i was in close contact with mercury in school today a guy smashed a thermometer , what should i do?

Answer 1

No worries. Thermometers are made with different elements. "Some manufacturers use a liquid alloy of gallium, indium, and tin, galinstan, as mercury replacement."

Answer 2

Actually, for those who are saying that mercury is no longer used in school thermometers, that is absolutely false. For instance I just used one today in my chemistry class. For the majority of the matter, alcohol thermometers are used, but because mercury more accurately detects temperature changes, they can and usually are used at least once in chemistry classes throughout the school year.

As long as you did not touch or ingest any, you should be fine. If you are seriously concerned, see a doctor.

Answer 3

Let's assume it really was a mercury thermometer. The problem with metallic mercury is exposure over time. Your teacher should ensure that the janitorial staff removed all the mercury according to specific EPA guidelines.

Remove and launder your clothes, making sure no "balls" of mercury have collected in your cuffs or pockets. Scrub the soles of your shoes.

Is all this really necessary? Maybe not, but it is the safest course of action.

Answer 4

Wash your hands and any other part of your body that contacted the mercury, discard any clothing that was contaminated (get the school to deal with proper disposal). Unless the mercury was spilled onto a hot surface where it could generate fumes, the risk from airborne contamination is almost zero. The school should be informing all the people who were in the area of the proper steps to take, and they should be doing a proper hazmat cleanup of the area. If they don't, call the fire department hazmat team or the EPA and report them.

Answer 5

Schools no longer use thermometers with mercury and if your's does they're not "up to code" so to speak. And since it was just a little bit for a short amount of time it will have no ill effects.

Answer 6

Thermometers don't contain mercury anymore. And I'm sure the teacher was not allowing antique mercury thermometers.

Besides---you would have to swallow it or get it on your hands for the mercury to have any effect.

You're fine.

Answer 7

i might nonetheless use it as long as i'm effective that i could desire to maintain it from getting broken. If that's saved so as that in the time of basic terms adults could desire to get at them, and you're careful once you're dealing with it, that's complicated to argue against persevering with to apply it. The previous mercury thermometers are precise, and fully secure as long as they are not getting broken. on the different hand, as quickly as they're broken, loose mercury is nasty stuff. in case you have small babies vacationing, although, it may desire to be terrific to ditch the thermometers. there's a threat they're going to do something to break the thermometer. regrettably, loose liquid mercury is unthreatening, tremendously to look at, attractive to play with, and heavily poisonous over the years, and babies if unsupervised will probably do issues like play with it or worse consume it subsequently extensively increasing their exposure.

Answer 8

My dad is an environmental scientist and he has to handle mercury contamination's sometimes. If you didn't touch, ingest, or get any on you then you'll be fine. Make sure you're teacher contacted environmental control if there was a mercury spill.

Answer 9

don't worry about it as kids we used to be given mercury in the science class on our hands poured from a bottle. It used to end up all over the desk in little blobs.
It didn't seem to effect any of us .We all still have 11 Fingers , twelve toes and three ears !

Answer 10

Yeah dont sweat it if you didnt get any inside of you. Me and my buddy used to play with a small jar of mercury when we were young. I have not noticed any health problems and its been over 10 years. I think you'll be okay. Also if you pour mercury into a crew sock it looks awesome as it drips out.