i just broke a thermometer?

Question

yes it is a mercury one.
what should i do?
it's not a lot of mercury, but will i get sick?

no, i just accidentally dropped it on the floor
i cleaned up some of it but im sure there are still a few droplets on the floor

Answer 1

Breaking one fever thermometer is unlikely to threaten the health of the consumer. Proper cleanup of spilled mercury and adequate ventilation can minimize the risks even further. However, if the consumer fails to clean up mercury either because he or she is unaware that it has broken or because it is difficult to gain access to the mercury (for instance because it has seeped through a carpet), then the mercury will eventually volatilize and might reach dangerous levels in indoor air. The risks increase if the consumer attempts to clean up a mercury spill with a vacuum cleaner, or if the mercury is heated for some reason. The danger of significant mercury exposure is greatest in a small, poorly-ventilated room.

Answer 2

Mercury is a heavy, odorless, silver liquid.

The first thing you need to do is check the color of the liquid that has spilled. If the liquid is blue or red it is not not actually mercury, but rather a petroleum or alcohol based liquid. If the liquid is silver it is mercury.

If you have broken a thermometer that contains mercury you should open the window of the room it was spilled in, and close the room off from the rest of the house. Use fans if possible to ventilate the room for about an hour, if possible.
Use an eyedropper, a piece of heavy paper, or duct tape to scoop up the glass and beads of mercury.
Place the contaminated glass and mercury beads into a plastic zipper bag, and double seal it with tape. Then place it in a second bag and seal it. Do the same with a third bag. Then place the triple bagged mercury in a sealable plastic container.
Dispose of anything that came in contact with the mercury. Contact your local health department or fire department for instructions on disposing of mercury, and mercury contaminated items. DO NOT PUT MERCURY DOWN THE DRAIN.
Thoroughly wash your hands, and take a shower.
If you have any doubts or questions, your local fire department should be able to provide answers and assistance. Use your local health department for additional information. You can also call the emergency department of a local hospital if you need additional guidance, or want to discuss the need for medical treatment.

Answer 3

Did a quick search under the danger of mercury from a broken thermometer and it said if it spills out of the thermometer onto floor ,rug,couch etc do Not leave for the vapors can be a cause of irritant for a long time-I suggest you really vacuum the entire area wherever the mercury may have fallen, after you've vacuumed carefully dispose of the bag into a garbage bag-tie tightly and put in closed garbage container for pickup-mark has broken thermometer mercury inside vacuum bag. If you swallowed no concern for in order to get into bloodstream mercury has to break apart-usually passes through and leaves your body in feces and urine. If you start getting sick and are really worried go to emergency.

Answer 4

its a very small amount... put the mercury in a tight bottle, mark it as mercury.. and dispose properly. make sure you take all the little pieces of glass. That would be alright. you will live.

those small droplets can be easily scoop. best place to store it temporarily is the the film (Kodak) plastic container.

Answer 5

Clean it up immediately, but do not touch it. Mercury easily absorbs through the skin, is highly toxic, and never gets out of your system. Call your local poison control center and see if they have recommendations for how to dispose of it (it is considered HAZmat, so you can't just throw it out, and what they suggest you do if you got any on you.

Answer 6

You probably wont get sick. My sister bit one in half when she was little and got it all in her mouth and she is pretty normal.
If any thing i would drink some milk and call poison control. The number is on the back of most house hold chemicals.

Answer 7

as long as you cleaned it up and disposed of it there shouldnt be no danger.. there isnt that much mercury in a therometer.

Answer 8

if you broke it in your mouth you need to see a specialist asap but if not just clean up very well and everything should be okay

Answer 9

awesome! i wanna break a thermomter! whats mercury though?

Answer 10

Did it break in your mouth? If so, call poison control and ask them.