What is the danger of mercury from a thermometer for a person - a person asks such a question when faced with a deformed mercury thermometer. To measure the exact temperature of the body, thermometers using alcohol, glycerin, mercury, as well as electronic devices, have become widespread.

As practice shows, mercury thermometers show the most accurate readings of body temperature, which is associated with the high thermal conductivity of mercury and an almost linear coefficient of expansion of the metal.

Along with such an important advantage, mercury-based thermometers have a very harmful, and even dangerous drawback - the toxicity of the substance and the ability to accumulate in the body, which can even lead to deaths of poisoning.

Features of a mercury thermometer

In home and even hospital conditions, it is mercury thermometers that are widely used, since they give an error of only 0.01 ° C. Such an error is achieved due to the amazing properties of the liquid metal - mercury.

The characteristic of mercury is quite remarkable. The melting point of this chemical is only -38.8 ° C, which means that under normal conditions it is in liquid form. Like all metals, mercury in a thermometer expands as the temperature rises, and contracts as the temperature falls.

Also, liquid mercury does not have the ability to moisturize and remain on the glass from which thermometers are made. This makes it possible to achieve a high accuracy of the measuring instrument by using glass tubes with a very small cross section.

It is important to remember that mercury is nothing but a highly toxic poison and belongs to the 1st class of very toxic substances.

The above properties make this metal indispensable in the manufacture of thermometers. However, mercury and any compounds with it are quite toxic and poisonous. Because of this reason, some countries have even abandoned the use of mercury-based thermometers.

The danger of a damaged mercury thermometer

With proper and careful handling of a mercury thermometer, if stored in a place protected from children, in a special case, used only under adult supervision, such an instrument does not pose a danger.

But in the case when the thermometer with mercury nevertheless crashed, both glass fragments and leaked mercury from the glass tube pose a danger to the human body. This substance is characterized by a very low melting point, which is not typical for other metals - 38.8 ° C, and already at a temperature of + 18 ° C it evaporates.

It must be remembered that mercury evaporates both outdoors and under water.

Vapors of liquid mercury are very toxic, since when inhaled, the vapors enter the lungs, then the mercury is oxidized and already in the oxidized state negatively affects the state of the body. The ions of the element, which are formed during the oxidation of the metal, are very poisonous.

The effect of leaked mercury from a thermometer on the human body

A mercury thermometer may contain dangerous liquid mercury in an amount of 1 to 2 grams of the substance. This volume of pure mercury outside the glass tube will be enough to poison the human body of varying severity. Symptoms of such poisoning may not immediately appear, since the metal is characterized by the property of accumulation.

Depending on the duration of exposure and the concentration of mercury, the following types of poisoning are distinguished:

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• Chronic poisoning: with constant contact with metal, with long work in a closed room with a vapor concentration slightly higher than the MPC. It is expressed by general weakness, severe unreasonable fatigue, headache, increased irritability and dizziness. May show up after a couple of years.
• Acute poisoning: at a high concentration of the substance, it can happen in just 2-3 hours. It is expressed by a metallic taste, pain in the abdomen, head and when swallowing, as well as lack of appetite. Such poisoning is often accompanied by pneumonia.
• Micromercurialism: at very low concentrations of mercury, but for a long time of 5 to 10 years. It manifests itself in the form of prolonged respiratory diseases, increased bleeding of the gums, tremor of the fingers, various disorders of the nervous system and a violation of the cycle in young women.

Basically, mercury in toxic vapors enters the human body through the lungs. When it comes to a large spill of mercury, then intoxication can also occur through the mucous membranes and pores of the skin. Basically, the metal has a detrimental effect on the nervous system, respiratory tract and kidneys.

If the substance enters the human body with food, then it does not have a significant effect, since almost all of it is excreted by the body through the intestines without absorption into the blood. Removal of the remaining part occurs for a long time through the kidneys.

It must be remembered that mercury is characterized by a neurotoxic effect on the human body, occurring in the form of destruction of nerve cells.

Particularly sensitive to the action of vapors are people with a weakened immune system, as well as small children and pregnant women.

Prolonged penetration into the body of small but dangerous doses of mercury can provoke the onset of severe inflammatory processes in important organs and systems. Basically, intoxication with mercury vapor leads to pneumonia, paralysis and total blindness.

Given all aspects of the negative, it is necessary not only to identify signs of mercury exposure in time, to properly clean up and dispose of spills, but also to immediately provide emergency assistance.

How mercury toxicity manifests itself

Mercury accumulates in the body, it is not excreted from it. This is what causes chronic poisoning. What symptoms are observed?

• Prolonged and severe headaches.
• The taste of metal in the mouth.
• Apathy, drowsiness and weakness.
• Tremor (trembling) of the hands, nervous tic.
• Irritability and frequent mood swings.
• Sometimes there is diarrhea.

If poisonous mercury accumulates in the body for years, then working capacity, memory, concentration of attention gradually deteriorate, and mental illness occurs. Sometimes hair falls out, teeth become loose, some diseases become chronic. Such symptoms appear after a few years.

The problem of a broken thermometer becomes especially serious if there are small children at home. They are especially susceptible to poison, since the children's body cannot fully resist it. If the family has a small child, an electronic thermometer is needed.

From a broken thermometer is observed:

• shortness of breath when breathing;
• violation of the digestive tract;
• bluish complexion.

If these symptoms appear, you need to call an ambulance. Gastric lavage is usually carried out to remove mercury oxide and relieve signs of intoxication. If prompt medical attention is not followed, then you can induce vomiting yourself. According to statistics, in 65% of cases these are mild poisonings..

Help with intoxication

Mercury poisoning can only be treated in a hospital setting. Since mercury from a broken thermometer is very dangerous, first aid must be provided immediately at home. It consists in alleviating the condition of the poisoned person and consists of the following measures:

• organize the flow of fresh air into the room;
• rinse the stomach with plenty of water;
• induce vomiting;
• apply activated charcoal;
• provide plenty of fluids;
• provide the patient with bed rest.

These measures should be carried out if the victim is fully conscious. When a person is unconscious, he must be quickly released from tight clothes, laid on his side. You should also exclude the sinking of the tongue and ensure the supply of fresh air.

What to do if the thermometer accidentally crashed

In the event that a mercury thermometer is damaged in a medical institution, at work or at home, it is necessary to call emergency services and follow the following recommendations:

• There is no need to panic, it should be precisely determined that it was the mercury thermometer that crashed and the place of such an incident.
• Remove all people and pets from the room where the device was damaged, except for those who have mercury residues on their clothes or wool. This is how localization is carried out and the spread of spilled mercury to other rooms is excluded.
• Prevent people from entering a room that is poisoned with mercury.
• It is necessary to open windows and close all doors to ensure the flow of fresh air and exclude drafts that can spread mercury vapor to neighboring rooms.
• They put on shoe covers, rubber gloves, a respirator or a moistened cotton-gauze bandage, which is moistened with water or a strong soda solution to protect the respiratory organs from the action of vapors.
• When collecting balls of mercury, you must be extremely careful not to step on the glass fragments of the thermometer.
• After cleaning up mercury, you need to drink plenty of any liquid and eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
• For preventive purposes, you should drink activated charcoal in a therapeutic dosage.
• All collected balls of mercury must be placed in a glass container with water, and then closed with a tight lid.
• All utensils and clothing that were used to collect mercury should be placed in polyethylene and disposed of.

Work on collecting poisonous metal must be carried out promptly, especially if the room is warm. Otherwise, mercury will begin to evaporate and cause damage to the respiratory system.

Almost every home first aid kit contains a mercury thermometer. When used correctly, this attribute is perfectly safe for humans. If the thermometer accidentally breaks, do not panic, it is important to collect all the metal balls as soon as possible.

Living in a safe space

Why put yourself and your loved ones at unnecessary risk? Today we are surrounded by many harmful substances with which the modern world is saturated. There are safe electronic thermometers that accurately and quickly show body temperature..

The thermometer looks like a flat stick with a thin tip and a display on the body. He gives evidence within a minute after contact with the body. It will not break, reliable and accurate. Working life: from 2 to 5 years. So mercury thermometers have already exhausted themselves and will soon disappear altogether.

Therefore, when making a choice in a pharmacy, buying drugs or medical devices, read the instructions, be interested in their safety. And stop buying a mercury thermometer. Take care of your health and the health of your loved ones and do not put yourself at unnecessary risk.

Mercury is a colorless heavy metal whose compounds in the form of oxides and salts are used in production. In addition, it is part of some preparations for disinfection and paints. At home, mercury can be encountered if energy-saving light bulbs or a thermometer are damaged. Metal fumes poisoning from a single broken light bulb is unlikely.

But if they are damaged periodically, then you can easily earn chronic poisoning. Some do not know how dangerous mercury from a thermometer is for a person if this item is broken, and what are the consequences of mercury poisoning.

Mercury toxicity

Whether mercury from a broken thermometer is dangerous is beyond doubt. If this happens, then there is a danger of mercury vapor poisoning, and most often this occurs through the skin. Wherein development of intoxication carried out slowly. It is much more dangerous if metal particles get on the mucous membranes. The toxic shock in this case is experienced by the liver. The most severe situation with poisoning occurs when the vapors are inhaled, or if they directly enter the bloodstream, because the liver does not participate at all in their neutralization.

Quite often, human contact with mercury occurs when a thermometer is broken. The amount of mercury in a thermometer is about two grams. The lethal dose of mercury for humans is the ingestion of half of this dose.

The size of the room in which the thermometer crashed is also important. Also, much depends on the gender, age and body weight of the person who has been in contact with a dangerous poison. All these factors that can influence on the severity of poisoning. If urgent measures are not taken, then the probability of mercury poisoning from a thermometer is 100%, because its average toxic dose is 0.4 mg.

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Symptoms of poisoning

Why is a broken thermometer dangerous? It is dangerous by the occurrence of poisoning, which proceeds and is acute, for example, by inhalation of vapors, and chronically, when a small amount of metal enters the body for a long time.

Acute poisoning is rare and usually occurs in industrial accidents where mercury is used. Most often, there is chronic metal poisoning from a thermometer, the development of symptoms of which occurs very slowly.

If the thermometer crashed in the apartment, then mercury vapor poisoning is manifested by a reaction from the nervous system. Appear:

• memory loss;
• drowsiness;
• irritability;
• headache;
• weakness;
• fatigue.

The development of mercury tremor (trembling) of the tongue, fingers, sometimes the whole body is characteristic, convulsions may develop. In addition, it happens increase in body temperature, lowering blood pressure, there is increased sweating. Acute poisoning is accompanied by lethargy followed by loss of consciousness. The likelihood of developing a coma is high.

In case of vapor poisoning, the digestive system also suffers. In this case, there is:

• diarrhea;
• nausea;
• vomit;
• taste of metal in the mouth.

If the mucous membrane is damaged by mercury, gingivitis and stomatitis develop, which manifested by increased salivation, bleeding gums, pain. When ulcers appear in the intestines, stomach, esophagus, abdominal pain occurs, bleeding may open. Mercury poisoning is characterized by a bright red color of the gums, on which a dark plaque appears after a while.

How dangerous The fact is that mercury from a thermometer does not smell at all, and a person can inhale its vapors without noticing it. Wherein respiratory system begins to suffer. Acute specific non-infectious bronchitis, pneumonia develops. If the airways are damaged severely enough, hemoptysis can occur. In case of severe poisoning, pulmonary edema is not excluded.

This metal is able to accumulate in the kidneys and liver, causing the gradual development of kidney and liver failure. In acute poisoning, this condition develops very quickly, which is a direct threat to life.

It is not always possible to immediately determine that mercury poisoning has occurred. Its symptoms are often non-specific and may occur as poisoning with other heavy metals, and in inflammatory diseases of organs affected by mercury intoxication. To make an accurate diagnosis, take a blood test for the concentration of a toxic substance. In case of mercury poisoning, it ranges from 180 mcg / l and above.

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First aid

If it is known for sure that the poisoning is caused by mercury vapor, then you should go to fresh air. First aid begins with washing the mucous membranes of the nose, mouth, eyes and exposed skin with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or running water. Wherein need to make sure that there are no disorders of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. If there are any, then it is first necessary to eliminate life-threatening conditions by performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation, stopping or slowing bleeding, etc.

Gastric lavage is carried out only through a probe using potassium permanganate dissolved in cold water. It helps reduce the cauterizing effect of the metal. Washing is carried out several times a day. After the procedure, sorbents are additionally prescribed, which are taken 4 times a day.

In case of mercury poisoning, the Unithiol antidote is administered intravenously. In the future, to flush out the poison from the body, diuretics and solutions are administered, as well as intramuscularly "Unithiol". If such a need arises, then hemodialysis is also used. With ulcerative lesions of various organs, symptomatic treatment is carried out.

If the thermometer is broken

If a thermometer breaks in an apartment, then a person should be clearly aware that mercury is very dangerous for everyone who lives in this room. Therefore, you need to collect the smallest balls that rolled across the floor as quickly as possible. Remove all tenants from the apartment close the door and open the windows. You need to put on a respirator on your face or just tie a linen scarf so that it covers your mouth and nose. Rubber gloves are put on the hands. Mercury balls should not be handled with bare hands, because vapors can penetrate through the pores in the skin.

Mercury (Hg) A liquid metal used in everyday life and technology as a working fluid for various measuring instruments and electrical attitude switches.

Mercury is the only metal that is in a liquid state at room temperature. Mercury freezes at minus 39°C and boils at 357°C. It is 13.6 times heavier than water. It tends to break up into tiny droplets and spread. In nature, mercury is found in the reddish mineral cinnabar. Cinnabar is part of many rocks, but mostly rocks of volcanic origin.

Mercury has the property evaporates easily. To obtain pure metal from ore, it is necessary to heat this ore to a temperature of about 482 ° C. Vapors are collected and condensed, and mercury is obtained.

Mercury is a substance of hazard class I (according to GOST 17.4.1.02-83), thiol poison (an extremely dangerous chemical).

The maximum permissible concentration of mercury in the atmospheric air is 0.0003 mg/m3 (in accordance with the "Sanitary and Epidemiological Requirements for Atmospheric Air").

Only vapors and soluble mercury compounds are poisonous. At a temperature of 18°C, intensive evaporation of mercury into the atmosphere begins, inhalation of such air contributes to its accumulation in the body, from where it is no longer excreted (like other heavy metals). However, in order to accumulate a significant proportion of mercury in the body, it is necessary to regularly stay indoors for several months or years with a significant excess of the MPC of this metal in the air.

The concentration of mercury vapor that can lead to severe chronic diseases ranges from 0.001 to 0.005 mg/m3. At higher concentrations, mercury is absorbed by intact skin. Acute poisoning can occur at 0.13 - 0.80 mg/m3. Fatal intoxication develops when 2.5 g of mercury vapor is inhaled.

Harm

Symptoms of mercury poisoning

Mercury is dangerous not only for humans, but also for plants, animals and fish. The penetration of mercury into the body most often occurs precisely by inhalation of its odorless vapors.

Mercury poisoning

Mercury and its compounds are dangerous highly toxic substances that can accumulate in the human body and not be excreted for a long time, causing irreparable harm health. As a result, a person is affected:

• Nervous system
• Liver
• kidneys
• Gastrointestinal tract

Mercury remains in the body for a year.

Mercury salt poisoning

Acute mercury poisoning manifests itself several hours after the onset of poisoning. Intoxication occurs mainly through the respiratory tract, about 80% of inhaled mercury vapor is retained in the body. Salts and oxygen contained in the blood contribute to the absorption of mercury, its oxidation and the formation of mercury salts.

Symptoms of acute poisoning with mercury salts:

• general weakness
• lack of appetite
• headache
• pain when swallowing
• metallic taste in mouth
• salivation
• swelling and bleeding of the gums
• nausea and vomiting
• severe abdominal pain
• mucous diarrhea (sometimes with blood)

In addition, mercury poisoning is characterized by a decline in cardiac activity, the pulse becomes rare and weak, fainting is possible. Often there is pneumonia, chest pain, cough and shortness of breath, often severe chills. Body temperature rises to 38-40 °C. A significant amount of mercury is found in the urine of the victim. In severe cases, the victim dies within a few days.

Symptoms of mercury vapor poisoning

With prolonged exposure to even relatively low concentrations of mercury - on the order of hundredths and thousandths of mg / m3, the nervous system is damaged. The main symptoms of poisoning:

• Headache
• Hyperexcitability
• Irritability
• Decreased performance
• Fast fatiguability
• sleep disorder
• Memory impairment
• Apathy

Symptoms of chronic mercury poisoning

In chronic poisoning with mercury and its compounds, the following symptoms appear:

• Metallic taste in the mouth
• Loose gums
• Strong salivation
• mild excitability
• Weakening of memory

Since mercury belongs to AHOV (emergency chemically hazardous toxic substances), households, in order to be taken away for recycling, will also have to pay the relevant organizations.

Mercury is a dangerous environmental pollutant, and releases into water are especially dangerous.

Benefit

Scope of mercury

Mercury and its compounds are used in engineering, the chemical industry, and medicine.

It is added in the manufacture of medicines and disinfectants.

Mercury quickly and evenly reacts to temperature changes, so it is used in thermometers and thermometers.

Mercury is also used in paints, dentistry, chlorine, caustic soda, and electrical equipment.

Organic mercury compounds are used as pesticides and seed treatments.

The thermometer crashed - how to collect mercury

Symptoms of mercury poisoning (when it enters through the esophagus) are immediately visible - cyanosis of the face, shortness of breath, etc. The first thing to do in such a situation is to dial the ambulance number and cause the patient to vomit.

In order to clean rooms and objects from contamination with metallic mercury and sources of mercury vapor, it is necessary to carry out demercurization. Currently, several companies produce kits (with instructions) for the neutralization of household mercury pollution.

In everyday life, demercurization is widely used with sulfur. For example, if a mercury-containing thermometer breaks, windows should be opened to allow fresh air to enter and lower the temperature in the room (the warmer it is in the apartment, the more actively the metal evaporates). Then carefully and carefully collect all the fragments of the thermometer and mercury balls (not with bare hands, if possible in a respirator). All contaminated items should be put in a glass jar with a sealed lid, or in plastic bags and taken out of the room.

Cover traces of mercury with sulfur powder (S). At room temperature, sulfur easily reacts chemically with mercury, forming a poisonous but non-volatile HgS compound, which is dangerous only if it enters the esophagus.

Treat the floor and objects that have been exposed to mercury with a solution of potassium permanganate or a chlorine-containing preparation. You should wash gloves, shoes with potassium permanganate and a soap-soda solution, rinse your mouth and throat with a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate, brush your teeth thoroughly, take 2-3 tablets of activated charcoal. In the future, it is desirable to regularly wash the floor with a chlorine-containing preparation and intensive ventilation.

If a thermometer was broken in the apartment and visible balls of mercury were removed, then the concentration of vapors usually does not exceed the MPC, and in conditions of good ventilation, the mercury residues will evaporate in a few months without causing significant harm to the health of residents.

Mercury should not be poured into the sewer, thrown away with household waste. For questions about the disposal of mercury, you need to contact the district SES, where they are required to accept it. If this is not possible, then you need to collect mercury in a plastic bag, cover it with bleach (or chlorine-containing preparations), wrap it in several plastic bags and bury it deeper. Then mercury will be reliably isolated.

Mercury (hg, from lat. Hydrargyrum) - an element of the sixth period of the periodic system of chemical elements of D. I. Mendeleev with atomic number 80, belonging to the zinc subgroup (side subgroup of group II). simple substance mercury A transition metal that is a heavy, silvery-white liquid at room temperature, the vapors of which are extremely toxic. Mercury is one of two chemical elements (and the only metal), the simple substances of which under normal conditions are in a liquid state of aggregation (the second such element is bromine).

1. History

origin of name

2 Being in nature

2.1 Deposits

3 In the environment

4 Isotopes

5 Getting

6 Physical properties

7 Chemical properties

7.1 Characteristic oxidation states

7.2 Properties of metallic mercury

8 Use of mercury and its compounds

8.1 Medicine

8.2 Technique

8.3 Metallurgy

8.4 Chemical industry

8.5 Agriculture

9 Toxicology of mercury

9.1 Hygiene regulation of mercury concentrations

9.2 Demercurization

Story

Astronomical symbol of the planet Mercury

Mercury has been known since ancient times. Often it was found in its native form (liquid drops on rocks), but more often it was obtained by roasting natural cinnabar. The ancient Greeks and Romans used mercury to purify gold (amalgamation), they knew about the toxicity of mercury itself and its compounds, in particular mercuric chloride. For many centuries, alchemists considered mercury to be the main component of all metals and believed that if liquid mercury was returned to hardness with the help of sulfur or arsenic, then gold would be obtained. The release of mercury in its pure form was described by the Swedish chemist Georg Brandt in 1735. The symbol of the planet Mercury is used to represent the element both among alchemists and at the present time. But the belonging of mercury to metals was proved only by the works of Lomonosov and Brown, who in December 1759 were able to freeze mercury and establish its metallic properties: malleability, electrical conductivity, etc.

origin of name

The Russian name for mercury comes from Praslav. *rtǫ ty associated with lit. rìsti"roll". The symbol Hg is borrowed from the Latin alchemical name for this element. hydrargyrum(Other Greek ὕδωρ "water" and ἄργυρος "silver").

Being in nature

Mercury is a relatively rare element in the earth's crust with an average concentration of 83 mg/t. However, due to the fact that mercury weakly binds chemically to the most common elements in the earth's crust, mercury ores can be very concentrated compared to ordinary rocks. The most mercury-rich ores contain up to 2.5% mercury. The main form of mercury found in nature is dispersed, and only 0.02% of it is found in deposits. The content of mercury in various types of igneous rocks is close to each other (about 100 mg/t). From sedimentary rocks, the maximum concentrations of mercury are established in clay shales (up to 200 mg/t). In the waters of the World Ocean, the content of mercury is 0.1 µg/l. The most important geochemical feature of mercury is that, among other chalcophile elements, it has the highest ionization potential. This determines such properties of mercury as the ability to recover to the atomic form (native mercury), significant chemical resistance to oxygen and acids.

Mercury is present in most sulfide minerals. Its especially high contents (up to thousandths and hundredths of a percent) are found in faded ores, antimonites, sphalerites, and realgars. The proximity of the ionic radii of divalent mercury and calcium, monovalent mercury and barium determines their isomorphism in fluorites and barites. In cinnabar and metacinnabarite, sulfur is sometimes replaced by selenium or tellurium; the selenium content is often hundredths and tenths of a percent. Extremely rare mercury selenides are known - timanite (HgSe) and onophrite (a mixture of timanite and sphalerite).

Mercury is one of the most sensitive indicators of latent mineralization not only of mercury, but also of various sulfide deposits; therefore, mercury halos are usually detected over all hidden sulfide deposits and along pre-ore faults. This feature, as well as the low content of mercury in rocks, is explained by the high elasticity of mercury vapor, which increases with increasing temperature and determines the high migration of this element in the gas phase.

Under surface conditions, cinnabar and metallic mercury are insoluble in water, but in their presence (Fe 2 (SO 4) 3, ozone, hydrogen peroxide), the solubility of these minerals reaches tens of mg/l. Mercury is especially well soluble in caustic alkali sulfides with the formation, for example, of the HgS nNa 2 S complex. Mercury is easily sorbed by clays, iron and manganese hydroxides, shale and coals.

About 20 mercury minerals are known in nature, but the main industrial value is cinnabar HgS (86.2% Hg). In rare cases, the subject of extraction is native mercury, metacinnabarite HgS and fahlore - schvatzite (up to 17% Hg). At the only Guitzuco deposit (Mexico), the main ore mineral is livingstone HgSb 4 S 7 . Secondary mercury minerals are formed in the oxidation zone of mercury deposits. These include, first of all, native mercury, less often metacinnabarite, which differ from the same primary minerals in a greater purity of composition. Hg 2 Cl 2 calomel is relatively common. At the Terlingua deposit (Texas), other hypergene halogen compounds are also common - terlinguaite Hg 2 ClO, aglestonite Hg 4 Cl.

According to the hazard class, mercury belongs to the first class, that is, it is considered an extremely dangerous chemical. The penetration of mercury into the body often occurs by inhalation of its odorless vapors.

Exposure to mercury, even in small amounts, can cause health problems and severe poisoning. Mercury has a toxic effect on the nervous, digestive and immune systems, on the lungs, kidneys, skin and eyes.

Mercury poisoning is divided into mild (food poisoning), acute (after accidents at enterprises, due to safety violations) and chronic.

Chronic poisoning increases the risk of tuberculosis, atherosclerosis, and hypertension. At the same time, the consequences of mercury poisoning can appear several years after the termination of contact with it.

Acute mercury poisoning can lead to death. Also, if poisoning is not treated, then the functions of the central nervous system may be impaired, mental activity is reduced, convulsions and exhaustion appear. Acute stages of mercury poisoning cause loss of vision, complete paralysis, and baldness.

Especially mercury and its compounds are dangerous for pregnant women, as they pose a threat to the development of the child.

Until the 1970s, mercury compounds were actively used in medicine, but due to the high toxicity of this metal, they almost ceased to be used for the manufacture of medicines.

To date, mercury compounds (merthiolate) are used

As a preservative for vaccines;

- for medical thermometers - one medical thermometer contains up to 2 g of mercury;

- Energy-saving gas-discharge fluorescent lamps contain up to tens of milligrams of mercury.

Mercury is also found in fish and shellfish, so it is recommended to avoid seafood during pregnancy.

Note that the heat treatment of products does not destroy the mercury contained in them.

mercury poisoning

Chronic forms of mercury poisoning are called mercuryism, which occurs due to prolonged exposure to small doses of mercury fumes on a person. Mercurialism can cause not only physical, but also mental deviations.

Symptoms of poisoning. Acute mercury poisoning manifests itself a couple of hours after the onset of poisoning. Symptoms of acute poisoning: weakness, headache, sore throat, metallic taste in the mouth, salivation, swelling and bleeding of the gums, nausea and vomiting. Often there are severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, chest pain, cough, severe chills, and body temperature rises to 38-40 ° C.

Fatigue, drowsiness, general weakness, headache, dizziness, apathy, irritability speak of chronic mercury poisoning.

What to do? At the first sign of mercury poisoning, it is important to call a doctor as soon as possible. Before the arrival of the ambulance, the victim must drink milk, and then induce vomiting to remove the liquid.

Prevention

In everyday life, mercury thermometers are the main source of possible poisoning. To protect yourself and your children, you should purchase thermometers that do not contain mercury.

How to get rid of mercury indoors

Mercury is disposed of by special services, including those that are part of the Russian Emergencies Ministry. On a household call, if you broke a thermometer, they, as a rule, do not leave. You can get rid of a small amount of mercury yourself.

To begin with, you need to remove children and pets from the room and open a window to provide fresh air.

Before cleaning mercury, you should protect yourself as much as possible - put on a respirator or gauze bandage, rubber gloves.

Fragments of a thermometer can be put in a tight plastic bag and tightly tied. Mercury itself is best placed in an airtight container, such as a jar of cold water. During collection, you can use a paper envelope or paper towel. Before you start collecting mercury, illuminate the space with a lamp - under the rays of light, the balls of mercury will be noticeable, as they will begin to shine.

Mercury can be collected by:

Brushes made of amalgamated metals;

- pieces of wire, they will help to collect mercury in the cracks;

- adhesive tape - suitable for collecting small balls;

- pipettes with a thin nose.

Place the collected mercury and used items in a pre-prepared airtight container.

The room needs to be treated with chemicals. The simplest composition for treating a room is an alcohol solution of 5% iodine. You can also fill the place where the mercury was with a solution of "potassium permanganate". The floor must be thoroughly washed the next day.

Do not dispose of mercury in a garbage chute or sewer. After collecting mercury, call the local Ministry of Emergency Situations, they are required to accept it for disposal.

Sweep away mercury with a broom. The rods break the ball of mercury into smaller ones, and it will become more difficult to collect them.

Collect mercury with a vacuum cleaner, as during operation it heats up and the evaporation of mercury increases. In addition, mercury will settle inside the vacuum cleaner, and it will have to be thrown away.

Wash clothes where you have cleaned mercury, as this can lead to harmful metal contamination of the washing machine. All things that have come into contact with mercury should be thrown away.