Mercury thermometers are widely used in households and medical settings due to their low cost and accurate measurement. However, once broken, mercury, a volatile and toxic heavy metal, can pose potential hazards to human health and the environment. After being broken, the following things must not be done.

Never touch mercury directly with your hands

Mercury has strong surface tension and will form small beads when broken. Directly touching with hands, mercury can easily penetrate into the human body through the skin, causing mercury poisoning. Mercury poisoning may damage the nervous system, digestive system, and kidneys, resulting in symptoms such as headache, dizziness, fatigue, and oral ulcers. Moreover, bacteria on the hands may also contaminate mercury, increasing the difficulty of subsequent treatment. If accidentally touched, rinse immediately with plenty of water and seek medical examination promptly.

Never use a regular broom to clean

When a regular broom is used to sweep mercury, it disperses the mercury beads into smaller particles, increasing their volatilization area and accelerating the release of mercury vapor. Mercury vapor diffuses in the air and can be harmful to health if inhaled by humans. Meanwhile, the sweeping fibers may also adsorb mercury, causing secondary pollution. The correct approach is to use a small shovel or hard paper to collect larger mercury beads.

Never pour mercury into the sewer

Pouring mercury into the sewer, it will enter the sewage treatment system with the water flow, which may not only corrode the pipeline, but also pollute the water source and soil. Mercury is difficult to degrade in the environment and can exist and accumulate for a long time, entering the human body through the food chain, causing long-term harm to ecosystems and human health. The collected mercury should be sealed in glass or plastic bottles, labeled as' mercury containing waste ', and handed over to a professional environmental protection department for disposal.

Never stay in the broken area for a long time

After mercury is broken, it quickly evaporates into mercury vapor, especially in high-temperature environments where it evaporates faster. Staying in the broken area for a long time and inhaling a large amount of mercury vapor can increase the risk of poisoning. Immediately open doors and windows for ventilation, reduce indoor mercury vapor concentration, and evacuate personnel quickly to a well ventilated area.