A medical device that accompanies us throughout life - from the first minutes of birth and, perhaps, to the grave board - a thermometer for measuring the body. People are so accustomed to it that they often treat the so-called thermometer very negligently, and yet this small cone with a scale carries many threats. Understanding this fact begins, if the thermometer crashed, then the residents of the apartment ask themselves the question: how much mercury is in the thermometer, how to get rid of it and whether it is necessary to call some kind of service, and if so, which one?
Caution! Danger in your home
The thermometer itself, of course, is not dangerous, but only as long as it is absolutely whole. Although in any case, it is better to store it in a place not accessible to children, regardless of their age. Unconscious kids love to put this device in places that are not intended for that (including their own ear or nose), and safely forget about them. A curious older child may decide to conduct an experiment and find out how much mercury is in the thermometer, what it is, see how the thermometer works.
The most serious danger is a broken device. And there are already two sources of deterioration of human health - the smallest fragments of glass and mercury itself. Everything is clear with the glass - it’s enough to collect it, and if a fragment remains, it only threatens a surface wound. The reagent, with the help of which body temperature is measured, should never be left in housing, and it is not very important how much mercury is in the thermometer: in any quantity it is dangerous to human health.
Mercury thermometer - how much toxic silver is in it?
To begin with, it should be said that it is not the liquid metal itself that is dangerous , but the vapors that it releases when heated. Their entry into the human body promises poor health and serious intoxication with all the ensuing consequences:
- nausea
- weakness
- indigestion
- abdominal pain;
- fever and chills;
- impaired consciousness (hallucinations, delirium).
This effect can be achieved if several thermometers are divided in the room, while doing everything that aggravates the situation (about the correct algorithm of actions and what needs to be done, a little lower).
In a conventional medical thermometer, different amounts of mercury can be used to measure body temperature . How many grams of mercury are in a thermometer depends on the manufacturer. So, in domestic it is slightly larger than in imported ones - 3 g versus 1 g in thermometers produced in the Netherlands, for example.
However, it is difficult for the average person to imagine how much it is - 2 g, but no one will go to weigh it on a household scale. After the thermometer crashes, the metal is rolled up into droplets of different diameters, and you need to collect it in these balls. It is impossible to say reliably how many pieces of them will be from one device. It all depends on what surface the thermometer crashed on - the softer the landing, the less likely it is that the mercury will crumble into many tiny parts.
Keeping up with the times
The most effective way to protect yourself is to not use a mercury thermometer in your home. Someone can argue and say that alternative devices are not so accurate, but, perhaps, it is better to tolerate an error of 2-3 tenths of a degree than guessing after the thermometer in the apartment crashed, how much mercury is eroded, how to collect it and how it is generally fraught.
The modern market offers several substitutes at once, safe and convenient, because they allow you to measure temperature faster, and some models even without contact with the body:
- electronic thermometers;
- infrared thermometers.
These modern devices are capable of remembering the values of past measurements, they can be made of bending materials, do not beat, do not break if you press such a thermometer or accidentally lie on it.
Methods of Demercurization
What should I do if the thermometer crashes? First of all - do not panic. In no case can the fragments be swept away with a broom and even more so cleaned with a vacuum cleaner. Mercury is dangerous when it evaporates. This happens if the air temperature in the room is above 17-18 degrees and there are air flows (drafts). Mechanical damage to the balls leads to the fact that their specific area increases, respectively, they poison the air even more.
You can, of course, call the SES or private organizations that are engaged in cleaning, including such a specific nature. They will not only collect mercury, but also treat it with a special device, an ozonizer. This will make non-volatile mercury falling under the floor into crevices or hairy coatings (carpets, furniture, curtains).
You can collect the balls yourself using a syringe, a damp brush, or a magnet. The floor must be treated with a concentrated solution of laundry soap, bleach or potassium permanganate - they will not allow the metal to evaporate.
It is important to understand not only how much mercury is in the thermometer, but also what danger it poses - one ball with a diameter of 2-3 mm evaporates over three years, and all this time it will poison the body, therefore in no case should mercury be left in indoors!