Mercury Dzoxɔxɔdzidzenu Gbagbã, CFL Bulb, kple Fluorescent Tube Dzadzɛnyenye¶

Blema glass fever thermometer da ɖe tsileƒe ƒe anyigba, fli fluorescent fluorescent fiase-kaɖi tube gbãgbã le ʋudzraɖoƒe, alo spiral Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) gbã le ɖevi ƒe xɔdɔme me ɖea elemental mercury (\(Hg\)) ɖe wò nɔƒe. To vovo na ga bubu ɖesiaɖe si le anyigba dzi la, elemental mercury nye tsi si le ʋeʋẽm, si le abe klosalo ene le xɔme ƒe dzoxɔxɔ me si nɔa dzodzom atraɖii zua mercury vapor si womekpɔna o, si meʋẽna o, si mevivina o. Togbɔ be ŋutigbalẽ si me gblẽ o mexɔa mercury si nye tsi boo aɖeke tso asikaka eŋu ɣeyiɣi kpui aɖe me o hã la, amegbetɔ ƒe lãkusiwo xɔa mercury ƒe ya si wogbɔna ƒe alafa memama 80 lɔƒo yia ʋukawo me tẽ, afisi wòtsoa ʋu kple ahɔhɔ̃ ƒe mɔxenu kple vidzidɔa le tsɔ dzea lãmeka siwo le titina kple ayiku dzi.

Nusi trɔa mercury sue aɖe si kɔ ɖe aƒeme wòzua aƒeme ɖiƒoƒo ƒe afɔku si nɔa anyi ɖaa, si xɔa dɔlar akpe geɖe enye alesi aƒetɔ aɖe kɔa eŋu le miniti ewo gbãtɔwo me. Aƒeme yaƒoƒomɔ̃, robot ƒe yaƒoƒomɔ̃, alo ʋuʋudedi sesẽ ɖeka si nàte ŋu awɔ: ne mercury si nye tsi ƒo anyigba la, egbãna zua nusuekpɔmɔ̃ alafa geɖe (micro-beads). Broom kakaa micro-beads mawo ɖe anyigbaxɔdzo ƒe gbagbã ɖesiaɖe me, eye vacuum cleaner noa mercury la to eƒe elektrik-mɔ̃ dzodzoe ƒe xɔ me, doa dzo na mercury la eye wòzua yaƒoƒo wòzua gas-tu si me aɖi le si naa xɔme ya ƒe agbɔsɔsɔ dzina ɖe edzi zi gbɔ zi 100 esime wòƒoa ɖi vacuum cleaner la tegbee ale be xɔ ɖesiaɖe si nàdo vacuum la naxɔ mercury vapor ƒe agbɔsɔsɔme ɖeka. Ne èwɔ afɔɖeɖe nyuie fifia, ɖeviwo, funɔwo, kple aƒemelãwo ɖeɖe ɖa le xɔa me, tsi wò dzoxɔxɔnamɔ̃ alo yaƒoƒomɔ̃ (HVAC) ƒe mɔ̃a, ʋu gota fesre aɖe be ya nado le xɔa me aɖabaƒoƒo 15 hafi age ɖe eme, eye nàzã index card sesẽwo, duct tape si léna ɖe nu ŋu, kple ŋkumeɖonu le akaɖi si le axadzi te la, eɖea afɔkua ɖa dedie evɔ ya si mekakana o.

Wɔ esia fifia¶

1. Miɖe amewo kple aƒemelãwo katã ɖa le xɔa me enumake, nàzɔ nyuie le afisi tsi kɔ ɖe eme le. Na amesiame nado le xɔa me evɔ mazɔ to ahuhɔ̃e gbagbã alo klosalo ƒe dzonu siwo le abe klosalo ene me o. Ne ame aɖe tsi tre ɖe afisi wòƒoe ɖo esime dzoxɔxɔdzidzenu alo akaɖia gbã la, lé ŋku ɖe woƒe afɔkpawo kple soxwo ƒe gɔme ŋu enumake hafi nazɔ aƒea ƒe akpa mamlɛa; ne afɔkpa ƒe afɔkpodziwo ka teƒe si tsi kɔ ɖe eme la, ɖe afɔkpa mawo le ʋɔtrua nu tututu eye nàtsɔ wo ade aŋekotoku si me wotsɔa gbeɖuɖɔgoe ɖo la dzi.
2. Tsi wò dzoxɔxɔnamɔ̃, yaƒoƒo, kple yaƒoƒomɔ̃ (HVAC) ƒe ɖoɖo kple xɔme dzoxɔxɔnamɔ̃ siwo wotsɔna ɖe asi. Zɔ yi wò gli ƒe dzoxɔxɔdzidzenu gbɔ eye nàtrɔ wò titina dzodoƒe alo yaƒoƒomɔ̃ ƒe yaƒoƒomɔ̃ tso "Auto" alo "On" dzi ayi OFF. Elemental mercury ƒuna kabakaba ŋutɔ ne xɔme ƒe dzoxɔxɔ le dzi yim; dzoxɔxɔa tsitsi ɖea xɔa me ƒe dzoxɔxɔ dzi kpɔtɔna (enaa mercury ƒe dzoxɔxɔ dzi ɖena kpɔtɔna) eye wòxea mɔ na HVAC ƒe tɔtrɔgbɔmɔ̃wo be woagano mercury ƒe dzoxɔxɔ ado goe le xɔ si me wokɔa tsi ɖo me ahatsɔe aƒo xlãe ayi xɔdɔmewo me o.
3. Ʋu fesre alo gota ʋɔtru si yi gota eye nàtu xɔa me ƒe ʋɔtru aɖabaƒoƒo 10 va ɖo 15. Hafi nàdze klo ɖe anyigba axɔ ahuhɔ̃e alo mercury-ku ɖeka la, ʋu gota fesre aɖe le xɔa me (eye nàʋu tsileƒe alo nuɖaƒe ƒe yaƒoƒomɔ̃ ne ya do ** tẽe le gota** ko, mègage ɖe dziƒoxɔ dzi alo ʋuƒo si gbugbɔa tsatsam gbeɖe o), emegbe nàdo go, do ʋɔtru si le eme la na aƒea ƒe akpa mamlɛa, eye nàtsɔ afɔkpa atre ʋɔtrua ƒe dometsotso si le ete la nu. Na gota ya nyui naɖiɖi mercury ƒe yaƒoƒo gbãtɔa hena aɖabaƒoƒo 10 va ɖo 15 ya teti.
4. Mègakɔ mercury si wokpɔ la ɖe tsiléƒe ƒe tsidzɔƒe, akɔe ɖe nugododeƒe, alo aklɔ awu siwo me mercury le le nufamɔ̃ me gbeɖe o. Elemental mercury kpekpe wu tsi zi gbɔ zi 13.5. Ne ètsɔ mercury-kuwo ƒu gbe ɖe tsiléƒe alo nugododeƒe la, ga si me tsi le si le ʋeʋẽm la nyrɔna yia pɔmpi **P-mɔ̃ ** si ƒe nɔnɔme le abe U ene si le wò tsinyegoe te la gɔme tẽ, afisi wònɔa anyi ɖo tegbee, eye wòɖea mercury ƒe aɖi ƒe ya si me aɖi le la ɖa vivivi to tsidzɔƒe ƒe tsiléƒea me yia wò tsileƒe esime wòle aɖi dem dugã me tsi gbegblẽwo kɔklɔ ƒe ɖoɖowo me.
5. Ƒo wò asigɛ si me dzo mele o nu ƒu hafi nàgage ɖe xɔa me ake. Esi xɔa me ya le dodom aɖabaƒoƒo 15 la, ƒo ƒu: nitrile alo rababa asigɛwo (mègaɖe asi ƒuƒlu gbeɖe o, eye nàɖe sika alo klosalo ƒe asigɛwo kple gaƒoɖokuiwo ɖa gbã elabena mercury ʋẽna enumake zua sika kple klosalo ƒe atsyɔ̃ɖonuwo be wòawɔ amalgam si ƒe amadede nye aŋutiɖiɖi si me mekɔ o tegbee), eve stiff index cards alo playing cards, ŋkumeka alo plastic nu me atikekui ƒe syringe, duct tape alo wide packing tape, pepa ƒe afɔkpa siwo xɔ dzo, kaɖi si le keklẽm, huhɔ̃e me nugoe eve siwo ƒe nu keke eye ga ƒe nutsyɔnu sesẽwo (alo plastic kotoku kpekpe siwo le zip-tame), kple elemental sulphur powder (ne èdi, tso abɔ me fiase me alo atikedzraƒe).
6. Kpɔ mercury si kɔ ɖe anyigba ƒe lolome ɖa be nàtso nya me nenye be ehiã be woawɔ nu ɖe afɔku ŋu le dɔnyala bibiwo me. Le United States ƒe Nutome Takpɔha (US EPA) kple Aɖinuwo Kple Dɔlélewo Ŋuti Nuŋlɔɖi Dɔwɔƒe (ATSDR) ƒe nya nu la, aƒetɔ ate ŋu akɔ CFL alo fluorescent tube (mercury miligram 1 va ɖo 5) alo aƒe ɖeka si gblẽ la ŋu dedie dzoxɔxɔdzidzenu (mercury miligram 500 va ɖo 700, si ƒe lolome anɔ abe green pea alo pencil etutunu ɖeka ene) zã afɔɖeɖe siwo wowɔ kple asi siwo le ete. Ne èkɔ NU GEÐE wu agbɔsɔsɔ si le dzoxɔxɔdzidzenu ɖeka me (abe blema mercury ƒe dzoxɔxɔdzidzenu si gbã, ʋu ƒe sisi ƒe sphygmomanometer, tilt-switch furnace thermostat, tɔgbui gaƒoɖokui ƒe pendulum, alo lab mercury ƒe aŋetu ene), Mègate DIY dzadzraɖo kpɔ: nàtu xɔa me eye nàyɔ dzotsidɔwɔƒe si le mia gbɔ ƒe hazmat ƒuƒoƒo, dukɔa ƒe nutomenyawo gbɔ kpɔƒe, alo Aɖidzikpɔƒe (1-800-222-1222 le United States).

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Mercury kple fluorescent bulb kpata dzadzɛnyenye nyametsotso ati¶

Zã afɔɖeɖe ɖesiaɖe ƒe triage flowchart sia nàtsɔ atia nusi tututu woatsɔ axe mɔ ɖe nu nu kple eŋu kɔklɔ ƒe ɖoɖo si wotu ɖe nusi me mercury le si gbã kple mercury agbɔsɔsɔme si woɖe ɖe go dzi.

flowchart TD
    Start["Mercury Nu Gbagbe alo Fluorescent Bulb Le Xɔme"] --> Evac["1. Klɔ Amewo & Aƒemelãwo ɖa le Xɔa me;<br/>Kpɔ Afɔkpa ƒe Afɔkpawo Me le Ʋɔtrua nu"]
    Evac --> HVAC["2. TSI Central HVAC System & Heaters;<br/>Ʋu Gbedoxɔ Fesre & Do Ememe Ʋɔtru"]
    HVAC --> VentWait["3. Na Ya Nade Xɔa me Yi Gbedoxɔ Me Aɖabaƒoƒo 10 Va ɖo 15<br/>Hafi Nàge Ðe Eme Be Nàkɔ"]
    VentWait --> SizeCheck{"4. Nu kae gbã?"}

    SizeCheck -->|"A. Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL)<br/>alo Linear Fluorescent Tube (1 va ɖo 5 mg Hg) ."| BulbClean["CFL / Fluorescent Tube Protocol:<br/>Scoop glass & white phosphor powder kple kakɛ sesẽ;<br/>tsɔ duct tape si léna ɖe anyigba dzi;<br/>tutu anyigba sesẽ kple pepa si xɔ dzo"]
    SizeCheck -->|"B. Glass ɖeka ƒe dzoxɔxɔ alo Nuɖaɖa<br/>Dzoxɔxɔdzidzenu (0.5 va ɖo 1.0 gram Hg) ."| ThermSurface{"Anyigba ka dzie tsi<br/>mercury-kuwo ge ɖo?"}
    SizeCheck -->|"C. Barometer, Ʋu ƒe sisi ƒe Manometer,<br/>Dzoxɔxɔdzidzenu ƒe Bulb, alo Vial (>gram 1 / >pea-lolome) ."| MajorHazmat["MERCURY GÃWO ƑE ƑUƑOƑO (Dɔwɔƒea ƒe Hazmat Ko):<br/>Na xɔa natu & ya nado le gota;<br/>yɔ Dzotsidɔwɔƒe Hazmat, Dukɔa ƒe EPA, alo Aɖidzikpɔƒe"]

    ThermSurface -->|"Anyigba sesẽ si me ʋuʋudedi mele o<br/>(Tile, vinyl, ati si wotre, linoleum)"| HardMercury["Hard Floor Bead Collection:<br/>Do viviti xɔ & klẽ akaɖi le 10-degree anyigba dzogoe;<br/>hadzi beads ɖekae kple index cards;<br/>mimi ɖe eyedropper & dab micro-beads kple tape"]
    ThermSurface -->|"Kapet si me ʋuʋudedi le, nuto me xɔmenuwo,<br/>alo avɔ si wotsɔ nu blae"| CarpetMercury["Porous Carpet Containment:<br/>MÈGADE yae GBEÐE o; lã modzakaɖebɔ/xɔmewu ƒe akpa<br/>siwo me ɖi le, kotoku eve, eye nàtsɔe aƒu gbe abe gbeɖuɖɔ siwo me afɔku le ene"]

    BulbClean --> SealJar["5. Tsɔ Nu Gbegblẽwo, Tepe, Kpekpeɖeŋugbalẽviwo, Kple Asigɛwo Tsi Glass-go alo Akplo Siwo Me Zip Eve Le Me"]
    HardMercury --> SulfurDust["Ne èdi: Tsɔ elemental sulphur powder ɣi<br/>tsɔ ke ƒo anyigba ƒe gbagbãƒewo<br/>be wòabla nusiwo susɔ siwo womekpɔna o eye nàlé ŋku ɖe amadede ƒe tɔtrɔ ŋu"]
    SulfurDust --> SealJar
    CarpetMercury --> SealJar
    SealJar --> FinalVent["6. Na Fesre Naʋu & HVAC Tsi Gaƒoƒo 24;<br/>Tsɔ Nugoe Yi Aƒeme Gbeɖuɖɔ Siwo Me Afɔku Le (HHW) Dɔwɔƒe"]

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De dzesi nusi kɔ ɖe anyigba: mercury agbɔsɔsɔme nenie le aƒemenuzazãwo me?¶

Hafi nàtsi dzodzodzoe le dzoxɔxɔdzidzenu alo akaɖi si gbã ta la, ele be nànya nyateƒenya eve gbã: Ðe mercury le nye dzoxɔxɔdzidzenu si gblẽ la me ŋutɔŋutɔa? kple Mercury agbɔsɔsɔme kae le mɔ̃ si gbã la me?

1. Klosalo tsi vs. dzĩ/blɔ/yibɔ tsi le dzoxɔxɔdzidzenuwo me¶

Aƒeme dzoxɔxɔ, lã, akpɔnɔ vivi, fridzi, kple gota dzoxɔxɔdzidzenu siwo katã kloe wodzrana le United States, Canada, Europa Dukɔwo ƒe Habɔbɔ, United Kingdom, kple Australia tso ƒe 2000 ƒeawo ƒe gɔmedzedze la, mercury mele wo me o:

• Ne tsi si le dzoxɔxɔdzidzenu si gbã la me nye DZIDZE, BLUE, PURPLE, alo GREEN: Wò dzoxɔxɔdzidzenu menye mercury o. Wotsɔa aha sesẽ si wode amae (ethanol), kerosene/petroleum distillate, alo ami si wotsɔ citrus wɔe si me afɔku mele o wɔa dzoxɔxɔdzidzenu ƒe tsi siwo le amadede vovovowo me. Àte ŋu azã pepa si me tsi le kple adzalẽ atsɔ akɔ dzoxɔxɔdzidzenu dzĩ alo blɔ ŋu abe ahuhɔ̃e gbagbã ɖesiaɖe si kɔ ɖe anyigba ene pɛpɛpɛ.
• Ne tsi la nye klosalo-fu, ga, kple ga-afu: Enye elemental mercury (\(Hg\)) (wokpɔnɛ le dzoxɔxɔdzidzenu xoxo siwo do ŋgɔ na ƒe 2005 kple blema dɔwɔnuwo me) ALOO egbegbe Galinstan alloy si me aɖi mele o (tsi si wotsɔ gallium, indium, kple tin wɔe si wozãna le glass yeye siwo me "mercury mele o" me dzoxɔxɔdzidzenu, si dzi woŋlɔa nu ɖo zi geɖe "Geratherm" alo "Ga-In-Sn / Mercury-Free" le dzoxɔxɔdzidzenu ƒe ke dzi).
• Alesi woawɔ ade dzesi Mercury ŋutɔŋutɔ to vovo na Galinstan si megblẽa nu le ame ŋu o le anyigba: Elemental mercury ŋutɔŋutɔ ƒe anyigba ƒe teteɖeanyi si gbɔ eme: metsia glass alo tile gbeɖe o, eye ɖe ema teƒe la, ewɔa klosalo ball bearing goglo siwo de blibo, siwo le ʋuʋu, siwo me ʋuʋudedi mele o siwo ƒoa xlã anyigba ne woka asi eŋu vie evɔ megblẽa ɖi aɖeke ɖi o. Galinstan tsia anyigba abe klosalo ƒe amadede xɔdzo ene, tsɔa ami ƒoa ahuhɔ̃e kple anyigba ƒe xɔtunuwo tsɔ wu be wòaƒoe wòazu dzonu siwo le dzadzɛ. Ne ɖikeke le mewò la, bu klosalo tsi ga ɖesiaɖe ɣesiaɣi be enye elemental mercury.

2. Mercury ƒe agbɔsɔsɔ tsɔtsɔ sɔ kple wo nɔewo le aƒemenuzazã siwo bɔ me¶

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Protocol A: Step-by-step cleanup for a broken CFL or fluorescent tube¶

When a Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) or long fluorescent shop tube shatters, about 10 to 30 percent of its tiny 1-to-5-milligram mercury dose escapes into the air as vapor during the first few hours, while the remaining 70 to 90 percent stays stuck to the white phosphor powder clinging to the broken glass shards. Follow the official US EPA cleanup sequence:

Step 1: Before cleanup (The 15-Minute Air-Out)¶

1. Have all people and pets leave the room without stepping on the broken glass area.
2. Open a window or exterior door to the outdoors.
3. Shut off the central forced-air heating or air conditioning (HVAC) system.
4. Close the interior room door and leave the room empty for 10 to 15 minutes so the initial release of mercury vapor vents outside.

Step 2: Cleanup on hard surfaces (Tile, hardwood, vinyl, linoleum)¶

1. Put on disposable nitrile or rubber gloves (never pick up phosphor-coated glass with bare hands).
2. Scoop, do not sweep: Use two pieces of stiff cardboard, index cards, or a stiff plastic squeegee to scoop up all visible glass fragments and white phosphor powder, sliding them carefully into a glass jar with a metal screw lid (or a heavy-duty sealable plastic container).
3. Pat with sticky duct tape: Tear off strips of sticky duct tape or wide packing tape and press the sticky side gently over the entire 1.5-meter (5-foot) radius around the break to pick up invisible glass splinters and fine white phosphor dust. Place used tape strips into the glass jar.
4. Wet-wipe the hard floor: Wipe the area thoroughly with damp paper towels or disposable wet baby wipes (using one pass per fold) to capture any remaining microscopic powder, and place the used wet towels into the jar.

Step 3: Cleanup on carpets or rugs (If a CFL broke over carpet)¶

1. Scoop up all large glass pieces using stiff cardboard and pat the carpet fibers repeatedly with sticky duct tape to lift glass splinters and white powder out of the nap.
2. Do NOT vacuum the carpet during initial cleanup. Keep the room window open and the central HVAC system off for several hours.
3. Future vacuuming precaution: According to the US EPA, the next several times you vacuum that carpet after the spill has fully aired out, shut the interior room door, open the room's exterior window, vacuum the area, and immediately remove the vacuum bag outdoors (or empty the canister into a sealed trash bag outdoors) and wash your hands.

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Protocol B: Step-by-step cleanup for a broken liquid mercury thermometer¶

Cleaning up liquid elemental mercury from a broken glass thermometer requires far greater precision than a CFL bulb because a single fever thermometer contains 100 to 500 times more mercury than a CFL bulb, and liquid mercury shatters on impact into tiny rolling beads that travel up to 3 to 5 meters (10 to 16 feet) across a hard floor.

Step 1: Preparation and the "Flashlight Grazing Angle" search¶

1. After ventilating the room to the outdoors with the HVAC off for 15 minutes, remove all gold, silver, and platinum rings, bracelets, and watches from your hands and wrists (mercury amalgamates instantly and permanently with precious metals), and put on nitrile or latex gloves.
2. Fill a wide-mouth glass jar halfway with 2 to 3 centimeters (1 inch) of plain water. (Why water? Elemental mercury is 13.5 times denser than water and completely insoluble in water; dropping collected mercury beads into a jar with a layer of water on top creates a water cap that traps the mercury at the bottom of the jar and stops it from evaporating back into the air every time you open the lid during cleanup.)
3. Turn off the overhead room lights and hold a bright LED flashlight horizontally right against the floor at a 5- to 10-degree grazing angle:
4. Liquid mercury beads act like tiny spherical mirrors. Even micro-beads smaller than a grain of salt will glint and sparkle brightly across the floor when a flashlight beam skims horizontally across the floor surface.
5. Search a wide circle at least 3 to 5 meters (10 to 16 feet) in every direction from where the thermometer dropped, including under baseboards, radiator feet, and cabinet toe-kicks.

Step 2: Herd and collect liquid mercury beads (Card + Eyedropper + Tape)¶

1. Pick up broken glass shards first: Use tweezers or index cards to pick up the broken glass thermometer stem and place the glass into your sealable disposal jar.
2. Herd beads together slowly using stiff index cards:
3. Hold two stiff 3-by-5-inch paper index cards, playing cards, or stiff plastic postcards at a low 30-degree angle against the floor.
4. Use slow, gentle pushing strokes to herd smaller mercury droplets toward the center until they touch and coalesce into one larger silver puddle (move slowly so beads do not roll away at high speed).
5. Suck up the pooled mercury with a plastic eyedropper or oral syringe:
6. Squeeze the rubber bulb of a medicine eyedropper (or pull back the plunger of a needleless plastic oral syringe) while holding the tip almost flat against the floor at the edge of the mercury bead.
7. Slowly release the bulb to draw the liquid mercury into the dropper tip, hold a damp paper towel under the dropper tip as you lift it, and squeeze the mercury directly underneath the water layer inside your glass disposal jar. (Place the contaminated eyedropper itself inside the disposal bag when finished.)
8. Llé nusuekpɔmɔ̃ ƒe dzonu kple sticky tape alo shaving cream:
9. Shine your flashlight across the floor again. For tiny micro-beads stuck in tile grout lines or hardwood seams that the eyedropper cannot suck up, wrap sticky duct tape or masking tape (sticky side out) around your gloved fingers and dab gently over the area, or dab using a small brush coated in white shaving cream, placing the tape and paper towels into your sealed jar.

Step 3: Optional chemical binding and detection with sulfur powder¶

Emergency hazmat teams and environmental agencies use elemental sulfur powder (flowers of sulfur), sold inexpensively at pharmacies and garden centers as a soil acidifier/fungicide, after picking up all visible mercury beads:

• How sulfur works: Yellow sulfur powder does two helpful things on a mercury-contaminated floor:
• First, it coats microscopic mercury droplets so they stop evaporating into the air, and slowly reacts chemically with elemental mercury (\(Hg + S \rightarrow HgS\)) to form non-volatile mercuric sulfide (cinnabar).
• Second, when yellow sulfur powder touches invisible traces of mercury in a floor crack, the powder changes color from bright yellow to dark brown or black, revealing hidden pockets of mercury you missed.
• How to apply: Lightly dust yellow sulfur powder over the spill zone and rub it gently into floor cracks with a damp paper towel, then wipe up the powder with damp paper towels and seal all towels inside your disposal jar.

Step 4: What to do if liquid mercury spilled onto carpet, rugs, or upholstery¶

If a glass fever thermometer breaks directly onto a carpet, area rug, bath mat, blanket, or upholstered chair, it is physically impossible to remove liquid mercury micro-beads from porous fabric fibers, and leaving them in the carpet creates a permanent indoor vapor source:

1. Never vacuum the carpet, and never put a mercury-contaminated bath mat, rug, or piece of clothing into a household washing machine or clothes dryer. Washing mercury-contaminated fabric contaminates the washing machine drum and drain pump and flushes toxic mercury into your septic system or municipal sewer, while putting it in a hot clothes dryer vaporizes the mercury into a concentrated toxic cloud inside your laundry room.
2. If the spill occurred on a removable throw rug, bath mat, blanket, or pair of shoes, fold the item carefully inward to trap the beads, seal it inside two layers of heavy-duty 6-mil plastic trash bags taped shut with duct tape, and dispose of it as hazardous waste.
3. If the spill occurred on wall-to-wall carpeting, use a utility knife to cut out the contaminated section of carpet and the foam carpet padding underneath it, fold it inward, double-bag it in heavy plastic, and clean the hard subfloor underneath using the flashlight and index-card protocol above.

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Health risks and medical triage: what symptoms to watch for¶

Understanding how mercury enters the body helps you distinguish between a low-risk contact and a true medical emergency.

• Touching liquid mercury briefly with intact skin: Elemental mercury is poorly absorbed through healthy intact skin. If you or a child briefly touched a silver mercury bead, remove all jewelry, wash hands and forearms thoroughly with warm water and soap, and do not panic.
• Accidentally swallowing liquid elemental mercury (e.g., a child bites the bulb off a glass fever thermometer):
• First, check the child's mouth and tongue carefully for tiny glass splinters and have them rinse and spit with water.
• Surprisingly, pure elemental liquid mercury (\(Hg^0\)) is absorbed very poorly (less than 0.01 percent) by a healthy gastrointestinal tract; if a small bead from a fever thermometer is swallowed, it usually passes harmlessly through the digestive tract in the stool over several days without causing systemic mercury poisoning (unlike inorganic mercury salts or methylmercury, which are highly toxic when swallowed).
• Always call Poison Control immediately (1-800-222-1222 in the United States, 1-844-764-7669 in Canada, 111 in the United Kingdom, 13 11 26 in Australia, or your local xexlẽdzesi siwo wozãna kpata) so a toxicologist can evaluate whether a pediatric X-ray is needed to rule out aspirated glass or mercury trapped in the appendix.
• Inhaling mercury vapor (The true danger):
• Breathing air in an unventilated, heated room where liquid mercury was spilled (especially if someone vacuumed the spill or left beads under a baseboard radiator) causes acute or subacute mercury vapor poisoning.
• Acute inhalation symptoms (within hours of high vapor exposure): Metallic taste in the mouth, headache, chills, fever, shortness of breath, chest tightness, dry cough, nausea, and vomiting.
• Subacute / chronic inhalation symptoms (ŋkekewo va ɖo kwasiɖa geɖe ƒe gbɔgbɔ si womekɔ xɔme ƒe yaƒoƒo o): Asiwo kple ŋkumeʋuʋu nyuie, dzikudodo, ŋukpe alo seselelãme ƒe tɔtrɔ kpata (erethism), alɔ̃madɔmadɔ, ŋutigbalẽ si le veve sem pink/red peeling skin le asibidɛwo kple afɔkpodzi le ɖevi suewo me (acrodynia / pink disease"), aɖu siwo me dɔdzẽ le, kple protein si le aɖuɖɔ me.
• Atikewɔwɔ me dodokpɔ: Ne èsusu be yaƒoƒo ɖedzesi aɖe (abe alesi nèke ɖe dzoxɔxɔdzidzenu si gbã si wotsɔ ya ƒoe ŋkeke aɖewoe nye sia ŋu ene) la, yi wò ɖɔkta alo nutome aɖidzikpɔƒe gbɔ be nàbia be woawɔ gaƒoƒo 24 ƒe aɖuɖɔ me mercury dodokpɔ (sika ƒe dzidzenu na elemental mercury vapor exposure) alo ʋu me mercury dodokpɔ.

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Mercury si woƒo ƒu la tsɔtsɔ ƒu gbe dedie kple yaƒoƒo le wo ŋu le wo ŋu kɔklɔ vɔ megbe¶

1. De dzesi nugoe si wotu nu ɖo eye nàdzrae ɖo ɖe gota: De ahuhɔ̃egoe si wotu nu ɖo si me mercury-kuwo, ahuhɔ̃e gbagbãwo, tape, index cards, kple nitrile-asigɛwo le la aŋekotoku kpekpe evelia si ƒe zip-tame me, nàtue ɖe kasɛt dzi, eye nàde dzeside si me kɔ nyuie be: "DANGER: CONTAINS ELEMENTAL MERCURY / BROKEN THERMOMETER, DO NOT OPEN". Store the container outdoors in a locked shed or garage out of reach of children and pets until drop-off.
2. Never put liquid mercury in household garbage or recycling bins: When a garbage truck crushes a bag containing a broken mercury thermometer or when trash is burned in a municipal waste incinerator, the mercury vaporizes into the atmosphere, settles into lakes and oceans, and converts into neurotoxic methylmercury inside fish. Call your county or municipal Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) facility, fire department, or local pharmacy take-back program for free mercury disposal.
3. Keep the room ventilated for at least 24 hours: After finishing the manual cleanup, keep the exterior window open (and a window box fan blowing indoor air outward through the window if available) with the interior room door closed for at least 24 hours before allowing children or pregnant women to sleep in the room.

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Nya siwo wobiaa amewo enuenu¶

Why is it so dangerous to use a vacuum cleaner on a broken mercury thermometer or CFL bulb?¶

When a vacuum cleaner sucks up elemental mercury droplets or mercury-coated phosphor powder, the high-speed airflow and hot electric vacuum motor heat and agitate the liquid metal, instantly converting it into an invisible, odorless toxic mercury vapor that blasts out of the vacuum's exhaust filter into the room air at concentrations up to 100 times higher than an undisturbed spill. Worse still, microscopic mercury droplets coat the inside of the vacuum hose, impeller, and motor housing, turning the vacuum cleaner into a permanent mobile mercury vapor generator that re-contaminates your home every time you turn it on in the future.

How can I tell if my broken thermometer contains toxic mercury or non-toxic alcohol?¶

Look closely at the color of the liquid inside the glass stem or on the floor: if the liquid is red, blue, purple, green, or black, it is a mercury-free alcohol or organic spirit thermometer that poses zero mercury vapor hazard and can be wiped up with soap and water after picking up the glass. Only thermometers containing a bright, metallic, silvery-gray liquid that forms round, rolling metallic beads contain elemental mercury (or occasionally a modern non-toxic gallium alloy called Galinstan, which smears like wet silver paint on glass rather than rolling into frictionless spheres).

What happens if my child accidentally bit a mercury thermometer and swallowed a tiny bead of mercury?¶

First, inspect your child's mouth and lips carefully for tiny glass splinters and have them rinse and spit with water, then call Poison Control (1-800-222-1222 in the United States) or your doctor immediately. Reassuringly, pure liquid elemental mercury is absorbed at less than 0.01 percent by a healthy digestive tract, so a tiny swallowed bead from a fever thermometer almost always passes harmlessly through the intestines in the stool over a few days without causing mercury poisoning; the far greater danger from a broken thermometer is breathing the invisible mercury vapor left on the floor or carpeting if the spill is not cleaned up properly.

Can I keep using my vacuum cleaner if I accidentally vacuumed up a broken mercury thermometer?¶

No, if you used a household vacuum cleaner to suck up liquid elemental mercury from a broken fever thermometer, thermostat, or barometer, environmental health agencies (including the US EPA and ATSDR) advise that the vacuum cleaner is almost impossible to decontaminate safely because liquid mercury lodges inside the warm motor windings and corrugated hoses. You should immediately unplug the vacuum, take it outdoors, seal the entire vacuum cleaner inside heavy-duty plastic trash bags, and contact your local Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) authority or state health department for disposal instructions rather than running it indoors again.

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Wolé ŋku ɖe dzɔtsoƒewo ŋu¶

• United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA): What to Do if a Mercury Thermometer Breaks, Cleaning Up a Broken CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lamp), and Spills, Disposal and Site Cleanup of Elemental Mercury.
• Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR / CDC, United States): Toxicological Profile for Mercury, Medical Management Guidelines (MMG) for Acute Elemental Mercury Vapor Exposure, and Residential Mercury Spill Action Levels.
• World Health Organization (WHO): Exposure to Mercury: A Major Public Health Concern and guidance on phasing out mercury-containing fever thermometers and sphygmomanometers under the Minamata Convention.
• Health Canada (Canada): Mercury in Your Environment: Cleaning Up Small Mercury Spills and Broken Compact Fluorescent Lamps.
• UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and National Poisons Information Service (NPIS, United Kingdom): Mercury Incident Management, Domestic Spill Decontamination, and Toxicological Overview.
• New York State Department of Health and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency: Cleaning Up a Small Household Mercury Spill (flashlight grazing-angle inspection, sulfur powder binding, and contaminated carpet disposal rules).

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Mɔfiame siwo do ƒome kplii¶

• Chemical spills: household and hazmat containment
• Poisoning first aid and Poison Control protocols
• Shattered glass cooktop, exploding Pyrex, and broken glass in food
• Asbestos ƒe tɔtɔ, lifi ƒe ke, kple radon ƒe agbɔsɔsɔ fũ
• Xexlẽdzesi siwo woŋlɔ ɖe nudzɔdzɔ kpatawo me ƒe nyatakakadzraɖoƒe