My kids are cleaning out my Mom’s home, so they can move into it. The came across a bottle of mercury and are horrified. They even had nightmares over it.
When I was a kid, I used to play with a glob of the mercury. I loved how shiny it was and how I could coat a dime with it and make it really shiny and then it would turn black, and how I could smash a piece of it and it would go all directions and then come back together.
What’s going to happen to me? What could it have caused it me now that I am grown? I am 54. They are hysterical and are trying to figure out how to destroy it without touching it. I agree it needs destroyed and I don’t know how. Could I have gotten mental illness from it or some other awful thing since I played with it? I forgot until now, all about it.
Avoid having chemicals such as chlorine dioxide, nitric acid, nitrates, ethylene oxide, chlorine and methylazide in the same area as mercury since they will react violently with mercury, use protective clothing: gloves, Be sure to keep mercury away from biological waste or anything else that will be incinerated since incineration puts mercury vapor into the air. Wash hands and face after handling mercury, Avoid storing or handling mercury near sinks. Spilled mercury could run into the sink, lodge in the trap, ruin the pipe by amalgamating with and weakening the metal, and then be released into the environment , sttore liquid mercury in a cool place. Store it in a A sealed, labeled, and shatter-resistant container.
Call poison control center in Phone Book if needed.
The reason we have so be VERY careful with mercury? It bioaccumulates (or it never leaves your body) - the more exposure one has, the more potential for mercury to build up.
And with the vial of mercury you have, please contact your local government and see if you have a Household Hazardous Waste program in your area. Hopefully, you can just take the vial to them for proper disposal.
The dangers of short-term exposure may have been somewhat exaggerated when explained to you. If you don’t need it, I have a use for it (in a carburator manometer, if you must know). It can be mailed. Contact me for an address, and I’ll be glad to take it off your hands.
Someone will be along shortly to tell you of the environmental hazards which can be serious long term.
Your kids are hysterical. They also have no idea what mercury is. It’s an element, and CAN’T be destroyed. It’s in a bottle, and it’s not going to hurt anyone, as long as they don’t open or break the bottle. Metallic mercury, as opposed to mercury salts, is the least dangerous form of mercury, so the panic is quite unwarranted.
On the other hand, there’s such a thing as recklessness. Mercury CANNOT be legally mailed through the U.S. Postal Service, no ground service will accept it, and no air service is permitted to do so. I can guarantee that you do not have the resources to properly lab-pack mercury for courier transport, and you don’t want to pay for it.
In my neighborhood, the local waste disposal company accepts mercury and other hazardous materials on “hazardous waste days.” If you listed a real location, I could probably tell you how your community handles this sort of thing.
I just bought some mercury via mail order. I think it came UPS, though… It definitely wasn’t USPS. But it only cost a couple dollars to ship it (and it was with other stuff).
One more thing though, I recommend putting the container that the mercury is currently in, in another plastic container - like a HDPE screwtop jar. Some old mercury containers can become fragile with consequent greater likelihood of breaking when moved. Then label the outer container for disposal.
Dont panic. Its not that bad. But you dont want it to spill everywhere - breaking up into small droplets leads to greatly increased formation of the vapour (which is toxic).
hammerbach
What was the company you ordered the mercury from?
I have searched the 'Net trying to find a supplier but lately (with nut case terrorists and so forth), Hg is a rare commodity.
Recently, wasn’t there some jerk (New Jersey I think) who threatened to taint a water supply with mercury?
Anyway, I know the proper handling of Hg and would like a supply. Any information would be greatly appreciated.
I got the stuff with a carburator sync manometer, which is really 4 manometers side by side to indicate engine vacuum for tunig purposes. This is an expensive way to buy mercury, but you can get it. Here’s a link for a replacement supply.
So do they not use Mercury in household thermostats anymore?
If I had it, I would carefully get out a little to show my kids how unbelievable cool the stuff is. It’s probably the only chance they’ll ever have to see it. Playing with a little metallic mercury is not going to hurt anyone, as long as you don’t let it get away and sink into the water table. Then I’d clean it up, put it back in the jar, and keep it.
PurplePerson, you’re in Ohio? I had guessed Pennsylvania, when you said “I agree it needs destroyed.” Is this phrasing common in Ohio?
CurtC, mercury is no longer used in household anything - thermostats and thermometers are all electronic or use other materials. Most hospitals have replaced their mercury sphygmomanometers with electronic ones, and even chemistry labs avoid using mercury and its salts when they can (although there’s no acceptable replacement for mercury thermometers in the lab).
And for god’s sake don’t play with mercury. Small amounts still have a large surface area and release vapor. Mercury is likely to sink into pores and cracks in surfaces, stay there, and release mercury vapor (which is the actual hazard). There’s accidental and environmental exposure all the time, and adding to that for amusement is just plain dense (heh),
hemmerbach I am considering building a mercury barometer from scratch. Can it be done? Sure. I did it for a science project a LONG time ago. I will take all precautions - it will go in a glass and wood case, etc. And if I ever get rid of the Hg (which is HIGHLY unlikely), it will be done properly.
Funny thing is that an Hg barometer could be put together quickly as a last minute science project. It’s cheap, fast and easy ( a rare triple combination for anything). The thing is even in my day, with Hg so plentiful, not many people thought of doing a science project like that. I vowed I would NEVER make the volcano project ever (I never did).
By the way, how much Hg do you get? You’d think the ad would say. Well, maybe I should just E-Mail them.