severe intoxication. Therefore, everyone should have an idea of ​​what to do if a mercury thermometer in an apartment breaks.

First actions

Breaking a thermometer containing mercury in a residential area is not a pleasant situation, but if this happens, you should remain calm. The toxic substance can be collected without causing any harm to your health. The thing is that poisoning does not happen instantly. Typically, mercury vapor can cause harm to the body after a few hours. The first signs of poisoning with a dangerous substance are severe weakness, headache, and heavy breathing. In addition, an unpleasant metallic taste may appear in the mouth.

Therefore, if a thermometer breaks at home, you should not be careless, as this can end very badly. Some people simply scoop up the mercury balls and throw them into a bucket, after which they breathe in the toxic fumes. Additionally, there is no guarantee that you will be able to collect all the mercury.

So what should you do if a mercury thermometer in your apartment breaks? What to do and how to properly collect a dangerous substance? The most important thing is to calm down. This will allow you to properly coordinate and take the necessary measures.

Ask strangers to leave the premises

Has a mercury thermometer broken in your apartment? What to do? The first action is to ask all people to vacate the premises. This is especially true for children, pregnant women and the elderly. If you have a dog or cat at home, it is better to take them to another room so that they do not inhale toxic fumes and carry mercury into neighboring rooms.

It is not mercury itself that is harmful to health, but its vapor. This substance begins to melt at a temperature of about 40 degrees, so if the room is cooler, then there should not be any evaporation. Nevertheless, it’s better not to take another risk and open all the windows. This will cool the room at least a little and prevent the release of toxic fumes. It is important not to overdo it here, since the mercury balls can freeze and break.

Preparatory work

The mercury thermometer in the apartment broke, what should I do?

The steps are as follows:

• put on shoe covers (if you don’t have them at hand, you can use plastic bags);
• wear clothes made from synthetics ( artificial materials absorb toxic fumes much less);
• put on a protective mask with wet gauze under it. Alternatively, you can use a wet towel;
• Wear rubber gloves.

It is worth noting that all clothing and protective equipment will have to be thrown away after cleaning the room, so use only old things that you won’t mind throwing away.

In addition to uniforms, you will need the following equipment:

• several album sheets;
• soft brush;
• a glass container that can be hermetically sealed - it should be filled with manganese solution;
• syringe;
• wet newspaper;
• scotch;
• rag.

So, what to do if a mercury thermometer in an apartment breaks? If everything you need is at hand, then you can begin to eliminate the threat. To contain the spread of toxic fumes, close all doors and place a wet cloth under them. You can also call the Ministry of Emergency Situations and ask for advice on what measures should be taken in the current situation.

A mercury thermometer broke in an apartment - what to do and how to clean it? Everything is very easy and simple if you follow certain tips and recommendations. Take a landscape sheet and a soft brush, moisten it in a manganese solution and carefully roll the mercury ball onto the paper. Very small balls are removed with tape.

Take a good look at every nook and cranny. If mercury is found in them, you can collect it with a syringe. If a toxic substance comes into contact with flooring or baseboard, then they need to be removed and the mercury collected, because if it remains there, the dangerous fumes will poison everyone in the room.

What to do if a mercury thermometer in an apartment breaks and mercury gets on the carpet or upholstered furniture? In this case, it will be quite difficult to collect the substance on your own. The best option- take things out of town and burn them. In addition, you can take the furniture to the dacha and leave it outside for several months. During this time, mercury under the influence sun rays should evaporate completely.

When collecting mercury, do not use a vacuum cleaner or broom. The thing is that a vacuum cleaner can spread toxic fumes throughout the apartment, and if you use a broom, the rods will break the balls into small particles, which will be impossible to collect.

When clearing a room of mercury, you must periodically go out to Fresh air to breathe. It is not recommended to breathe toxic fumes for more than 15 minutes. This is especially true if the room is hot and it is not possible to cool it down at least a little. When leaving the room, be sure to remove shoe covers so as not to spread mercury throughout the apartment.

Final stage

The mercury thermometer in the apartment broke, what should I do? We have already looked at how to collect mercury balls, but how to finally clear the room of this substance? To completely eliminate the threat, it is necessary to treat all surfaces in the room. To do this, use a special solution, for the preparation of which you will need to dilute 20 grams of potassium permaganate per 10 liters warm water. If suddenly you don’t have any of this, then use regular “Whiteness”.

Take a dishwashing sponge, soak it in the solution and thoroughly scrub all surfaces. Don't leave any gap unattended. Hard-to-reach places should be treated with a spray bottle.

When the treatment is complete, open all windows for a while to ventilate the room. Wherein interior doors must be closed so that the draft does not carry toxic fumes throughout the apartment.

Mercury disposal

So, the mercury thermometer in the apartment has broken, what should you do? We have already talked about what is needed to clean mercury, as well as how the actual process of cleaning the room occurs. But what to do with the collected mercury? All the clothes protective equipment and inventory should be placed in plastic bag and dispose of correctly. Never throw things into a landfill.

If a mercury thermometer in an apartment breaks, what should you do? Reviews from people who have encountered a similar situation say that it is best to hand over the thermometer and collected mercury for disposal to a special service. It is worth noting that employees of this service do not always agree to take mercury, but you should insist on your decision. If all else fails, you can contact private companies that dispose of mercury for a fee.

Has a mercury thermometer broken in your apartment? We already know what to do. But what is not recommended to do in this case?

It is better not to take the following actions:

1. Ventilate the room with open doors to the next room. A draft can carry small droplets of mercury throughout your home, making it very difficult to find and collect them.
2. Never collect mercury with a broom. The rods will only break the balls into smaller ones, which will only make the situation worse.
3. Do not use a vacuum cleaner to collect mercury. Air currents will spread mercury throughout the room, which can lead to catastrophic consequences.
4. Items that have absorbed mercury should not be used or stored in the apartment. They should be burned.
5. Disposing of mercury in a landfill or sewer is prohibited. It is necessary in mandatory recycle.

Preventive actions

If a mercury thermometer breaks in an apartment, what should you do to protect yourself and others from poisoning? negative consequences? After the room has been completely cleared of mercury and treated with disinfecting solutions, you must take off all the clothes you were wearing, take a shower, put on clean clothes, and rinse your mouth with a weak soda solution. In addition, try to drink as much as possible, especially herbal teas and milk. This will help the kidneys remove toxins from the body.

In what cases can you not do without the help of specialists?

A mercury thermometer broke in an apartment - what to do if you can’t find the tip? The best way out is to call qualified specialists. This also applies to cases where the thermometer was broken in small, unventilated rooms. If you try to collect mercury yourself, you may inhale toxic fumes and get very severe poisoning.

Mercury begins to boil and release fumes at a temperature slightly above 38 degrees, so if it gets on a hot surface, the room will almost instantly be filled with toxic fumes.

Also, if you suspect that there may be mercury balls left somewhere, then you should not take the risk. Immediately call the sanitary and epidemiological station and call professionals to carry out necessary measures for disinfection of residential premises. The mercury thermometer in the apartment broke, what should I do? In St. Petersburg, Moscow and others major cities there is also Alternative option actions, namely environmental assessment. Specialists will check the level of mercury vapor in the room, and also dispose of broken thermometers and mercury balls.

Self-cleaning of mercury from a room is not recommended for people at high risk.

These include:

• women carrying a fetus;
• children and elderly people;
• people who have any chronic diseases of the genitourinary system and central nervous system.

All other people can collect mercury balls on their own, provided they follow all the rules and recommendations listed earlier in this article.

What to do in case of poisoning?

Has a mercury thermometer broken in your apartment? What to do in this case has already been discussed earlier, but what to do if poisoning with toxic fumes does occur?

The main signs of poisoning are:

• severe migraines;
• weakness of the body;
• increased irritability;
• trembling in the limbs;
• nausea;
• sudden loss of body weight;
• metallic taste in the mouth.

Signs of poisoning in most cases appear approximately 5-6 hours after a person has inhaled toxic fumes. If this does happen, you should go to the hospital as soon as possible for examination.

Mercury thermometers contain a very dangerous substance inside that can lead to very severe poisoning. Therefore, in order to eliminate the possibility of intoxication, from 2020 in Russia mercury thermometers will be completely withdrawn from sale, and their use in medical institutions will be prohibited. These measures are completely justified, since cases of people going to the hospital with mercury vapor poisoning are quite frequent.

If you use a mercury thermometer, it is very important to observe certain rules for their storage and operation. The thermometer should be stored exclusively in a protective case out of the reach of children. It is necessary to lower the temperature away from furniture and walls, so as not to accidentally hit the thermometer on them and break it. If your child is sick and you want to measure his temperature, then do not leave your baby a single step so that he does not accidentally drop the thermometer.

Electronic thermometers, although not always, still allow you to measure accurate body temperature. Therefore, to completely eliminate the possibility of mercury contamination, stop using mercury thermometers. Use electronic measuring instruments, and your family will be completely safe.

Conclusion

It is quite easy to break a glass thermometer containing mercury, so try to be extremely careful when using them. If suddenly you break it, then try not to panic. To completely clear a room of mercury, it is better to leave your home for a while and leave everything to professionals who have the necessary experience and skills in disinfecting rooms from mercury and its fumes.

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

In this article:

Why are mercury balls dangerous?

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

What to do if the thermometer breaks

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

The right equipment

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

Tools and methods for neutralizing the mercury “catastrophe”

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

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

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

Available demercurization methods

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

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

If mercury gets on the carpet

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

It is better if the product is thrown away.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We specialize in carrying out a full range of work on recycling waste of I-IV hazard classes.

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

Disposal and destruction of contaminated items

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

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

Do not under any circumstances pour out liquid from silver balls into the sewer, toilet and do not throw the thermometer and contaminated things into the garbage chute: do not pollute the environment.

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

Mercury is a silvery-white liquid metal whose vapors are extremely poisonous. Until the 70s, its compounds were actively used in medicine. Due to its high toxicity, it has practically ceased to be used in the production of medicines.

Mercury is still used to make medical thermometers. The reservoir with mercury is placed in a hermetically sealed tube narrowed on one side. Upon contact with the skin, it begins to heat up, and the mercury expands and rises. When the temperature reaches its maximum, the substance freezes at a certain point.

A thermometer is a fairly fragile device, so it can easily break if handled incorrectly. In this case, it is necessary to carry out demercurization - to collect mercury with its further neutralization and elimination of contamination.

You can collect mercury using different items:

1. Paper, cotton wool or brush. Using a sheet, mercury is driven into one ball (they merge). Then large balls are pushed onto a sheet of paper with a brush or cotton wool and placed in a jar with a specially prepared solution.
2. Syringe or syringe. To collect mercury from a broken thermometer, a syringe held in the hand is brought to the substance and the grip is slightly loosened, sucking it inside. Then the mercury along with the pear is dipped into a disinfecting solution.
3. Scotch tape or adhesive tape. They help collect even small balls of mercury and glass fragments. To do this, tape or adhesive tape is glued to the surface where the thermometer broke, then removed and placed in a jar with a solution.
4. Thin knitting needle. It is used if mercury gets into hard to reach places, and it needs to be removed from there.
5. Flashlight. It is used to inspect the surface where the mercury was located, as well as hard-to-reach places in the reach zone.

Mercury evaporates quickly, so its collection cannot be delayed. Before you start cleaning, you need to change into old clothes, put on rubber slippers or protect your shoes with shoe covers (plastic bags). Rubber gloves are put on your hands (it is better to use medical ones, since delicate manipulations in household gloves are inconvenient).

The face must be protected with a mask or respirator. You can make your own mask from several layers of gauze or cotton fabric. Before applying it to your face, you can moisten it in a soda solution.

If a mercury thermometer breaks in a living room, it is necessary to remove children, elderly people and animals from the room, close the door tightly and open the window, collect the fragments of the thermometer and place them in a container with a specially prepared solution.

All items that may have been exposed to mercury must be collected. You can use a flashlight, the beam of which is directed along the surface, inspecting cracks and irregularities. In this case, the metallic shine of the balls becomes noticeable.

If the thermometer breaks on the bed, first of all, you need to collect the mercury and place it in a container with a disinfecting solution. Bed sheets collected and disposed of.

You should collect mercury from the floor, place it in a container with a solution and close the lid tightly. Mechanical collection should begin from the periphery to the center, this will avoid increasing the contaminated area.

Places where mercury is found should be noted. This will help prevent it from getting on your shoes. If there is a suspicion that mercury has got under the linoleum, laminate or baseboard, it is recommended to remove them and carefully inspect the areas.

After the mercury has been collected, you need to wash the floor with special solutions. Near the threshold you should lay a rag soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate or bleach. This will prevent the spread of mercury throughout the apartment.

After finishing cleaning, you need to take off your clothes, mask, gloves, bags, shoe covers, place them in a plastic bag and tie them tightly, and take a shower. You can find out where to hand over the jar with its contents, as well as things that have been in contact with mercury, to the Ministry of Emergency Situations by calling 101 or +7 (495) 983–79–01.

Clothing that was demercurized can be saved. But it needs to be washed several times in a soap-soda solution and left outside or in a non-residential building for 2-3 months. Under no circumstances should you wash items suspected of being contaminated with mercury in a washing machine.

How to collect mercury from a carpet or bed

If the thermometer breaks on the carpet, you need to collect the mercury using one of the above methods. Then the affected surface is treated with soda or soap solution.

You should stop using these things for a while. The carpet is taken out to non-residential premises or outside and left for a period of 1 to 3 months. You should not place it on the balcony where one of the family members often goes out. Then the carpet must be dry cleaned.

If the thermometer breaks on the bed, first of all, you need to collect the mercury and place it in a container with a disinfecting solution. Bed linen is collected and disposed of.

Solutions for demercurization

To avoid evaporation of the collected mercury, it must be placed in a special solution. Solutions are also used to clean contaminated surfaces. They are applied using a rag, brush or spray.

At home, you can prepare several solutions for demercurization.

Potassium permanganate solution (potassium permanganate)

When preparing the product from powder, you need to focus on the color of the solution - it should be very rich, dark purple. Potassium permanganate for demercurization can be diluted both cold and hot water. For two liters ready solution add a tablespoon of salt and the same amount of acetic acid or rust remover.

For temporary storage of mercury, the solution is poured into three liter jar, filling 2/3 of the volume with it, and tightly close the lid.

The product is also applied to the contaminated area and left for 1-2 hours, periodically moistening with water. It must be remembered that the solution can leave permanent stains on the floor, clothing and furniture, so it must be used with caution.

Bleach solution

To prepare the solution, you can use either dry powder or “Whiteness”. Dissolve 1 liter of product in 5 liters of water. The resulting solution is used to wash the contaminated surface. Special attention pay attention to cracks and baseboards. After a quarter of an hour, the solution is washed off with clean water.

The contaminated area is treated with a bleach solution at least three times, and the room must be well ventilated.

Soap and soda solution

To prepare a solution for demercurization, dissolve 50 g of soap and 50 g of soda in 1 liter of warm water. This remedy can be used both initial stage cleaning, and after applying potassium permanganate.

Why are mercury vapors dangerous?

One thermometer contains 2 g of mercury. This amount is not enough to cause serious poisoning. But if you do not collect mercury on time, prolonged inhalation of vapors can lead to the development of the following pathologies:

1. Irregularities at work nervous system(hand trembling, insomnia, decreased attention, memory impairment, depression).
2. Impaired kidney and liver function.
3. Damage to the thyroid gland.
4. Disturbances in the functioning of the cardiovascular system (tachycardia, bradycardia, arrhythmia).
5. Irregularities at work respiratory system(shortness of breath, bronchospasm, pneumonia).

If a pregnant woman inhales mercury vapor, pathologies may develop in the fetus.

If a mercury thermometer breaks in a living room, it is necessary to remove children, elderly people and animals from the room, close the door tightly and open the window, collect the fragments of the thermometer and place them in a container with a specially prepared solution.

Precautions when collecting mercury

If a thermometer has been broken in the room, it is strictly not recommended:

1. Using a vacuum cleaner. Often the first reaction to a broken thermometer is the desire to collect the mercury with a vacuum cleaner. This can cause the substance to break down into tiny particles and be released into the air through the outlet of the filter system. After this, the vacuum cleaner will have to be disposed of. You can also remove the filter, corrugated hose and dust bag and dispose of them. The vacuum cleaner itself needs to be taken out to open air or to non-residential premises for 2–3 months.
2. Using a broom. In this case, the mercury balls will become smaller and begin to evaporate faster. It will be almost impossible to collect mercury.
3. Flushing mercury down the drain. Since mercury is heavier than water, it is unlikely to be completely washed down the drain. In most cases, it settles in the knees. In this case, it is recommended to disassemble them, and if mercury balls are found, pour them into a jar of potassium permanganate, which is then handed over for disposal.
4. Use a wet rag to collect mercury. During such cleaning, mercury is smeared, which leads to rapid evaporation and contamination of the room.
5. Ventilate the room before the mercury is collected. In this case, the likelihood that mercury will leak into other rooms increases.
6. "Freezing the premises." During the cold season, it is not recommended to leave the room wide open. open window. At low temperatures, the volatility of mercury drops sharply, so it is removed from the room more slowly. Ideal option there is a slightly open window.
7. Using a magnet to collect mercury. Mercury is a diamagnetic substance (substances that are magnetized against the direction of the external magnetic field), therefore this cleaning method should not be used.

If one of your family members has symptoms such as dizziness, headache, metallic taste in the mouth, nausea, vomiting, pain when swallowing, or lack of appetite, you should seek help from a doctor. You also need to contact the laboratory service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations so that they can measure the concentration of mercury vapor in an apartment or house.

If mercury scatters around the room, gets into cracks or under the baseboard, it is unlikely that you will be able to remove it yourself, so you need to immediately contact the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Until specialists arrive, it is necessary to restrict access to the room.

It is important to remember that properly collected and disposed of mercury from a broken thermometer will protect loved ones from the danger of poisoning.

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