A thermometer broke - what should I do?

For measuring body temperature, most people use mercury thermometers. If the thermometer broke - what should I do? It is necessary to know the information on the algorithm of actions in such situations, because mercury is not a harmless substance - this chemical element is dangerous for health.

Its vapors can cause severe poisoning. Most of the countries of the world have already refused this kind of thermometers. We can not yet get used to alternative temperature measuring devices, and we continue to use such insecure thermometers. If mercury is so dangerous to health, why is it used in thermometers? It's all about the unique properties of mercury, which make mercury thermometers the most accurate.

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Useful properties of mercury:

• Very quickly reacts to temperature changes and provides necessary data about it.
• Mercury has a low freezing point and a high melting point. Therefore, such a thermometer will accurately measure the temperature even under extreme conditions.
• When mercury is placed in a glass sheath, it does not lose its properties with respect to the reaction to temperature increase.
• Mercury has a high density. It is thanks to this that the mercury column fixes the measured temperature and even after some time does not change the measurement index.
• Uniform expansion. How many times you have not measured the temperature, this thermometer will be just as accurate.

Important! With all its merits, usually a mercury scale is placed in a glass flask of a household thermometer. It is easily broken if you accidentally hit the table with a device or other hard objects, or if you drop it on the floor. That's why we need to know what to do if the mercury thermometer is broken.

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Why is mercury dangerous?

Mercury belongs to a class extremely harmful in the classification of such substances - this is the first class of danger. Mercury itself is not as dangerous as its vapors, and it begins to evaporate already at 18 ° C.

Due to its physical properties, upon impact, this liquid metal is divided into many small spherical droplets that are randomly distributed in the room. They can easily penetrate the cracks and cracks in the floors, roll into the corner of the room, under furniture, where they will be hard to get. Evaporation, these droplets will poison the air in the room we breathe. When evaporation of the entire volume of mercury from the thermometer, its vapor may exceed the maximum allowable concentration by more than 2 million times.

Interesting fact: The toxicity of mercury vapor is known from very old times. There is an old English saying: "mad as a hatter".And this is by no means a metaphor. After all, in the production of hats - felt, in the old days used mercury compounds. With a robot with a felt hatter, he constantly inhaled fumes of mercury, which caused disturbances in his body.

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What can lead to the poisoning with mercury vapor?

The first signs of poisoning with mercury vapor are:

• General weakness, fatigue, drowsiness;
• Headache attacks;
• Irritability;
• Nausea and loss of appetite;
• Dizziness;
• Increased sweating;
• Trembling of limbs.

Important!80% of mercury vapor enters the human body through the lungs. With intensive evaporation of a large amount of metal, the vapors also penetrate through the mucous membranes and pores of the skin.

In acute poisoning, the following symptoms are added:

• Metallic taste in the mouth;
• Runny nose;
• Pain when swallowing;
• Bleeding gums;
• Increased body temperature;
• Stomach upset: frequent loose stools.

A couple of days later: a violation of the kidneys, instability of blood pressure, disruption of the central nervous system. Poisoning can also lead to death.

Important! Acute poisoning manifests itself in a couple of hours, and the chronic can manifest itself only after 2-3 years.

Given all these facts and the popularity of such devices in everyday life, everyone needs to know what to do if a mercury thermometer is broken. But first, let's look at what we can not do categorically in such a situation.

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The thermometer broke. What can not be done!

1. In no event can you collect mercury balls with a broom and scoop, as well as a vacuum cleaner. Thus, you will only help mercury evaporate faster. Mercury also, getting into the vacuum cleaner, remains on its internal parts. In the subsequent operation, the vacuum cleaner will spray the mercury vapor in the house. How to collect mercury correctly, we will discuss a little later.
2. Do not dispose of collected mercury in the trash can, garbage disposal, on the street, drain in the toilet.
3. Do not open windows and doors in the room before all the mercury is collected. The flow of air will only accelerate the evaporation process, and can also move the mercury balls from place to place.
4. Clothing that has been exposed to toxic material must not be washed in a washing machine. It must be folded into a bag, tightly tied and discarded.

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What if the thermometer broke?

Even if you have to practice to study the question of what to do, if a mercury thermometer crashed, do not panic. Come on.

Act clearly and quickly:

1. Bring out of the room children, seniors and animals. Close the door tightly.
2. If the outside temperature of the air is lower than in the room, you can open the window so that mercury does not so quickly evaporate. But be careful, because drafts are contraindicated in such situations. Therefore, make sure that no one opens the door.
3. Put shoe covers or plastic bags on your feet. In no case should you allow mercury to get on your shoes and then spread around the house.

Important! If mercury all the same got on the sole, then it must be carefully treated with a concentrated solution of potassium permanganate.

1. Wear rubber gloves on your hands. Do not forget that mercury can be absorbed through the skin.
2. Protect your respiratory system with a respirator.

Important! If you do not have a respirator at home, make a mask on your own! Fold the gauze in several layers, wet it with water and fix it with two medical masks. Should get a "sandwich" with gauze in the middle. Thus, you protect your respiratory organs from toxic fumes.

1. Prepare a glass jar with cold water, which can be tightly closed with a lid. You can replace water with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. It is there that you will place the collected mercury balls.

Than to collect mercury from a broken thermometer:

• Scotch. With the help of an adhesive tape you can easily, without touching a toxic metal, collect its droplets. Immediately place the scotch with the mercury balls in a jar of water.
• You can use a syringe or syringe. They will perfectly assemble liquid metal. Also place the collected drops in a jar of water.
• A wet newspaper or a wet cotton swab can also help in this matter.
• Brushes for drawing or shaving. With their help, you can accurately drive a drop on a damp newspaper.
• Small droplets that are caked in the cracks, sprinkle with sand. Then, with the help of a small brush, the ball can be reached.
• After collecting mercury, wash the floor and surfaces where there could be mercury, a soap solution with the addition of soda( 40 g of soap and 50 g of soda per 1 liter of water).Effective is also a solution of bleach or manganese. Any chlorine bleach can also be used for the solution: 100 ml of bleach and 800 ml of water.
• After cleaning, it is necessary to ventilate the room for at least 2-3 hours.
• Be sure to call the Ministry of Emergency Situations and find out the nearest unit. There it will also be necessary to classify the collected mercury.

Important! If the mercury thermometer is broken on the carpet, then it is best to get rid of it. Gently fold it, roll it with film and find out how to deal with it further by calling the Ministry for Emergency Situations. Remember: no carpet is worth your health.

• Collect all the things you used to clean up: syringes, syringes, a mask, rubber gloves, a rag, etc. Place them in a plastic bag and close tightly. You also hand over these things to the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

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Actions after mercury removal:

1. Rinse the mouth with a mild solution of potassium permanganate.
2. Brush your teeth.
3. Drink a couple of activated carbon tablets.
4. Try to drink as much liquid as possible( preferably a diuretic - coffee, tea, juices), as mercury vapor is extracted through the kidneys.

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Actions to avoid unpleasant situations:

1. Change the mercury thermometer to electronic. They also accurately measure the temperature, you just need to get used to them.
2. If you can not give up old habits, then store the mercury thermometer in a place inaccessible to children in a special case.
3. Measure the temperature carefully and carefully. Beat the indicators of the thermometer away from hard surfaces.
4. At the first signs of a thermometer malfunction - hand it over to the MES.

Remember: it is always easier to avoid trouble than to eliminate its consequences.

We hope that even if you had to deal with the problem of a broken thermometer, you could quickly eliminate all the consequences of the accident with the help of our advice.