Everyone Fears This: What Will Really Happen If You Break a Mercury Thermometer 0 11

In our childhood, parents told us that breaking a mercury thermometer is extremely dangerous. Indeed, it was believed that mercury vapors could cause severe poisoning, even leading to death. Such stories instilled fear and anxiety in children. Adults often panicked when faced with the issue.

But let's face the truth: although mercury is a toxic substance, the situation is far less dramatic than commonly thought. To actually be poisoned by mercury vapors, significant exposure over a prolonged period is necessary.

How Dangerous Is the Situation?

The mere fact of breaking the glass casing and spilling a small amount of mercury does not pose an immediate serious threat to your health. For a typical living space, there is no critical risk, but it is still advisable to take precautions.

Why is mercury considered poisonous? The thing is, the evaporation of the liquid metal produces dangerous vapors that can accumulate in the lungs and gradually harm the nervous system and other organs. That is why, when in contact with mercury, it is essential to eliminate the possibility of vapors entering the body.

What to Do If a Mercury Thermometer Breaks?

The most important rule here is to remain calm and follow certain steps:

• Ventilate the room to reduce the concentration of mercury vapors in the air.

• Use thick paper or cardboard to collect mercury beads with damp cotton swabs or rubber gloves. Do not use a vacuum cleaner!

• Place the collected mercury and used tools in a sealed container or jar with a tight lid.

• Clean the area where the mercury was collected with a potassium permanganate solution or a soap-soda solution to neutralize any remaining mercury.

• Find out where to dispose of the hazardous waste and follow the instructions of the hazardous waste disposal service.

When Does a Broken Thermometer Really Pose a Danger?

A thermometer contains small amounts of metallic mercury, which at room temperature turns into toxic vapors. Although a typical household medical thermometer contains only a small mass of mercury (about 1-2 grams), improper handling can pose a health threat.

The danger arises when tiny mercury droplets go unnoticed for a long time or end up in hard-to-reach places, from where the evaporating vapors slowly spread throughout the room. The longer this process continues, the higher the concentration of harmful vapors in the air, increasing the risk of intoxication.

The situation is particularly unfavorable if the broken thermometer is discovered late, or if the shards and mercury droplets were improperly collected and disposed of in a regular manner, such as in a trash bin or down the drain. Then there is a real risk of toxic compounds gradually accumulating in the room.

Special caution should also be exercised by people with weakened immune systems, the elderly, pregnant women, and small children, whose bodies are particularly vulnerable to the effects of heavy metals.

Symptoms of Mercury Poisoning

Symptoms of acute poisoning are quite pronounced and include headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, a metallic taste in the mouth, difficulty breathing, and elevated body temperature. Chronic exposure to small doses of mercury vapors causes fatigue, decreased concentration, memory impairment, irritability, and nervousness.