Is broken mercury thermometer dangerous? Safe handling you should know

Is the mercury in the thermometer toxic? Is it dangerous?

Mercury is a silver-white, odorless, liquid metal that evaporates slowly at room temperature (25 degrees Celsius). A mercury thermometer contains only about 0.61 grams of mercury (according to the EPA). Mercury in the form of a volatile gas is very toxic to the human body.

Usually, the mercury in the thermometers used is very toxic pure mercury. However, if you accidentally swallow mercury, do not worry too much because pure mercury is very poorly absorbed through the skin as well as the digestive tract and can be excreted out of the body (about 0.01% through the healthy intestine). ).

Thuỷ ngân trong nhiệt kế có độc không? Có nguy hiểm không?

The threshold of toxic mercury for the body is > 4-5 micromol/liter or > 1.6 microgram/kg/day (according to FAO/WHO Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives). Mercury poisoning is only dangerous when the swallow is suffering from gastrointestinal diseases such as intestinal perforation, at which time mercury will be absorbed in large amounts into the bloodstream and can cause acute poisoning.

Although it is not dangerous to accidentally swallow mercury, it will be very toxic if inhaled directly , especially for children. When a mercury thermometer breaks, the mercury is released into the air.

At this time, when children inhale, mercury will pass through the alveolar membrane into the bloodstream to functional organs such as the kidneys, liver and spleen, and the central nervous system, causing severe pneumonia, memory loss, lethargy, convulsions, and vomiting. , enteritis. In some cases, exposure to large amounts of mercury can cause acute poisoning, respiratory failure, and even death.

Ngộ độc thuỷ ngân

2 How to handle broken mercury thermometer

When you accidentally break the thermometer, the mercury inside the thermometer will flow out. At this point, the mercury will be in the form of round beads. To avoid mercury poisoning, you need to take the following steps:

  • Step 1 : Quickly bring children and relatives to a safe area.
  • Step 2 : Then to ensure health, you need to change old clothes, wear rubber gloves, medical masks and start cleaning up mercury.
  • Step 3 : Use a cotton swab or thin paper to collect mercury, put it in a sealed glass jar.
  • Step 4 : Finally, put the glass jar in a small bag, tie it tightly and put it in the trash.

Cách xử lý nhiệt kế thuỷ ngân vỡ

When cleaning up mercury, you need to pay attention to the following issues :

  • Use wet cotton sticks or thin paper Collect the mercury, put the mercury particles in a sealed glass jar. The movement when collecting mercury must be very gentle to avoid the mercury particles dissociating into smaller particles, making it difficult to clean up.
  • If possible, sprinkle some sulfur powder on it, because sulfur reacts with mercury to form compounds that are more difficult to evaporate. If sulfur is not available, egg yolks can be substituted for the same effect.
  • After cleaning, you must open all the doors to the area to ventilate for a few hours , then you can return to normal activities.
  • After mercury recovery, the glass vial containing the mercury must be sealed, covered with multiple layers of plastic, taped, and clearly marked with a label on the outside before being placed in the classification. Absolute The collected mercury should not be poured down the drains as it will contaminate the water source.
  • Clothes that have been contaminated with mercury should be discarded. If you want to use them again, wash them thoroughly . It is recommended to soak in cold water for 30 minutes, then soak for 30 minutes in soapy water with a temperature of 70-80 degrees, soak for another 20 minutes in high-temperature water mixed with a little detergent, then wash with cold water and bring Let dry, new to wear.
  • Take children to medical facilities for monitoring and treatment when children show signs of mercury poisoning or swallow mercury.

Tuyệt đối không được đổ thủy ngân đã thu dọn xuống các cống rãnh

3 Things to avoid when mercury is melted

During use, sometimes carelessly, you drop the thermometer, causing the mercury to flow out. However, many people do not understand the properties and harmful effects of mercury, so they do not clean up properly.

To keep everyone and yourself safe, you need to avoid the following things when mercury is released:

  • Do not use mechanical equipment for cleaning, for example, as it will increase the possibility of mercury spreading further into the environment.
  • Absolutely do not use a brush to clean, it will cause them to split into small droplets and spread around more.
  • You should not pour mercury down the drain because it can clog your water pipes and make repairs difficult.
  • If your clothes and shoes are contaminated with mercury, you should not move around in the house, need to change them immediately to avoid spreading this metal around.

Tuyệt đối không sử dụng chổi để lau chùi thủy ngân

4 Signs of mercury poisoning

When exposed to mercury poisoning, infected people will show signs such as:

  • Feel the metallic smell in the mouth.
  • Nausea, headache, intense facial resistance.
  • Speak without a voice.
  • Body aches and cold stomach.

Inhaled mercury vapors also have respiratory impairment and symptoms such as cough with sputum, shortness of breath, and pale skin. If inhaled more heavily, it can cause the oral cavity, teeth and gums to swell, rupture, and bleed.

In addition, when broken, mercury also spreads into the air, penetrates through the skin, causing allergic dermatitis , rashes, often on the face, neck, armpits, thighs. More serious is for patients with insomnia, mental panic, mood swings. At this time, you should take the patient to medical facilities for monitoring and treatment as soon as possible.

Người ngộ độc hít phải hơi thủy ngân còn bị suy giảm đường hô hấp

5 Notes to avoid breakage when using mercury thermometers

To avoid breaking the mercury thermometer, after using the thermometer, you should store the thermometer in a safe place , out of the reach of children, do not let the child suck the thermometer. Place the thermometer in a box or cotton bag to avoid knocking and breaking the thermometer.

If you have the conditions, it is best to switch to using an electronic thermometer to avoid mercury poisoning caused by a broken mercury thermometer. Currently on the market there are many types of electronic thermometers with extremely diverse prices, meeting all needs of users.

Nếu bạn có điều kiện, tốt nhất hãy chuyển sang sử dụng nhiệt kế điện tử

Designed to measure forehead with high accuracy and safety

Reference source : hellobacsi.com

Above is information that will help you feel more secure in handling broken mercury thermometers. Any questions please leave a comment below!

The post https://meo.tips/health-and-life/is-broken-mercury-thermometer-dangerous-safe-handling-you-should-know/ appeared first on Meo.tips.

View more from Meo.tips:

Tay Ninh specialties and famous delicacies tourists can't resist
Gold and Silver Plants: Meaning, images, how to grow and care at home
From AZ how to install and use the Digital Social Insurance (VssID) application functions
How to preserve cilantro and coriander for a whole month to remain intact
What is indigo fish? How much? Where do you buy it?
8 cool and effective beauty tips just from the familiar aspirin
Top 5 toners for acne skin with high quality at affordable prices
Tips to help remove chocolate stains on clothes quickly
How to remove duck feathers very clean, effective deodorization, saving time
Foods that can be harmful when cooked in the microwave
How to look up and pay traffic violation fines online, receive the paper at home or the sanctioning agency
5 safe and effective ways to increase milk, help to produce more milk, breasts do not sag
Corn and 8 great benefits that you cannot help but discover
Should household oxygen generators be used for the elderly?
How to choose and keep fresh peach blossoms for a long time during Tet, what should you pay attention to?
Why soak feet? Instructions on how to make a foot bath to protect health
What are UV rays? Harm of UV rays to skin and tips to protect skin in summer
Mistakes in arranging furniture that you should know
Detailed instructions on how to post videos on TikTok very fast and super easy
Distinguishing popular vegetables for clumsy sisters

Nhận xét

Đăng nhận xét

Bài đăng phổ biến từ blog này

When buying carrots, look at this point, choose the right fresh and firm carrots.

Hình ảnh
Beets are a common food in meals. Winter is the season for beets, but many people don’t know how to choose the right beets, such as soft or black inside, or beets that have been kept for too long and are no longer fresh. When buying beets, many people have a preference for choosing large and white beets, but that is not a good choice. Large beets are more likely to be soft and may be imported beets. Therefore, when choosing, you should pay attention to the following: Look at the leaves When beets are sold at the market, the top part with the leaves is usually cut off, leaving only a few green stems close to the beet. But if you look closely at the young leaves close to the beet, you will be able to tell if it is a fresh or old beet. Fresh beets have leaves that are still fresh and not crushed. Avoid large beets When buying beets, the most important thing to avoid is choosing the largest beet to buy. Typically, larger beets will allow the body to meet its nutritional needs dur...
Đọc thêm

How to Make Beautiful and Impressive Christmas Cards 2022

Hình ảnh
Make a Christmas tree pop-up card This is a card with the idea of a 3D Christmas tree that is extremely cute and easy to make. To make the Christmas tree card, you need to prepare colored cardboard according to your preference, scissors, craft knife, various pencils, paint, glue, etc. First, you fold the cardboard sheet and draw the Christmas tree in the middle. Then, you fold the paper in half and cut along the drawn lines. Next, you apply glue to the surface, excluding the Christmas tree part, and stick it onto a larger cardboard sheet. Decorate according to your preference, and you can also write some wishes to give to your loved ones. Make a Christmas fingerprint card To make a Christmas fingerprint card, you need cardboard, colored pens, ribbons, bows, etc. Then, use finger paint on your fingertip and print it onto the cardboard sheet. Use a pen to draw antlers, ears, nose, scarf… or follow your creative ideas. Make a simple Christmas card from popsicle sticks or woode...
Đọc thêm

10 Expert Tips for Baking Like a Professional “Xin” Pastry Chef

Hình ảnh
1. Time is everything Time is not just about recording how long you beat eggs or bake a cake, it’s also about how you combine ingredients together. Most people want to combine all the ingredients right away to save time, but that’s a mistake. If a recipe requires you to add ingredients in a certain order, you should respect that in order to achieve the desired result. 2. Pay attention to the temperature of butter One of the reasons why your batch of cake fails could be due to the improper temperature of the butter. If you’re baking cupcakes or cookies, room temperature butter is required. If the butter is too soft, the cake may not rise as expected. However, for crusty cakes like bread, you should use cold butter to make the crust crispier. 3. Make good use of the freezer or freezer compartment It’s a waste if you don’t make good use of your freezer or freezer compartment. According to experts, one of the important baking tips is to prepare more dough ...
Đọc thêm