Mercury thermometer scheme. Where to take a mercury thermometer for recycling. What not to do if the thermometer crashed

13.05.2020

AT medical institutions, as in everyday life, they are accustomed to using mercury thermometers. They are simple and easy to use. The readings are quite accurate, while they have an affordable price for everyone.

But their disadvantage is that they are easy to beat. And every person should know how to dispose of and where to put mercury thermometer in case of beating him.

A mercury thermometer is a glass flask with a thin tube inside, which is located on the scale. The air has been evacuated from the flask. On one side is a reservoir with two grams of mercury. The measuring range of the scale is 34-42 degrees Celsius. Each degree on the scale is divided into 10 divisions. In contact with the human body, mercury heats up and begins to expand, rising along the scale, thereby showing body temperature.

The error of this device is only 0.1 degrees.

The impact of mercury on humans

mercury balls

Such a seemingly simple device as a thermometer carries a great danger to the human body if it accidentally breaks. And all because mercury emits extremely toxic fumes. It evaporates at a temperature of +18 ° C and above, both in air and in water. When mercury hits a hard surface, it breaks into small round particles. Immediately begins to spread: evaporate, penetrate into the smallest cracks, thereby poisoning the air around.

In case of poisoning with mercury vapor, the first symptoms may appear within a day. These can be headaches, weakness, irritability, insomnia, loss of appetite, sore throat, metallic taste in the mouth. As well as bleeding gums, nausea, vomiting. Then there are pains in the abdomen, diarrhea, violation of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems.

If the concentration of mercury in the air is too high, everything can end in death.

The insidiousness of this metal is that it is very poorly excreted and can accumulate in the body for years, spread with the blood to all organs, poisoning them. Therefore, using mercury thermometers, you need to be careful.

But if the thermometer does break, it is very important to know how to behave and how to dispose of the thermometer and mercury.

How to dispose of a mercury thermometer

First of all, you should not panic, you need to be extremely careful and organized in order to properly dispose of the damaged device and mercury. So, what to do with a thermometer and mercury.

You need to carefully inspect the device. Make sure that mercury has not really penetrated outside. Next, you need to take glass vessel with a tight-fitting lid and place a thermometer in it. There are special organizations where you need to hand over this vessel with a thermometer for recycling. It is strictly forbidden to throw it in the trash. So you're not only endangering environment but you are breaking the law.

If mercury leaked out of a broken thermometer.

How to behave in this case, you will learn below. The first thing to do is to get everyone out of the room (people, animals). They can inhale the mercury fumes and spread it throughout the house. It is also necessary to ventilate the room. In order not to create a draft, you need to close the doors and open the windows. Otherwise, a draft can spread mercury balls everywhere. Ventilation will help to get rid of almost all fumes, provided that it will be ventilated for at least a week. Take a piece of cloth and dampen it with the solution soda. This cloth should be placed on the doorstep.

Before you clean up and throw away mercury directly, be sure to put on rubber gloves and a bandage on your face, preferably moistened with a soda solution.

Only then can you get down to business. Mercury must be handled with care.. It must be collected in a jar with cold water, you can use a syringe or syringe to collect. The whole process can take several hours, as the mercury balls are constantly crushed. So that they do not roll everywhere, you can put a wet rag around the "accident". Place the fragments of the thermometer in the jar too. After, it must be tightly closed with a lid, put temporarily on a balcony or in a garage. And then hand over the mercury to a special service. Where to take, you can look on the Internet.

You can't just throw the jar in the trash.

Room cleaning

After collecting the metal balls, the smallest droplets will still remain. For their final elimination, it is necessary to process the floor and walls. chlorine solution. Such cleaning will have to be done four times a day for a month. It is necessary to alternate cleaning with chlorine with cleaning with plain water.

After all the procedures, the question arises of where to throw things that have come into contact with a toxic substance.

All things that were on you during cleaning, all rags, devices used for cleaning mercury, must also be given to where they will dispose of the broken thermometer. To date,

Wear rubber gloves when cleaning and collecting mercury

services that can utilize mercury exist not only in megacities (Moscow, St. Petersburg, etc.), but also in small towns. Addresses of institutions where you need to hand over a mercury thermometer can be found in the information service of your city. For example, in St. Petersburg it is: 064.

Where to take a thermometer if there are no similar organizations nearby

If there are still no such enterprises in your locality, then you can contact the state pharmacy. They are required by law to accept mercury and items contaminated with it.

What not to do while cleaning

You can not use a broom and even more so a vacuum cleaner. So you will only spread the poison everywhere. Using a vacuum cleaner, you will spray mercury into the air and you can no longer cope with it yourself.
Do not wash cloths in the sink or washing machine. Flush mercury down the toilet.
You can't just throw the thermometer in the trash.

Safety Precautions When Using a Mercury Thermometer

Unforeseen situations happen in life, a broken thermometer is one of them. To avoid this

Take precautions when using a thermometer

unpleasant and dangerous to health incident, you need to follow the safety measures. Everything is quite simple:

After measuring the temperature, place the thermometer in a special case.
Do not leave him unattended.
Do not allow children or animals to play with it.
When shaking, hold firmly in your hands.
Do not leave near heating appliances.
Use only as directed.

Safety thermometers

The best alternative to a mercury thermometer - digital electronic thermometer. Glass is not used in their manufacture. Therefore, such a device does not break when dropped. And if it beats, then breaking it is not dangerous. Since mercury, it also does not contain. The electronic thermometer measures the temperature much faster (30-60 seconds). At the end of the measurement, the thermometer beeps. The results appear on a small screen.

The disadvantage of such a device is that in order to calculate the exact temperature, it must fit very tightly to the skin. Under the arm, this result is difficult to achieve. And the thermometer shows an inaccurate result. It is better to use it orally or rectally.

There are also other thermometers. For example, a thermometer-nipple, it is easy to use if your baby

Infrared digital thermometer

uses a blank. The principle of operation is the same as that of an electronic digital instrument, but it will take 3-5 minutes to measure. Or infrared thermometers forehead or ear. Such a device must be applied to the forehead (inserted into the ear) and after 2-3 seconds you can get the result on the display.

There are many types of thermometers. All have their pros and cons. Your task is to weigh the pros and cons and make the right choice.

Description and principle of operation of an electronic thermometer.

Temperature 36.6 degrees as temperature reference healthy person is nothing more than a convention. In the reality normal temperature a healthy person depends on characteristic features body, time of day, age, previous physical exertion, food intake, sleep ... So, in particular, in the morning a person’s temperature is several tenths of a degree lower than in the evening, on an empty stomach is lower than after eating, and in children the temperature is slightly higher than in people of age. The norm is the temperature from 36 to 37 degrees Celsius, with its fluctuations during the day within one degree, but not more than 37.2 degrees.

The temperature of the patient can be measured by placing the thermometer in the mouth (orally), in the rectum (rectally), in the armpit (axillary), etc. In our country, the latter option is preferred. The method of measuring the temperature in the armpit is quite convenient for the patient, but the longest, since it is necessary to ensure close contact of the measuring zone of the thermometer with the muscles for a sufficiently long time.

In addition, depending on the location of the temperature measurement, its values \u200b\u200band will vary. Thus, the temperature measured in the armpit, on average, is half a degree lower than that measured orally, and one degree lower than that measured rectally. This does not mean that one temperature or another is "correct" and others are not. Just be sure to let your doctor know how you usually take your temperature.

Mercury thermometers or, as they are also called by the people, thermometers are familiar to every person in our country. Thermometers of this type have a number of undoubted advantages - low cost, accuracy, independence from a power source, memory of the maximum measured temperature due to a special device of a mercury capillary (as a result, such thermometers are also called maximum ) - and one significant drawback: mercury used as a filler in such a device is very toxic.

Mercury thermometers require careful handling, although they are not exactly fragile. According to the state standard regulating their production "Medical maximum glass thermometers" (GOST R), the thermometer must withstand a load of up to 50 N (5.1 kg). The minimum trouble-free service life of such thermometers is 450 cycles (one cycle is temperature measurement and subsequent shaking), the manufacturer's warranty, according to GOST, must be at least one year. The maximum service life of such a thermometer with careful handling is not limited, which is quite logical, since in such a thermometer there are neither mechanical components nor electronic parts aging over time.

About 10-15 years ago appeared on the market electronic thermometers , which are based on a thermistor - an element that changes its resistance depending on temperature. Such thermometers are easy to use, allow you to read the temperature well, store the latest measurement results, and are absolutely harmless to humans.

Classic oblong-shaped thermometers are inconvenient to measure body temperature in infants and younger age. A conventional thermometer can be a cause of discomfort for them, because of which the constant contact of the thermometer with the body will not be ensured. Therefore, especially for children under three years of age, electronic thermometers in the form of a pacifier are designed.

The device is not a full-fledged replacement for a pacifier, its silicone part may become unusable from prolonged sucking. The device weighs less than 40 grams. The thermometer is waterproof, making it easy to disinfect. Due to the tightness of the case, battery replacement is not provided, but the battery supply should be enough for 2000 measurements.

Another type of medical thermometers, which can now be found in pharmacies, is based on measuring the intensity of a special electromagnetic radiation - infrared rays. Accordingly, they are called infrared (IR) thermometers . Human body, just like any other physical object whose temperature is different from absolute zero, is a source of infrared radiation. The more intense the infrared radiation, the higher the person's temperature - it is on this principle that night vision devices work, highlighting the contour of a person against a colder environment.

Infrared thermometers have a significant advantage over mercury and electronic ones. They can work without contact with the surface of the body, which reduces discomfort for sleeping people and children and facilitates the disinfection of thermometers.

One example of an IR thermometer is the WF-2000 forehead infrared thermometer from the British company B. Well. This thermometer is designed to measure the temperature in the temple area, since the temporal artery is located almost under the skin. Before measuring, the forehead should be wiped from sweat and the thermometer should be slowly moved around the temple, either over the skin or in close proximity to it. During measurement, the thermometer will beep shortly. After the measurement is completed (it takes from 5 to 30 seconds), a long beep will sound. After that, it does not make sense to keep the thermometer at the forehead to increase the accuracy of the measurement, since after a minute the thermometer automatically turns off. If the temperature is above 37.5 degrees, the device will draw your attention to this with a special sound signal. An interesting feature of the WF-2000 thermometer is the ability to measure water temperature or room temperature. The temperature measurement range is from minus 22 to plus 80 degrees Celsius. To do this, just bring the thermometer to water or any object in the room that does not heat itself and is in the room for at least half an hour. The thermometer cannot be submerged in water itself, it is not waterproof.

The thermometer is equipped with a memory for the last 25 measurements. The battery is an ordinary "hour" battery (CR-2032), the device itself gives a signal about its replacement.

Thermometers are used to measure temperature, the liquid types of which are commonly called a thermometer, although the degree is not the only unit for measuring the heating of bodies or media (there are also Kelvin and Fahrenheit). Although such a device is quite common, not everyone knows how it works. Using the example of a medical mercury thermometer shown in the figure below, we will describe how the thermometer works and describe its operation.

The thermometer consists of the following parts:

Flask with liquid (pos.1).

A hermetically sealed transparent (most often glass) tube (pos. 3) is connected to the flask, from which air has been removed.

The liquid with which the flask is filled is also partially located in the tube (pos. 2).

Case made of transparent material (pos. 6) designed to assemble all parts of the thermometer into a single unit and protect them. In the case of a medical thermometer, it is also made of glass. Moreover, the flask can be integral with the body, but between it and the environment there is no space filled with air, which reduces the accuracy of the device due to thermal insulation properties. There are no requirements for the tightness of the housing.

The thermometer scale (pos. 4) is made of paper, plastic or ceramic. Divisions and numbers (pos. 5) are applied on it, according to which readings are read. The scale is attached to the tube, and its position is set when calibrating or checking the thermometer.

How is a thermometer set up?

It explains how the thermometer is arranged on the basis of the law of thermal expansion of bodies and liquids. The flask contains a liquid with a high coefficient of thermal expansion. In this case, it is mercury, but more often alcohols or similar substances that are not hazardous to health are used, in which glycerin is additionally injected with a dye. As it heats up in the flask, the liquid rushes up the thermometer tube. The increase in its volume does not restrain Atmosphere pressure and the resistance of the compressed air, since it is pumped out of the tube, and the tube itself is sealed. The volume of space inside the tube (pos. 3) is much less than the volume of liquid in the flask (pos. 1), then its column moves a considerable distance.

According to the height of the liquid column, readings are read on the scale (pos. 5). With a decrease in the heating temperature of the flask, the process takes place in the reverse order, and the height of the liquid column also becomes smaller. By the way, how the thermometer works is studied in the school physics course.

Digital thermometer: modern and safe

It is also worth noting that there are other types of thermometers that are very successful. They use the principles of change electrical resistance materials, or the shape of bimetallic plates on temperature. Such devices consist of sensors, electrical or mechanical converters of their signal and display devices.

Please write in the comments if you liked the article or not?

Mercury thermometer (thermometer)- This is the most common and popular means for measuring human body temperature.

Relevance

Not so long ago, this device was the only reliable way to measure body temperature. In a modern high-tech society, this procedure can be carried out using various devices and thermometers. Each of them has both advantages and disadvantages.

Components of a mercury thermometer

The basis of a mercury thermometer is a tube sealed on both sides. Attached to one side is a small container containing 2 grams of mercury. The thermometer has a scale that measures the temperature in degrees Celsius (from 34 to 42). The design of the medical thermometer is made in such a way that, heating up and expanding while measuring body temperature, mercury slowly reaches its value and no longer changes its position. This is due to a special curvature and narrowing of the place where the container with mercury is attached to the tube. Therefore, in order to use the thermometer again, it must be shaken off in order for the mercury to return to the tank. Taking the thermometer in hand, you need to check at what value the mercury column has stopped and, if necessary, reset this indicator to 35 degrees, gently shake the thermometer

The impact of mercury on the human body

The mercury contained in this thermometer is a silver-white metal that has a liquid structure, as well as the ability to evaporate at temperatures above 18 degrees. Even with a small impact, the ball of mercury is divided into many small parts and scatters in different directions. If you accidentally break a thermometer, mercury spills onto the floor, splitting into many balls and spreading over a large area of \u200b\u200bthe room. It easily penetrates into small cracks and cracks on the floor and furniture, clogs into the pile of carpets. And if it is not removed in time, it will poison the human body, evaporating at room temperature. Inhaling mercury vapours, human body accumulates it and after a while intoxication may occur. It manifests itself in the following symptoms: a metallic taste in the mouth, drowsiness, decreased attention and memory, headaches, vomiting, diarrhea, kidney damage, abdominal pain, bleeding gums, stomatitis, anemia, dermatitis, tremor of the extremities, irritation of the respiratory tract. Mercury has a very negative effect on the body of children, the elderly and pets. Therefore, if a nuisance occurs when the thermometer is broken, a series of mandatory manipulations should be immediately carried out.

If the thermometer is broken

The first step is to escort out of this room everyone who is not involved in cleaning and eliminating the consequences of a broken thermometer, especially children and pets.
Windows are also immediately opened for ventilation, but it is important not to create a draft so that the mercury balls do not scatter over a large area. This will help to reduce the air temperature in the room, and therefore the evaporation of mercury will slow down.
If possible, limit the accident site using improvised means, preventing the mercury from spreading over a large area.
Things that were in interaction with the broken thermometer must be taken out to fresh air (clothes, carpets, etc.).
Prepare glass jar or plastic bottle, which has a screw cap, put on rubber gloves on your hands, on your feet - shoe covers or plastic bags, on your face - a gauze bandage, which should be moistened with water or soda solution.
First, collect all the visible balls of mercury. This is done with two sheets of paper, a brush, cotton wool soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate or soda, a rubber pear, a syringe, a plaster or tape. All collected mercury is placed in a jar or bottle of cold water. A rubber bulb or syringe will be a handy tool for pulling mercury balls out of hard-to-reach places.
Carefully inspect all the cracks on the floor (at the junction of the floor and the plinth, between the laminate, and so on), if possible, disassemble all possible structures to make sure that there are no mercury balls there.
Close the jar/bottle tightly and place it in a place out of the reach of children, away from heating appliances. The best thing is to temporarily place this container on the balcony or in the garage. Further, it must be handed over to the Office of the Fire Service of the Civil Defense Emergencies.
For safety reasons, when working on collecting mercury, you need to go out into the fresh air every 15 minutes.
In no case should you:
- Use a vacuum cleaner, as the heating element in the vacuum cleaner will help the evaporation and spread of mercury in the room. Subsequently, the use of such a cleaning device will be hazardous to health, so you will have to dispose of it.
- Use a broom, as its twigs will break the balls into smaller ones. This will make it difficult to collect the hazardous substance.
- Dispose of the collected mercury in the trash or sewer. This will contribute to the pollution of a much larger area with the difficulty of cleaning it.
- Do not wash items that you have cleaned or that have come into contact with mercury as a result of a washing machine accident. In this case, mercury can also get into the sewer, from where it will no longer be possible to remove it. Things are taken out into the street and aired on the street for at least 5 days.
After all the mercury has been collected, carry out a chemical treatment of the area. To do this, make a dark brown, almost opaque solution of potassium permanganate. For one liter of this solution, add one tablespoon of salt and one tablespoon of vinegar (you can use citric acid). Using a pulverizer or brush, apply the resulting solution to the accident site and leave for 6-8 hours, periodically moistening the treated surface with water. After this period, wash the floor with a soap and soda solution.
Such floor treatment should be carried out for several days, keeping the potassium permanganate solution for about an hour.

It is perhaps difficult to find a family whose medicine cabinet lacks a mercury thermometer. Many people know that this item should be handled very carefully, because a broken thermometer poses a direct threat to health. However, not everyone knows how to eliminate the consequences of such an "accident", and what exactly it threatens. In the article we will try to figure out in detail what to do if the thermometer crashed.

What is a mercury thermometer made of?

The mercury thermometer is very simple, and in this regard, of course, its operation is very convenient. Moreover, unlike a digital thermometer, this one has a lower cost, and its readings are more accurate.

The device is made in the form of a glass tube, both ends of which are sealed. As a result, an absolute vacuum without air is created in the tube. At one end of this tube is a reservoir filled with mercury.

In addition, in the thermometer it is easy to notice the temperature scale, which has divisions of 0.1 degrees. It is worth noting that the place that connected the tank with mercury and the tube narrows, and for this reason the mercury does not move in the opposite direction. Thanks to this design, temperature readings can be maintained after the maximum value has been reached.

By touching the skin, the mercury tank heats up, which is why the mercury has the opportunity to expand and rise. Having reached the maximum rate, mercury stops expanding, freezing at a certain figure. Usually ten minutes or a little less is enough to measure the temperature. Given that mercury is present in the thermometer, it must be handled very carefully, in no case allowing it to split.

Before you take any action to eliminate mercury, find out exactly what it looks like and why it is dangerous.

What mercury looks like from a broken thermometer photo and description

In the presented photographs, you can see exactly how the mercury that flows out of a broken thermometer looks like. Of course, once you see mercury with your own eyes, you are unlikely to confuse it with anything else. As you can see, the droplets of mercury have a metallic color and generally resemble drops of molten metal. From a distance, these droplets can be mistaken for beads. It is worth noting that, despite the fact that mercury has a completely harmless appearance (this is especially dangerous if children stumble upon it), its vapors can bring a lot of trouble and seriously undermine health if measures are not taken to eliminate it in a timely manner.

What is its danger to humans

Mercury is an extremely toxic chemical. By the way, mercury in the body is mainly due to the inhalation of its vapors, which have no smell. Even if the time of action of mercury is minimal, it can result in serious health problems and poisoning. It has a toxic effect on the digestive system, as well as the nervous and immune system. Dangerous for the kidneys, lungs, eyes, skin cover.

Distinguish mild mercury poisoning (in case of food poisoning), heavy (due to emergencies at enterprises or lack of safety precautions). There are also chronic poisoning. The latter type increases the risk of tuberculosis and other diseases. The consequences of poisoning can make themselves felt even after a long period (even after 2-3 years).

Note that acute poisoning can result in loss of vision, baldness, paralysis, and even death. Mercury poses a serious threat to women during pregnancy, posing a danger to the development of the baby.

What to do if a mercury thermometer breaks in an apartment

If a mercury thermometer crashed in your apartment, then, as already noted, the consequences of this trouble should be eliminated. However, it is important to remember that when collecting mercury, it is imperative to follow clear safety rules.

It is best to collect mercury with an ordinary syringe. Ordinary wipes soaked vegetable oil or newspapers soaked in water - the drops will stick to the paper. Also, the balls will easily stick to sticky materials such as tape. Among other options, you can consider another fairly simple one: collect mercury on a sheet of paper with a soft brush. During the procedure, pay special attention to baseboards and crevices.

If mercury is on the carpet, in no case should you use a vacuum cleaner or a broom! Fold the carpet from the edge to the center so that the balls do not scatter around the room. Wrap the carpet in plastic wrap and take it outside. Before you hang it, put a film on it so that the soil is not contaminated with mercury. After that, lightly knock out the carpet. Such a carpet will have to be ventilated for at least three months, therefore, if possible, it is better to throw it away.

Demercurization, disinfection and ventilation

The room can be cleaned of mercury, both by employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, and by one's own efforts. So, before starting this process, which is called demercurization, it is worth starting to ventilate the room by opening all the windows. By the way, thorough airing of the room should be carried out for the next week. Doors to other rooms during the elimination of mercury should be closed so that the vapors of the hazardous substance do not spread throughout the apartment. At the same time, a draft should not be allowed so that the balls do not scatter around the room and break into mercury dust, settling on the table, bed, walls, and so on. Before you start cleaning particles on mercury, you must definitely put on rubber gloves on your hands. Also, do not forget about shoe covers on your feet (can be replaced with plastic bags). During demercurization, the mouth and nose should be covered with a damp gauze bandage. By the way, even after all the visible to the eye drops of mercury, some microparticles of the substance may still remain in the room. For this reason, it is also necessary to carry out disinfection. Wash the floors and walls with a solution of some detergent which contains chlorine. In addition, a solution of potassium permanganate is also suitable.

Where to put the remains of a broken thermometer

If you are convinced that you have completely cleared the room of mercury on your own, and for some reason you cannot call the EMERCOM team, then there is another way to get rid of the hazardous substance. Take a jar of mercury, a broken thermometer, clothes that you were wearing at the time of demercurization (if there is a possibility that mercury got on it), and hand it all over to a special enterprise that disposes of waste containing mercury. If there is no such institution nearby, then the thermometer can be handed over to the sanitary and epidemiological station or the state pharmacy, where you will be asked to fill out a special application.

After collecting the substance, put it in a glass jar of water at room temperature, along with the remains of a thermometer. The container must be tightly closed with a lid. It is strictly not recommended to throw a jar of mercury into the sewer or water supply, so as not to pollute the environment. If you did not immediately call the Ministry of Emergency Situations, then you should do this after you collect the poisonous substance in a jar. When the team arrives, hand over to them a jar of thermometer and mercury, as well as all the materials used during demercurization. The duties of the medical unit team of specialists include the mandatory subsequent disinfection of the premises.

Where to call if you broke a mercury thermometer at home

As we already mentioned, the best options in this unpleasant situation will call the brigade of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. It is possible that you will do something wrong and you will not be able to completely remove the remnants of the toxic substance from the house. In turn, the specialists will do everything to ensure that there are no traces of mercury in the room and nothing threatens your health. Please note that clothes and shoes that have come into contact with a hazardous substance cannot be washed in a washing machine - it is best to throw these things away. Also, in no case should you remove mercury with a broom or vacuum cleaner, despite the fact that these options seem to be the most obvious.

How long does mercury weather

Even after you eliminate all the remnants of mercury from your apartment, its vapors will still remain indoors for some time. In order to minimize their negative effect, after removing evaporating sources, it is strongly recommended to thoroughly ventilate the apartment. If you do not have the opportunity to ventilate the entire apartment, you must do this at least directly in the room in which the thermometer crashed. If you want to remove vapors that have already accumulated in the air, the room must be ventilated for at least 5-7 hours. If possible, it is better to ventilate the room for at least a few days! Over the next week, we recommend treating the surface where the substance was located with a solution of potassium permanganate several times a day.

Also, certain measures should be taken by the one who collected mercury, if the team of the Ministry of Emergency Situations did not do this. As a prevention of poisoning, you should drink as much liquid as possible, because mercury formations come out through the kidneys. In addition, fresh fruits and vegetables will definitely benefit. If soon you still feel unwell, in order to avoid deterioration of health, you should immediately consult a doctor.

First aid if the child has inhaled mercury vapor

If a thermometer breaks in the house, and the child has time to inhale mercury vapor, it is necessary to take first aid measures as soon as possible.

First, carefully inspect the child's hands and hair, and if a toxic substance is found on them, dispose of it immediately. If a child has swallowed balls of mercury, immediately call an ambulance, and while it is heading towards you, you need to cause a gag reflex in the child.

The situation is more complicated if the baby managed to swallow the fragments - nothing should be done before the arrival of the doctors. Just put the child on the bed and minimize all his activities.

If mercury gets on his clothes, then things should be changed immediately. The situation is less critical if the mercury has not had time to get on the skin, hair and clothes of the child - then you just need to take him out of the room. Caught on fresh air give him activated charcoal.

Carefully inspect the room to find all the fragments of the thermometer and drops of toxic metal - you can remove them yourself or call the Ministry of Emergency Situations for this procedure.

After the “accident” is eliminated, drink as much liquid as possible with the child over the next few days.

Even if it seems to you that the baby feels quite normal and mercury vapor did not affect his well-being, you should still consult a doctor for confirmation!

What not to do if the thermometer crashed

In conclusion, let us summarize what should not be done in any case if a thermometer breaks in the house.

1) First of all, remember that you can not collect poisonous balls with a vacuum cleaner - it will heat the metal, and this will only speed up the evaporation process. Particles of the substance will settle on the details of the device, and it will become a hotbed for the spread of toxic fumes - as a result, it will definitely need to be disposed of.

2) Do not sweep the mercury with a broom, because the drops will be divided into even smaller ones, and they will be much more difficult to find.

3) It is forbidden to collect mercury balls with a rag - because of this, the area affected by the substance will be increased.

4) After collecting poisonous droplets, do not throw them into the garbage chute - it will be impossible to get rid of them, and as a result, not only you will suffer.

5) Do not create a draft in the room until the mercury is completely eliminated, otherwise the balls will separate into microscopic particles and end up on walls or furniture.

6) If you have even the slightest suspicion that a toxic substance is on your clothes, it is forbidden to wash them in a washing machine - mercury can remain on its parts. We recommend that you simply throw these clothes away - for sure, this is easier than getting rid of the washing machine later.