The thermometer for measuring body temperature is a medical device that every family has today. It is primarily used to determine the condition of the patient, whether it is time to give him antipyretics, how the body fights the disease. In the vast majority of cases, a mercury thermometer is used. Sooner or later, it inevitably breaks. When a thermometer breaks in an apartment, the consequences can be very unpleasant and even dangerous. In the article we will talk about safety rules when using a thermometer, what problems it presents in a broken form, how to recognize signs of poisoning, provide first aid, how to behave if this has already happened.
Safety rules
You need to understand: when a thermometer in an apartment breaks, the consequences can become so serious that it canaffect the he alth of all family members. To prevent this, everything should be done to prevent this from happening.
Always remember that the mercury thermometer must be treated with special care. Inside it is a deadly chemical. Mercury, when interacting with the human body, can cause serious damage to it. If you still have a broken thermometer in the apartment, you should clearly understand how to act in such a situation.
Don't worry too much about this. Thermometers beat with enviable regularity, if everything is done correctly, following the recommendations exactly, it will be possible to do without serious consequences. The main thing is to be prepared for any trouble.
First, remember the main rules for handling mercury thermometers:
- The thermometer is not a toy. Children should not be allowed to play with it, even just hold it in their hands, without being under your supervision.
- Keep the mercury thermometer in a sturdy case out of the reach of children.
- "Knocking down" the temperature from the thermometer, be careful. Beware of hard objects nearby, do not pick it up with wet hands. This will avoid knocking and slipping.
- Take your child's temperature when he is under your supervision. A kid can forget about a thermometer, besides, children are known for their restlessness.
What is the danger?
When a mercury thermometer breaks in an apartment, the consequences can be very dangerous. Youmust understand what to expect. Mercury contained in a thermometer is considered especially dangerous for humans. In fact, it is a poison that has a cumulative property.
This is a unique metal in nature, as at normal temperature it remains in a liquid state. Evaporate, releasing poisons, it begins already at a temperature of +18 degrees. This is precisely the main danger when the mercury thermometer in the apartment crashed.
Exceeding the concentration limit
Typically, this medical device contains 2 to 5 grams of mercury. If all of it evaporates in a room of a standard area, the concentration of vapors of this metal in the room will reach 100 mg per cubic meter. This is 300,000 times the maximum permissible concentration of mercury for residential premises.
Of course, these are only theoretical calculations, since ventilation will not allow the metal to reach such a concentration, but it will still be quite high. In addition, all the mercury from the thermometer can only evaporate at a very high temperature.
As a result, if no action is taken when the thermometer in the apartment breaks, the concentration of this substance is 50-100 times higher than normal. This is pretty serious too.
If a thermometer breaks in an apartment, the consequence, which is considered one of the most dangerous, is that this metal has the ability to concentrate in the human body. Moreover, the symptoms can make themselves felt after a long time, which makes diagnosis extremely difficult. By that timethe broken thermometer incident can be forgotten.
Signs
When a thermometer in an apartment breaks, the consequences caused by mercury poisoning lead to certain symptoms. You need to know about them in order to diagnose in time, provide effective and timely assistance.
From medical reference books, you can find out that as a result of mercury poisoning, paralysis can occur, radical changes in vital systems and the functioning of internal organs, and death. But if a person simply breathes in the vapors of this metal, such serious complications should not be expected.
In this case, the signs will be as follows:
- general weakness of the body;
- metal taste in mouth;
- vomiting and nausea;
- discomfort when swallowing;
- headache;
- loss of appetite.
If the necessary medical care is not provided in time, the symptoms may intensify. In this case, you may see:
- loose stools with bloody or mucous secretions;
- blood on gums;
- abdominal discomfort;
- high temperature, up to 40 degrees.
In such a situation, it is necessary to immediately call an ambulance so that the patient is hospitalized. If doctors do not help him, the result can be sad, up to the death of a person.
Especially, pregnant women and children should be wary of mercury vapor poisoning. In the fair sex, expecting a child, this can cause intrauterine damage to the fetus. Atchildren, even short-term inhalation of mercury can cause fatal kidney problems.
So both children and pregnant women who were in a room with a broken thermometer should definitely see a doctor to make sure that everything went without serious consequences.
First Aid
If mercury poisoning occurs, it is important to provide first aid to minimize the negative effects on the body.
Call an ambulance first. Until the doctors arrive, the victim should drink as much water as possible. This will flush the body. Well, if the drug "Polysorb" is at hand. This is an enterosorbent that effectively helps with poisoning. It begins to act quickly, literally in a few minutes, has no contraindications, it can be taken at any age. The main thing is to decide on the dosage, which depends on the weight of the patient.
Action algorithm
When the thermometer broke in the apartment, what should I do? The consequences of this incident should be well understood by all. The main thing is not to worry. If you follow the instructions exactly, you will be able to handle this situation without any problems without harming anyone.
So, if the thermometer in the apartment crashed, what to do, we will tell you point by point:
- Remember that mercury begins to evaporate only at +18 degrees. To prevent this, reduce the temperature in the room as much as possible. If it is below this mark, the metal will nottake on a gaseous state. In this case, it is practically safe. Turning off the heating, opening a window, or turning on the air conditioner is often sufficient.
- Now let's get down to cleanup. If you did not have time to come into contact with mercury, change clothes and change into those clothes and shoes that you would not mind throwing away. Ideally, clothing should be made of non-absorbent fabric, and shoes should be rubber. For example, a raincoat made of cellophane is optimal. Put on rubber gloves on your hands, and cover your mouth and nose with a damp cloth bandage. If the thermometer in the apartment crashed, what to do, you should definitely remember in order to immediately begin to eliminate the consequences.
- Prepare a solution of potassium permanganate. The bigger, the better. To do this, dilute 20 g of potassium permanganate in 10 liters of water. Part of the solution is poured into a separate jar with a tight lid. In a separate container, prepare a soap and soda solution.
- Externally scattered mercury is small metal balls. If they are scattered on the floor, it will not be difficult for you to collect them. Collect large ones with a piece of paper, pouring them into a jar. Smaller ones - with tape.
- Carefully inspect with a flashlight potential places where pieces of metal could be. It can be corners, cracks, plinths. If such a ball is in a hard-to-reach place, it will be possible to get it with a douching pear or a knitting needle. If mercury has rolled under the baseboard, tear it off and pack it in a tight bag so that you can also dispose of it later.
- When collecting mercury, be sure to use a flashlight - soballs will be more visible.
- After collecting all the mercury without residue, wash the floor thoroughly using a soap and soda solution. Put gloves, clothes and shoes in a bag and tie tightly.
- When the thermometer broke in the apartment, you also need to clearly know where to call. You can easily collect mercury yourself, but the Ministry of Emergency Situations will tell you where to dispose of it.
- Now you need to wash yourself thoroughly. Rinse your mouth with saline several times. For prevention, drink a pack of activated charcoal.
If the thermometer in the apartment crashed, you now know for sure what to do. To make sure the mercury doesn't harm anyone, it's a good idea to close the room where it happened for at least a week. In this case, you need to leave the window open. Regularly disinfect the room. To do this, wash the floors with a soap and soda solution.
Mercury on carpet
The situation can become much more complicated if you have a carpet in your room. If a thermometer crashed in such an apartment, you need to find out especially how to collect mercury. In such a case, certain difficulties will arise. As in the situation when dangerous balls hit the fabric surface, it is very difficult to do something on your own. It is better to seek help from specialists.
Most importantly, start by getting all people and animals out of the room. Open the window, but exclude the formation of a draft. Call a laboratory service specialist, such institutions operate under the departments of the Ministry of Emergency Situations or sanitary and epidemiological stations.
Workers using special equipmentthey will determine how high the concentration of hazardous metal fumes in your apartment is, what things can be saved and which will have to be disposed of. Most likely, we will have to say goodbye to everything that ended up with mercury.
If the thermometer crashed in the apartment on the carpet, you can throw it away or try to dry-clean it. True, there is no guarantee that the thing will be cleaned qualitatively. In this case, it will be necessary to make sure that there are no traces of hazardous metal left on the carpet. This can be done only with the help of special equipment. So you have to seek help from the Ministry of Emergency Situations.
Please note: if you decide to throw away a carpet or any other item, you cannot take it to a regular container yard. You should use the services of a specialized organization for the collection of mercury-containing waste.
How long does mercury take to evaporate?
When the thermometer in the apartment crashed, how much mercury disappears cannot be precisely established. The evaporation process depends on a large number of factors, and can take from several weeks to several years.
Firstly, from the amount of mercury that managed to leak out of the thermometer. The fact is that the less substance remains on the surface, the faster evaporation will occur.
Secondly, the air temperature in the apartment in which the thermometer was broken affects. If the room is warm, then evaporation will occur faster. Open windows as soon as possible to prevent air pollution.
Third, it mattersthe surface on which the thermometer was broken. If there are no gaps on it, it will be much easier to collect dangerous metal balls. But if mercury is on the carpet or furniture, then this will add additional difficulties. In this case, evaporation will take as long as possible.
What absolutely cannot be done
There is a list of actions that should never be taken in order not to aggravate the situation with a broken thermometer.
Remember that mercury balls cannot be collected with a vacuum cleaner or a broom. Because of the broom, liquid metal will begin to be crushed, and in the vacuum cleaner, warm air from the engine will contribute to its rapid evaporation. The consequences of such cleaning can only aggravate everything.
Mercury collected in a jar of potassium permanganate, do not throw it into a regular garbage chute. After some time, it will definitely break, then people you do not know will be in danger. How many there will be is unknown. Please note that mercury, which flows from one thermometer, is able to pollute about 6 thousand cubic meters of air. The remains of the thermometer, as well as things that have come into contact with mercury, must be disposed of only in the place indicated by the Ministry of Emergency Situations.
You can not send things to the washing machine that have been in even minimal contact with mercury. Even if you are going to use disinfectants. It is unlikely to be effective, you will only expose yourself to additional danger. After all, the disposal of mercury is a dangerous and complex process. Such actions will not only not save your things, but will also damage the washing machine, which willits subsequent use is impossible.
Don't even think about flushing mercury down the drain. She will not have time to reach the waste station, remaining in the "knees" of your own pipeline. After that, it will pollute and poison your air for a long time.
Real people experience
Finally, you need to remember the main thing: do not panic if you have a broken thermometer in your apartment. Parents of young children who are regularly sick admit that such a nuisance happens quite often. On average once every few years. Panic in this situation is your main enemy.
If as a result of what happened you are still very worried, just ask the rescuers for help by calling the Ministry of Emergency Situations. In this case, they will always be able to give you qualified advice, they will tell you in detail the algorithm of actions on how to act in such a situation.
When the thermometer broke in the apartment, in the reviews of the consequences, people who in practice faced a similar situation admit that the negative symptoms of poisoning almost never appear. If you act in accordance with the algorithm, you will avoid trouble. The main thing is to properly dispose of everything and be especially careful at the cleaning stage.
If you have a difficult case, for example, mercury has rolled into a hard-to-reach place and there is no way to extract it from there, contact specialized services for help. Their professional duties include elimination of the consequences of such incidents. So they will definitely help you.
Today manyabandon the use of mercury thermometers for measuring temperature, but they still remain in demand. Some believe that the data they show is more accurate, others are attracted by their lower cost compared to analogues. So use mercury thermometers without too much fear, but carefully and prudently.
