How to dispose of a thermometer with mercury. How to dispose of a mercury thermometer quickly and correctly

More from school years Each of us knows that mercury is a substance quite dangerous to human life. And if you inhale its vapors for a long time, then the likelihood that the matter will end in death is quite high. Where can you find mercury in Everyday life? For example, in a thermometer.

This primitive device for measuring temperature is found in almost every home, which means you are exposing yourself to potential danger every time you pick it up.

That is why today we will look at how to dispose of a thermometer and what needs to be done to ensure that small particles of mercury do not remain in your apartment.

To begin with, it is worth noting that most likely 90% of our readers have not even thought about the issue of recycling broken thermometers. And from this it follows that you do not even suspect what needs to be done in this case.

But before we begin to describe the procedure for disposing of a mercury thermometer, let's find out why this substance is so dangerous.

What is the danger of mercury for humans?

Mercury is a very toxic substance, long-term inhalation of its vapors can even lead to death. Special attention Thermometers should be given attention to those who have small children in the house.

In this case, the problem is that pouring out of a broken thermometer, mercury forms shiny balls that can be of different sizes and configurations. And given that young children are attracted to everything shiny, the likelihood that your baby will simply pass by such an interesting and incomprehensible object is quite low.

It is worth knowing that once mercury enters the body, it is quite difficult to remove it. In addition, it gradually begins to spread throughout the body, affecting everything. internal organs. The route of harmful particles is as follows: mercury first enters the lungs, then it seeps into the blood. But there is no need to continue further.

Considering that circulatory system covers our entire body, then sooner or later all organs become poisoned. The kidneys and liver are usually the first to fail. Then it fails the cardiovascular system. And the final point of poisoning is the brain.

Doctors classify such poisonings into acute and chronic. Although acute poisoning is rare because it requires you to inhale quite a large number of poisonous fumes in a short period of time. Symptoms of poisoning appear within 6-8 hours after contact with the substance.

These include the appearance of a metallic taste in the mouth, shortness of breath, and general weakness. Over time, the patient's condition worsens, headaches, abdominal pain appear, gums swell and bleed.

Quite often, such patients experience diarrhea, difficulty breathing, elevated temperature bodies. And if no urgent measures are taken, death may occur within a few days.

Chronic poisoning occurs in case of prolonged stay in a room with a source of evaporation. In this case, most of the damage occurs to the central nervous system. The patient feels general weakness and nausea. Headache not sharp, but rather reminiscent of a migraine.

Another symptom may be distraction and constant trembling of the limbs. Also, a poisoned person gets tired quickly and constantly experiences drowsiness. As for mental disorders, with a fairly long-term exposure to poisonous substances on the body, the patient may experience excessive irritability, aggression, or, conversely, apathy.

And if you're pretty long time If you do not pay attention to your health, then in a few weeks you may experience dementia, and then death.

So, you already understand that you cannot joke with such things as a broken thermometer. By not paying due attention to this problem, you are putting not only your health and life, but also the health of your loved ones at great risk.

So if such a problem occurs, then you need to take it seriously. And now we will tell you how to recycle mercury from a broken thermometer.

Mercury thermometer: where to dispose of it

First of all, we inform you of the fact that even if you did not break the thermometer, but just want to buy a new electronic one, you cannot simply throw the old one in the trash. In this case, no one is safe from the fact that you simply place the bag poorly and the thin glass bulb will crack. You are, of course, unlikely to get poisoned under such circumstances.

But think about others! Animals that sometimes like to climb in garbage dumps and utility workers can also suffer health damage. And in order not to have sin on our conscience, let's do everything right. The thermometer for disposal must be accepted in state pharmacies. There they are placed in special containers and transferred to enterprises for the production of mercury lamps.

You can try to pass mercury thermometer and to the hospital. Although judging by the reviews on forums on the Internet, our medical government agencies are in no hurry to take responsibility for the disposal of such dangerous substances.

If you still couldn’t get rid of the device, then in order to protect yourself and your family, you can put the thermometer in water mixed with a solution of potassium permanganate, poured into a jar, and take it to a special institution as soon as possible.

So, we have already figured out where to dispose of an unbroken temperature measuring device. But what to do if you manage to break a cone?

Broken mercury thermometer: how to dispose of it

If you accidentally break a mercury thermometer, then do not panic. In this case, you need to remain calm, otherwise you may lose sight of something. And the fate of your family depends on your actions in this situation.

Let's look at a certain algorithm of actions that will help you properly dispose of a broken thermometer:

• Be sure to take the children out of the room. If possible, then the best option will send them outside;
• Open all windows and doors. You should get a draft. This action is due to the fact that mercury molecules are volatile, which means you can simply weather them away. Attention! If the temperature outside exceeds 18 degrees Celsius, then opening windows is strictly prohibited. The fact is that at a given temperature or when it increases, mercury reacts with oxygen molecules and produces those same toxic vapors. And the apartment will be saturated with harmful substances. Therefore, if it is winter outside, then the windows must be opened, but on hot summer days it is better to refrain from this method of getting rid of harmful fumes;
• We collect all the fragments of the cone in glass jar. Attention! You should not touch the glass with your bare hands, since the possibility of harmful substances entering the body through the skin has not been canceled. We collect mercury balls from the floor using a thick napkin, thoroughly soaked vegetable oil. We also put the napkin into a glass jar. Be sure to tightly seal the jar with a plastic lid.

After all visible consequences have been eliminated, you definitely need to wash the floor with disinfectants. You should not do this with bare hands; be sure to use special gloves.

We could only use mercury thermometers, but now electronic and even infrared devices have appeared that allow us to find out the result in just a couple of seconds. Modern thermometers are very convenient, especially if the patient is a child who cannot sit quietly for ten minutes (that is how long doctors recommend keeping a mercury thermometer in the armpit), but in most cases they show the result with an error.

The most accurate measuring instruments are thermometers containing mercury. In addition, mercury can be easily disinfected. To do this, you just need to immerse it in a special solution. Therefore, hospitals and clinics will not abandon such devices very soon.

However, mercury is a dangerous substance, so you need to know how to dispose of mercury thermometers. It is unlikely that such a device will simply stop measuring temperature. This can only happen if the mercury thermometer breaks and therefore spills.

It is not so much the mercury itself that is dangerous, but the vapors it produces. They can cause severe poisoning, so you need to collect the metal balls as quickly as possible. If you don’t know how to dispose of mercury thermometers, it’s best to call the Ministry of Emergency Situations, they should give you detailed instructions. Ideally, rescuers should arrive and properly process the home, but in reality this happens in rare cases (mainly in large cities).

How to dispose of mercury thermometers?

Children, adults and animals must be taken out of the room in which the thermometer has broken so that they do not trample and spread balls of mercury throughout the apartment. The door should be closed and the windows and vents should be opened if there is no draft and the room is warmer than outside. Cold air will slow down the evaporation process.

Now you need to proceed directly to collecting the toxic substance. You should protect yourself from contact with mercury by wearing rubber and shoe covers. To avoid inhaling fumes, use a gauze bandage soaked in cold water.

Large balls of mercury are easily collected using two sheets of paper, a dustpan and a brush or shaving brush, a medical bulb or a syringe without a needle. Do not use a broom; its hard rods will separate the mercury into tiny particles. But collecting small balls is difficult, you have to tinker. To do this you will need tape, plasticine, adhesive tape, and wet cotton wool. Do not use a vacuum cleaner! The mercury will remain inside the device, so you will have to throw it away. Clothing and carpet that have been exposed to mercury will also need to be disposed of.

All collected mercury must be placed in a glass container with cold water and close the lid tightly. All items that came into contact with it must be collected and wrapped in film or placed in a bag and closed. Areas exposed to toxic metal must be washed several times with soapy water or a solution of potassium permanganate, and the room must be thoroughly ventilated.

Now you know how to dispose of mercury thermometers, all that remains is to figure out where to put the jar with toxic substance? To do this you will have to call different authorities. It is quite possible that you will never get a clear answer. In any case, it is extremely dangerous to throw mercury and all the items you used during cleaning down the garbage disposal, burn them, or flush the liquid metal down the drain.

...Does this sound familiar to you?

It’s good if there is an adult at home: even if he doesn’t know something, he will still take the main risks.

However, the safety precautions of our daily lives require the maximum dissemination of such information. It seems that schoolchildren in grades 6-7 are already able to figure out how to properly dispose of a thermometer.

If you still have an old mercury thermometer in your first aid kit, find out in advance how and where to dispose of the thermometer in case of “Guard, it crashed!”

Let's start with something simple: what to do from the very beginning.

Maintain your composure and remove children, animals and the infirm from the room.

Open the window in the room and close the door tightly - you need to lower the temperature in the room below 18 degrees, at which mercury evaporates, and you must not allow a draft.

Eliminate the panickers - they will try to break into the room with a vacuum cleaner. This is ABSOLUTELY NOT possible to do this! Mercury will be absorbed into all the insides of the vacuum cleaner and it will poison you for the rest of its existence. Don't you mind throwing it away? Is a broken mercury thermometer more important? This is your decision, but do not forget to properly dispose of the poisonous vacuum cleaner - do not put it in the trash and do not poison other people!

We act clearly, like in the army:

1. For all participants in the rescue operation, prepare wet gauze bandages for the nose and mouth, medical or simple plastic gloves and plastic bags for the feet - these will be your sanitary shoe covers. Without this, it is IMPOSSIBLE to enter a room where a mercury thermometer has broken!!!
2. Prepare a jar of water - you will put all the strippings there.
3. Prepare soft paper (toilet paper or napkins, or, at worst, newspaper) in a basin, soaked in sunflower oil or just in the water
4. Prepare tape and adhesive tape - mercury sticks to them well and small pieces glass
5. Find a regular rubber enema in your first aid kit that you won’t mind throwing away
6. Find a syringe in your first aid kit - it is also convenient for sucking mercury out of crevices
7. Prepare a brush soaked in water to push small particles out of deep cracks
8. Prepare a FLASHLIGHT - one, or better yet 2-3 - it is the flashlights, if the mercury thermometer breaks, that will give you the opportunity to see the smallest particles in small cracks.
9. Prepare a bucket of liquid for demercurization: a very dark solution of potassium permanganate - almost black. Or a concentrated solution of bleach. In the worst case scenario, you can make a solution of 40 grams. soap, 30 gr. soda and a liter of water, use it to treat the floor and other places contaminated with mercury if a mercury thermometer or fluorescent lamp breaks
10. Finally, prepare soft rags with which you will wipe the surface with decontamination liquid and whole plastic bags where you will then throw these rags, brushes, and gloves.

Yes, yes, this is how troublesome and responsible you need to prepare if the thermometer in your home breaks.

Now dress properly, cover your nose and mouth with wet gauze bandages. Wear gloves and shoe covers. Enter the room and close the door tightly behind you.

Using flashlights, examine the entire possibly affected surface. Break it down into sectors and clearly set a task for your assistants. Do not rush to the first clearly visible spot: You must act like miners, i.e. Step only on a well-cleaned surface.

Every 15 minutes take a break - leave the room (preferably outside) and breathe clean air. Throw away used gloves and shoe covers into prepared bags. Then get dressed again and go to the room where the mercury thermometer broke.

Select droplets with enemas, tape, adhesive tape, adjust the droplets to each other with damp or oiled paper. Immediately throw the waste into a jar of water: if the thermometer is broken, you will have to clean the room for a long time. It takes 2 hours!

After you have chosen everything and the inspection of the place with the help of flashlights is optimistic, begin the demercurization process - all the remaining tiny droplets of mercury should enter chemical reaction with prepared liquids. This procedure must be done twice - do not give up, the fate of your children, and yours, is in them - mercury poisoning, this is a very dangerous thing.

Do wet cleaning for two weeks. It is advisable to then call a health station and make sure that your mercury vapor concentration is normal.

And finally, everything dangerous lies in thick plastic bags. What should we do next?

DO NOT THROW IT OUT IN THE TRASH!!!

Where to throw away the thermometer

Disposal of thermometers and all waste contaminated with mercury cannot be carried out independently - this is a very complex and dangerous procedure.

Disposal of thermometers is a matter of personal conscience and responsibility of citizens of Ukraine. At present, we simply cannot say that where to dispose of the thermometer is insoluble.

We find a list of regional and district centers in which this service exists:

Vinnitsa, Dnepropetrovsk, Zhitomir, Zaporozhye, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kiev, Kirovograd, Lutsk, Lvov, Nikolaev, Odessa, Poltava, Rivne, Sumy, Uzhgorod, Ternopil, Ukraine, Kharkov, Kherson, Khmelnitsky, Cherkasy, Chernigov, Chernivtsi.

And also in regional centers:

Alexandria, Ananyev, Askania-Nova, Akhtyrka, Balakleya, Balta, bar, Baranovka, Bakhmach, Bashtanka, White Church, Belyaevka, Berdichev, Berdyansk, Berezhany, Berezanka, Berislav, Bobrinets, Bogodukhov, Boguslav, Bolekhov, Borzna, Borislav, Borispol , Brovary, Brody, Bugsk, Buryn, Varva, Vasilkov, Verkhniy Rogachyk, merry, Vizhnitsa, Vinovynov, Vladimir-Volynsky, Volchansk, Volnogorsk, Volnyansk, Vyshgorod, Gadyach, Galich, Genichevsk, Glukhov, Gnivan, naked pier, ancient settlement, Gorodnya , town, gorokhov, gulyaypole, dergachi, dneprodzerzhinsk, dneproprudnoye, valley, dolinskaya, drapov, drohobych, dubno, dubrovitsa, dunaevtsy, dymer, elanets, zhmerinka, zbarazh, zvenigorodka, zdolbunov, zenkov, zolochev, ivanopol, raisin, ilyichevsk, irshava , Ichnya, Kozatin, Kalinovka, Kamenets-Podolsky, Kamenka-Dneprovskaya, Kamen-Kashirsky, Kakhovka, Kobelaki, Kovel, Kodyma, Kolki, Komarno, Konotop, Korop, Korosten, Kostopil, Kotovsk, Krasnograd, Red Windows, Kremenchuk, Crooked Lake , Krivoy Rog, Lebedin, Limanskoe, Lubny, Lyuboml, Magdalinovka, Malin, Manevichi, Manganese, Mezhgorye, Melitopol, Mena, Mirgorod, Monastery, Mukachevo, Narodichy, Nizhyn, Nikopol, New Odessa, Novograd-Volynsky, Novomyrgorod, Novoselitsa, Novoukrainka , new ug, obukhov, ovruch, oposhnya, ordzhonikidze, nuts, stockade, ochakov, pavlograd, partisans, pervomaisk, perechyn, pereyaslav-khmelnitsky, pyryatin, graveyard, canopies, pomoshnaya, pochaev, priazovskoe, priluki, putila, five-hatki, radekhov, Rakhov, Rzhishchev, Romny, Sarny, Sakhnovshchina, Svalyava, Svetlovodsk, Sinelnikovo, Skadovsk, Skvira, Slavuta, Slavutich, Smala, Sokal, Starokonstantinov, Tarasha, Tetiev, Tokmak, Turk, Uzin, Uman, Novgorod-Seversky, Fastov, Khmelnik, Khorol, Khotin, Khust, Tsyurupinsk, Chortkov, Chudnov, Shargorod, Shatsk, Shepetovka, Shostka, Shpola, Shchors, Energodar, Yagotin, Yaremcha

Proper disposal of thermometers - the health of our children!

Now let's think about how to prevent it from happening again. dangerous history entitled “If the thermometer breaks.”

After what you've experienced, you'll never want it again! Once having carried out the procedure of cleaning an apartment from a broken mercury thermometer, a person begins to understand that the main thing in medical equipment for the home is SAFETY!!!

Buy electronic thermometers, they quickly take readings and do not represent mortal danger for you and your family, like mercury. Mercury thermometers are banned throughout the civilized world, which no longer faces the problem of what to do if a mercury thermometer breaks!

Thermometers often use mercury. It is a toxic substance that, if released from this equipment, can cause serious health problems. In this article we will consider the question “How to dispose of a mercury thermometer?”

Liquid metal danger

The main danger to humans is mercury vapor. From an environmental point of view, it belongs to microelements, which suggests that serious health consequences can occur at low concentrations of this element, at which it becomes a “heavy metal”. Mercury can enter the body orally and also through inhalation.

The first way is the most dangerous for children who are interested in the very color and shape of the metal ball, and they may try to taste it. In this regard, the question “How to dispose of a mercury thermometer?” is relevant for everyone, but is especially important for families with small children.

The entry of this substance into the body initially occurs without the obvious presence of symptoms of poisoning. After a certain period of time has passed, a person begins to have problems with the fact that he becomes extremely irritable, he experiences increased fatigue, and a sharp loss of weight and appetite. If you suspect poisoning with this metal, you should consult a doctor and ask yourself the question “How to properly dispose of a mercury thermometer?”

Priority actions when metal leaks from the thermometer

The answer to the question of how to dispose of a mercury thermometer should begin with the fact that it is necessary to localize the accident site and remove all people and animals from it. First of all, you should not get close to the place where the mercury leak occurred. The fact is that, despite the fact that it seems that the metal flows out in separate balls, it produces splashes that can stick to the sole and spread throughout the house. The room in which this incident occurred must be ventilated, while avoiding drafts, for which it is necessary to close the doors when open windows.

After this you need to start collecting dangerous element. To do this you need to prepare. Use only thick, intact gloves and a respirator. You can do the latter yourself by moistening a gauze bandage with a soda solution. It is better to wear shoe covers or plastic bags, which must be integer.

We collect

Preparing for this action, let's get to it. The first decision on where to dispose of a mercury thermometer should be to use a jar filled with water. The latter will not allow this element to saturate the air with dangerous vapors.

To prevent the microelement from spreading from the thermometer, you need to surround the place where it was released with wet rags.

Collect heavy metal using a syringe. The smallest splashes can be collected by using tape, plasticine or other sticky objects. It should be borne in mind that those of them that are used to collect mercury must be disposed of along with this element.

Further actions

Every 10-15 minutes you need to leave the room in which the thermometer broke for Fresh air. This will avoid critical accumulation of mercury in the body, which, in turn, will prevent severe poisoning. The jar with water and the placed metal is screwed tightly. It should not be placed near heating equipment, as well as other devices of similar action.

After disinfecting the room, it is necessary to rinse your mouth with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. If nausea, weakness, or dizziness occurs, you must take pills activated carbon, washing them down with plenty of water. In the following days, it is also necessary to consume a significant amount of this substance, since it helps remove this toxic element from the body. Disinfection of the broken area can be done with isopropyl alcohol or by sprinkling the contaminated surface with crushed activated carbon tablets, which after 15 minutes should be placed in a vessel with water. Within a month after collection, you need to treat the floor and walls with a chlorine solution, alternating with treatment with clean water.

Complex collection cases

If mercury beads get on the carpet, it is necessary to prevent them from getting onto the floor covering by lifting the edges and bending them. If the metal gets on the fleece mat, then it is wrapped in polyethylene, taken out to the yard, hanging on a crossbar with the latter placed under the crossbar in order to prevent the pollutant from getting into the ground. The mercury will drain from this surface on its own, after which the product is knocked out for at least 30 minutes.

It is most difficult to remove the microelement in question from metal surfaces. To do this, you need to use a copper plate, with which you collect it and place it in cold water.

Storing even collected metal at home is extremely dangerous. At the same time, the need for disposal arises not only in relation to a broken thermometer, but also to one that has ceased to show the temperature correctly and whose service life has expired.

If a thermometer with this element breaks, you must contact the Ministry of Emergency Situations. After the team arrives at the site, the latter are given a jar of water and heavy metal, gloves, tape and other equipment that was used for collection. Rescuers carry out professional disinfection and determine whether toxic fumes have spread to other premises.

If you live in the capital of our homeland, the question “How to dispose of a mercury thermometer in Moscow?” has more simple solutions, which is also typical for a number of other large settlements. This is due to the fact that they have special organizations involved in the disposal of this equipment.

Other disposal methods

There are organizations that act as intermediaries between trading companies and drug manufacturers. They have containers at their disposal in which various pollutants, including mercury, can be placed for safe storage. Since the potential for the thermometer to break is always present, it is better to take care in advance of the issue of the presence of a given economic entity in that locality where you live. To do this, you can use the help desk services or search for information yourself in global network Internet.

If a situation arises when none of the organizations described above are nearby, you need to seek help in resolving the question “Where to dispose of a mercury thermometer?” to pharmacies or Rospotrebnadzor authorities, which are not specialized enterprises for the collection, storage and disposal of xenobiotics, but cannot refuse individuals in accepting what was brought, in case of preliminary writing of the application by the latter.

What not to do

The question “How to dispose of a mercury thermometer?” should not stand on its own, but must take into account the correctness of this procedure. You can collect this heavy metal in such a way that you won’t have to expect anything good after it. To prevent this, you need to follow simple rules:

• you cannot create a draft, as mentioned earlier;
• Do not clean with a broom, as this contributes to the spread of small balls of mercury throughout different corners premises;
• when using a vacuum cleaner, toxic metal scatters throughout the living area;
• After the process of collecting heavy metal, wash the items in which it was carried out;
• the latter are subject to disposal only.

In addition, the mercury thermometer should not be disposed of by throwing it in the trash.

If a broom or vacuum cleaner has been used, it must be disposed of.

There is no need to use chlorinated iron and copper sulfate in the collection process. The first in itself is toxic substance, and the latter contributes to the dissolution of mercury and its smearing, which complicates the cleaning process.

There is no need to pour water containing collected metal down the drain. It settles on the walls of the pipes and will serve as a constant source of toxic fumes.

We provide security

There is no need to leave a mercury thermometer unattended; after measuring the temperature, it should be immediately placed in a protective case, held firmly in your hands while shaking, not brought close to heating devices, and not given to animals and children as a toy.

As an alternative to such a device, you can use an electronic thermometer. However, it must be borne in mind that it must adhere tightly to the skin, so it is best to use it rectally or orally. There are forehead and ear infrared thermometers and pacifier thermometers for babies.

Finally

This article addressed the question “How to dispose of a mercury thermometer?” When breaking it, this must be done carefully, using special means, disposing of it by handing it over to special organizations. The collection process should be as safe as possible, for which it is necessary to use personal protective equipment; after collection, the infection site must be treated with those of the listed products that are available at home. In order to prevent mercury from entering if the thermometer accidentally slips out, you can use alternative thermometers.

Mercury thermometers do not have an expiration date, but there is a risk of damage to the glass case. They contain mercury, the toxic fumes of which can cause irreparable damage to health.

About 20% medical waste pose a danger to environment. They are divided into 5 classes, mercury thermometers belong to the 1st. This means that they should absolutely not be thrown away with ordinary garbage. Demercurization centers, which have special equipment and qualified personnel, are responsible for the disposal of mercury. Individuals, as well as organizations wishing to get rid of waste containing mercury, can contact such an organization.

What is mercury recycling?

Toxic metal tends to accumulate in living organisms and the environment, causing poisoning and disease even at low concentrations. On an industrial scale, mercury is recycled technically in a complicated way, and are also recycled using metal to make lamps. Mercury disposal in Moscow is carried out by licensed enterprises. If a lamp or thermometer breaks, you need to call the Ministry of Emergency Situations. For the safety of your family, it is better to replace mercury-containing devices with electronic ones. Plus it's on sale now big choice accurate and safe thermometers and lamps.

If the thermometer breaks

The mercury leaked out:

• remove children and animals from the room;
• do not vacuum or sweep, as the molecules will only disperse;
• toxic fumes pose a danger, so you cannot create a draft, otherwise you will have to disinfect the entire apartment;
• if the temperature outside is higher than +18°C, you cannot open the windows, otherwise the mercury molecules will react with oxygen, increasing harmful fumes;
• You cannot collect the contents with your bare hands; mercury accumulates in balls; they are collected with an oiled napkin, which is immediately lowered into a jar of water;
• You can use wide tape to collect the fragments - the smallest glass and the balls will stick to its surface;
• It is very difficult to collect mercury from soft and fleecy surfaces, so these things will have to be thrown away;
• everything collected should be placed in a glass jar with a solution of potassium permanganate and the lid tightly closed;
• Do not pour out or throw away the collected contents under any circumstances;
• wash the floor with disinfectants (potassium permanganate, bleach, soap and soda solution), they envelop the remaining mercury molecules and neutralize their harmful effects;
• carry out work only in gloves.

The mercury did not flow out:

• Do not throw away the device along with household waste or bury in the ground;
• the thermometer is placed in a glass container with a solution of potassium permanganate;
• Disposal of mercury from a thermometer without damage is carried out by specialized enterprises; the device should only be taken there;
• Where to take collected mercury in the capital can be found on the website of the Moscow Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology.

1. It is prohibited to dispose of mercury into sewers;
2. Items used to collect mercury must be thrown out of the apartment;
3. Mercury should not be kept near heating devices or near heat;
4. There should be no drafts in the room, as toxic fumes are very volatile;
5. Rinse the mucous membranes of the mouth and nose, brush your teeth - during the cleaning process, metal could settle on them.

• Disposal of thermometers must be carried out strictly according to the rules and only by specialists;
• The device contains about 2 g of toxic metal, but even this small amount is enough to cause serious poisoning.
• If possible, it is better to immediately call emergency services specialists.
• The mercury disposal service for demercurization uses products that guarantee complete cleaning from pollution. The substance enters into an oxidation reaction and the dangerous metal is neutralized.

How to store a mercury thermometer

At home, thermometers are stored in places inaccessible to children to prevent them from falling or damaging the glass case.

There are separate conditions for broken thermometers:

1. According to the rules, all 1st class waste is placed in a cylindrical galvanized container and covered with a cover;
2. When the waste is collected, the container is marked with a sticker;
3. Waste containing mercury must be stored in a specially designated room with a hard floor, and access to it must be limited.

Mercury disposal procedure

• Substances of the first class of danger are extremely hazardous waste, only licensed enterprises are allowed to process them;
• IN special installation(demercurizer) mercury is recycled from thermometers and mercury lamps;
• The glass is crushed, mercury vapor rises, after which it is deposited followed by condensation (a sorbent is used);
• The thermocryogenic method is also used for disposal - it is installed heat at 170°C, in a vacuum dangerous fumes condense, then freeze out using liquid nitrogen. The defrosted mercury is then collected in a receiver;
• For lamps, the separation method is used - in a counter-current system with vibration and air pressure, the lamp is divided into components ( broken glass, aluminum parts, phosphor), each component is sent to a separate receiver.

Lamps and thermometers containing mercury are dangerous to the environment and human health. Mercury vapor and the substance itself tend to accumulate in living organisms, causing damage to the nervous system and organs, causing poisoning and cancer.

According to current legislation, a special disposal procedure is provided and it is prohibited to store such waste for more than 1 year in basements and warehouses without permission. Proper management of mercury waste involves only demercurization.

Licenses for this type of activity are issued by civil service on nuclear, technological and environmental supervision.