What to do if the thermometer broke

Degrees, which are an indispensable tool for determining the temperature of a person's body, are used in almost every family. Although modern achievements in the field of electronics have long allowed us to use absolutely safe substances for the human body in the production of this medical accessory, the most common in our country are mercury thermometers, which carry a potential danger. Everyone knows that mercury, or rather the vapors of this metal are extremely dangerous components of the thermometer, which in case of getting into the human body can cause extreme harm to health. Despite this, many forget about precaution and fall into the situation when the thermometer is broken, and the harmful metal - leaked onto the floor. What if the thermometer broke? No matter how broken the thermometer the consequences of this can be deplorable, therefore it is necessary to carry out a number of procedures for demercurization of the room where the thermometer broke how to collect mercury is described below.

1. In the case when a lower temperature was established on the street than in the room, windows should be opened - a low air temperature reduces the evaporation of the poisonous metal. At the same time, do not allow the occurrence of a draft that can lead to the mercury balls scattered throughout the apartment or house, and to collect them will be extremely difficult.

2. What to do if the thermometer is broken in a dark room and the mercury balls are not visible? It is necessary to highlight the place of the fall, using, for example, a table lamp. After the drops of mercury are visible, you can start collecting them.

3. When collecting mercury, it is necessary to put on rubber gloves, and also to prevent dropping of metal on the skin. The most convenient way to collect mercury dots is to roll them onto a sheet of paper using another sheet or a soft brush. Do not use a hard brush or a broom, as these tools can crush poison balls. That mercury that hammered into the cracks of the floor, can be extracted with a brush, but for this it must first be sprinkled with sand. In addition, to clean hard-to-reach places, you can use a piece of cotton wool, which is dampened in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. After collection mercury is carefully shaken into a glass container filled with water or a solution of potassium permanganate. There, sand is also sent, containing mercury particles, as well as a broken thermometer. A good way to render harmless mercury is to suck it into a rubber pear.

4. What to do if the thermometer was broken already should be clear - to collect mercury, but what to do with the already collected toxic metal? Firstly, it must not be thrown into a sewer or a garbage disposal facility. In general, mercury should be subjected to special treatment, without which it will release toxins anywhere, wherever it would be, and this further worsens the unfavorable ecological situation. To neutralize the consequences for the occupants of the premises in which the thermometer was broken, it is necessary to call specialists working in the Office of Civil Defense and Emergency Situations.

5. The last stage of demercurization is the neutralization of all mercury particles, even the smallest ones. To do this, the place of mercury spillage is wetted with a weak solution of potassium permanganate (0.2%). You can also use soap and soda solution, which is prepared from soda, taken in an amount of 30 grams, soap-40 grams, water -1 liter. This solution wipes all areas that could be exposed to mercury. After two days, the disinfecting solution is washed off with clean water.

We hope that the above steps will help everyone to understand what to do if the thermometer broke.