Crashed thermometer: what to do and how to collect mercury

Manual for those who broke the thermometer and does not know how to collect balls of mercury. And most importantly – where and in what form to pass them



What is dangerous tuttobene pair of metal (and they start to evaporate at temperatures between +18 °C) can enter the body. And certainly some drops of "scatter" and will penetrate into the cracks of the floor and baseboards the pile of the carpet, etc. You will not notice, but the mercury that is actively evaporating, will gradually poison the air and your body. The poison refers to the cumulative, that is, gradually builds up and "settle" in the body.

Than it is fraught? The accumulated mercury causes chronic mercury intoxication: after some time, there is a metallic taste in the mouth, stomatitis, dermatitis and anemia, headaches, problems with a chair, a kidney, trembling in the limbs.

 





How to remove ruToken carefully, but it is possible, how to write environmentalists to do it yourself. First, you need to remove it from the room of children and animals. If it's cold outside – open the window: this will slow down the evaporation. But it is important to avoid drafts, otherwise the mercury "run away".

On the legs is to wear Shoe covers or plastic bags, not to step on mercury. On hands – rubber gloves, face – mask with disposable moistened in soda solution gauze inside.

The next step is to prepare a glass container (which is not a pity, then she will have to pay) with water or solution of potassium permanganate. It will need to place the collected matter and debris.

Take two sheets of paper and a cotton swab moistened with 0.2% solution of potassium permanganate. Alternative to the fleece – tape, wet brush for drawing with paper, syringe. With their help, you need to roll balls of mercury on a sheet of paper and place in a glass bowl.

Container with mercury and water tight cover and it is better to carry to the balcony – far away from heating devices. But in any case not throw in the garbage or flushed down the toilet.

The place where the mercury, treat a concentrated solution of potassium permanganate or chlorine.

 





As it is impossible to collect statesource mercury with a broom or vacuum cleaner in any case impossible. Mercury along with the air goes through the engine cleaner, and engine parts made of nonferrous metals, formed mercury film – amalgam. And then the microdroplets of mercury will dissipate with the air throughout the apartment.

"Once we got on the call to her grandmother, who broke the thermometer, – says technical Director of the laboratory "Testecho" Alexander Kuksa. – Maximum permissible concentration of mercury is 300 nanograms. When a thermometer breaks, the figure had increased to 7 000. But that's nothing. Then she rubbed mercury wet cloth and vacuumed the room. The concentration increased to 156 000 nanograms".

Wash the clothes that you have removed the mercury, is not worth it. This can lead to contamination with harmful metal washing machine. All the things which have come into contact with mercury will have to be thrown away.

 





Where to take a broken thermometer in Moscow theory it's simple. Calling from a mobile phone by dialing 112 (urban – 01) and say that you broke the thermometer. Your address if I did not help the tips above – will advise and come right to the house. It's free.

In practice, it depends on the workload of the Ministry and where you live. If for some reason the MOE is not able to help you, you can call toll cleaning service mercury. It's expensive – from 5 000 and above (plus 50% surcharge for departure during the night).

"The procedure and its price depends on the situation, – says Alexander Kuksa. – We come, collect the mercury, and then with instruments that measure the concentration of mercury vapor in the air. If it's still elevated, look for local sources of mercury balls could roll into the cracks of the flooring, for the sofa, to get into the pile of the carpet.

The MOE is not always taken for minor cases with a thermometer. In our practice there was a story about a woman who bought a new apartment in the center of Moscow, and was found on the balcony broken three-liter jar of mercury. Here, of course, emergency workers put the house in quarantine, six months made the measurement, monitoring and processing".

"Mercury shall be deposited in a special unit of permanent readiness of gku "Fire-rescue centre" (Moscow, Marshal Zhukov Avenue, VL. 79), explained Recycle in the MOE in Moscow. Next mercury and mercury waste is sent for further processing in NPP "ecotrom", having Agreement on the procedure of interaction between the Main Department of EMERCOM of Russia in Moscow".

Collected mercury is usually again put into production – for example, its purchase plants for the production of measuring instruments.

Source: recyclemag.ru/article/razbilsja-gradusnik-chto-delat-i-kak-sobrat-rtut

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