How to properly dispose of a broken thermometer. Rules for the disposal of mercury thermometers. Where to take the thermometer for recycling

Everyone should know how to dispose of a mercury thermometer. Mercury is very dangerous for humans, touching it is fraught with serious consequences, especially for children. There are thermometers with it in almost every home.

1

It is best to always be aware of the potential hazard and avoid the possibility of damage to the thermometer and spreading of mercury. But sometimes trouble still happens, and a number of questions immediately arise: where to dispose of mercury, where to throw away the thermometer fragments, and so on. You need to know the answers ahead of time.

broken thermometer

Mercury is a highly toxic substance. Getting out of the closed space of the thermometer into the air, at room temperature, it immediately begins to evaporate. Inhalation of these vapors is extremely dangerous, entailing serious consequences. If inhaled or swallowed for a long time (which can be expected from small child) the lack of urgent action threatens with a fatal outcome.

During inhalation, mercury vapor enters the lungs and then into the blood, further affecting those internal organs into which this blood enters. Mercury compounds are very difficult to remove from the body, so it is necessary to take all measures so that these compounds do not enter the body.

2

The first impulse may be to throw away mercury thermometer in the trash, but you need to know that you should never do this! In the garbage, the thermometer is likely to crack, mercury will leak out, and it is very likely that before it evaporates, it will have time to cause irreparable harm to a person or animal. You may also think about how to dispose of the mercury thermometer yourself: bury it or break it and throw it into the sewer. All these actions may protect former owner from danger, but will not protect others.

Used thermometer

A thermometer that has served its time needs to be disposed of. In this case, the used thermometer, which aroused suspicion, must first of all be carefully wrapped in a plastic bag and placed in a glass jar with a solution of soda or potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate). Then the jar must be tightly closed with a nylon lid. It is recommended that a thermometer isolated in this way be taken to a pharmacy, where it is accepted and placed in a special container. You can always find out where to take the thermometer and where the nearest pharmacy is located at the help center. Or the thermometer can be taken to a special demercurization center if its location in the city is known.

3

As soon as the fact of a broken thermometer is established, it is necessary to urgently take security measures:

1. Remove all people and animals from the room, while it is advisable to remove children from the apartment.
2. In the room where the thermometer broke, if possible, open the windows and close the doors to the room tightly.
3. The gap under the door must be tightly plugged with a cloth soaked in a solution of soda or potassium permanganate. Other doors must also be closed to prevent drafts.
4. Call the Ministry of Emergency Situations, entrust the procedure for the disposal of mercury to professionals.

Mercury after a broken thermometer

If for some reason it is impossible to call the Ministry of Emergency Situations, as well as to keep the windows open for a long time (so that the mercury completely evaporates and disappears), it is necessary to put it in a jar broken thermometer, as indicated above, collect droplets of mercury in it and close tightly with a nylon lid. You can collect mercury on a piece of thick paper or with a syringe or pear. It is imperative to use gloves and a gauze bandage, try to hold your breath as much as possible and not bring your hands and face close, as mercury vapor also settles on the skin. Fragments of the thermometer are collected on adhesive tape or gently with a rag. All this (including a rag) cannot be thrown away and must also be disposed of. The mercury collected in the container must be handed over to the employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations or to the demercurization center.

In some exceptional cases, when it is impossible to hand over fragments of a thermometer with elements of mercury (for example, in areas remote from regional centers), it is necessary to temporarily preserve everything collected. A tightly closed glass container, which for reliability can be additionally placed in an iron container (for example, in a metal can with a lid), must be buried. It is necessary to choose a burial place so that you can easily find it and get to the buried one yourself, but at the same time random people Or animals shouldn't.

As soon as possible, the specified contents must be handed over for recycling or handed over to the employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. You should not leave such "treasures" in the ground or throw them away somewhere - you need to protect all living things and nature as a whole.

Only one is his fragility. The main working component of a traditional thermometer is mercury enclosed in a transparent glass tube. It is very easy to damage it, resulting in leakage. The mercury leaked from the thermometer does not pose a threat, but the vapors it emits are extremely dangerous. Inhalation of mercury vapor leads to severe poisoning with serious consequences.

That is why, even if your old mercury is not damaged, but simply needs to be disposed of, throw it away with household waste- irresponsible and very dangerous.

If the thermometer is not damaged, but can no longer be used, it must be disposed of. The main question faced by responsible citizens who do not want to throw a mercury thermometer into the nearest trash can is where to take the thermometer for disposal. According to current legislation, they are required to accept for disposal in pharmacies and hospitals, where specialized rigid containers for transportation must be available.

Most often, private companies that have passed state accreditation are directly engaged in recycling. However, legislation is often not as effective as one would like. If, contrary to the instructions, they refuse to accept a thermometer at the nearest medical facility, you can clarify the address of the collection point at the district administration.

If the thermometer is damaged, urgent action must be taken. The best solution would be to call the Ministry of Emergency Situations, specialists for such calls arrive promptly, carry out quality processing, which solves the problem. And you should not at all assume that a couple of balls of mercury in a large apartment are safe. Mercury is a poison, so the Ministry of Emergency Situations comes to such calls without any questions.

First of all, it is necessary to provide high-quality premises - open windows and vents. Then collect the fragments of the thermometer, do not forget to wear gloves. Pick up visible drops of mercury with a rubber bulb or a cloth soaked in oil. The collected drops and fragments should be placed in a jar, tightly closed with a lid, and handed over as soon as possible. The place where mercury has fallen must be treated with a strong solution of bleach or manganese.

note

Thermometer a very useful item that requires careful handling, because it contains mercury, a metal hazardous to health. In the event that the thermometer has broken or simply become unusable, it becomes necessary to get rid of it, but many do not know where to throw the thermometer away.

Instruction

Put on rubber gloves and a cotton-gauze bandage. Mercury rolls into small balls, so it is most convenient to collect it with a rubber bulb or syringe. If neither one nor the other was at hand, then take a piece of adhesive tape or a wet sheet of thick paper and run it over the balls, they should stick.

IN glass jar prepare a concentrated solution of potassium permanganate and place the collected mercury and fragments of a thermometer there, tightly close with a rubber lid.

Call the emergency services and report the incident. When the rescue team arrives, give them, along with the can, rubber gloves, a cotton-gauze bandage and an object that was used to collect mercury. In addition, the duties of the Ministry of Emergency Situations include the disinfection of the room where the thermometer crashed.

When the disinfection is over, take care of your health. Rinse your mouth with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and brush your teeth and take a few tablets of activated charcoal. Drink plenty of fluids, as mercury formations are excreted through the kidneys.

Mercury is often used in thermometers. It is a toxic substance which, if released from this equipment, may cause serious problems with health. In this article, we will consider the question "How to dispose of a mercury thermometer?".

The danger of liquid metal

The main danger for humans, they represent mercury vapor. From the point of view of ecology, it belongs to microelements, which suggests that serious health consequences can occur at a small concentration of this element, at which it goes into the category of "heavy metals". Mercury can be ingested or inhaled.

The first way is the most dangerous for children, who are interested in the color and shape of the metal ball, and they may try to taste it. In this regard, the question "How to dispose of a mercury thermometer?" relevant for everyone, but especially important for families with small children.

The entry of this substance into the body initially proceeds without the obvious presence of symptoms of poisoning. After a certain period of time has passed, a person begins to have problems with the fact that he becomes extremely irritable, he has increased fatigue, a sharp loss of weight and appetite. If you suspect poisoning with this metal, you should consult a doctor and be puzzled by the question “How to properly dispose of a mercury thermometer?”.

First steps to take if metal leaks from thermometer

The answer to the question of how to dispose of a mercury thermometer should begin with the fact that it is necessary to localize the accident site and remove all people and animals from it. First of all, the place where the mercury leak occurred should not be approached close. The fact is that, despite the fact that it seems that the metal flows out in separate balls, it gives splashes that can stick to the sole and spread throughout the house. The room in which this incident occurred must be ventilated, while avoiding drafts, for which it is necessary to close the doors with the windows open.

After that, you need to start collecting a dangerous element. For this you need to prepare. Use only thick whole gloves and a respirator. The latter can be done by yourself by moistening a gauze bandage with soda solution. It is better to wear shoe covers on shoes or plastic bags, which must be integer.

We collect

Having prepared for this action, we proceed to it. The first decision on where to dispose of a mercury thermometer should be to use a jar filled with water. The latter will not allow this element to saturate the air with dangerous vapors.

To prevent the microelement from spreading from the thermometer, it is necessary to surround the place where it was released with wet rags.

Collect heavy metal with a syringe. The smallest splashes can be collected when using adhesive tape, plasticine or other sticky objects. It should be borne in mind that those that are used to collect mercury must be disposed of together with this element.

Further actions

Every 10-15 minutes it is necessary to leave the room in which the thermometer crashed for Fresh air. This will avoid a critical accumulation of mercury in the body, which, in turn, will prevent severe poisoning. A jar of water and placed metal is tightly twisted. It should not be placed near heating equipment, as well as other devices of similar action.

After disinfection of the room, it is necessary to rinse the mouth with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. With the appearance of nausea, weakness, dizziness, it is necessary to take activated charcoal tablets with a large volume of water. In the following days, it is also necessary to consume a significant amount of this substance, since it helps to remove this toxic element from the body. Disinfection of the fracture site can be done with isopropyl alcohol or by sprinkling crushed activated charcoal tablets on the infected surface, which after 15 minutes should be placed in a vessel with water. Within a month after collection, it is necessary to treat the floor and walls with a chlorine solution, alternating with treatment with clean water.

Difficult collection cases

If mercury balls get on the carpet, it is necessary to prevent them from falling on the floor covering, for which you need to lift the edges and bend them. If the metal gets on a fleecy rug, then it is wrapped in polyethylene, taken out into the yard, hung on the crossbar with the latter placed under the crossbar in order to prevent the pollutant from entering the ground. Mercury will drain off this surface on its own, after which this product is knocked out for at least 30 minutes.

It is most difficult to remove the trace element in question from metal surfaces. To do this, it is necessary to use a copper plate, with which it is collected and placed in cold water.

Keeping even collected metal at home is extremely dangerous. At the same time, the need for disposal arises not only in relation to a broken thermometer, but also to one that has ceased to correctly show the temperature and whose service life has expired.

When breaking a thermometer with this element, you need to contact the Ministry of Emergency Situations. After the brigade arrives at the scene, they are handed over to the last a can of water and heavy metal, gloves, adhesive tape and other devices that were used for collection. Rescuers carry out professional disinfection and determine whether fumes of a toxic nature have passed into other rooms.

In the case of living in the capital of our country, the question “How to dispose of a mercury thermometer in Moscow?” Has more simple solutions which is typical for a number of other large settlements. This is due to the fact that they have special organizations involved in the disposal of this equipment.

Other ways of disposal

There are organizations that act as intermediaries between trading companies and drug manufacturers. They have at their disposal containers in which they can be placed for safe storage various pollutants, including mercury. Since the potential opportunity to break a thermometer is always present, it is better to take care of the question of the presence of this economic entity in advance. locality where you live. To do this, you can use the services of a help desk or search for information yourself on the global Internet.

If such a situation arises when none of the organizations described above is nearby, you need to seek help in resolving the question “Where to dispose of a mercury thermometer?” to pharmacies or Rospotrebnadzor bodies that are not specialized enterprises for the collection, storage and disposal of xenobiotics, but cannot refuse individuals in the reception of the brought, in case of preliminary writing of the application by the latter.

What Not to Do

The question "How to dispose of a mercury thermometer?" should not stand by itself, but must take into account the correctness of this procedure. It is possible to collect this heavy metal so that nothing good can be expected after it. To prevent this, you need to follow simple rules:

• you can not create a draft, as mentioned earlier;
• do not clean with a broom, as this contributes to the spread of small balls of mercury in different parts of the room;
• when using a vacuum cleaner, poisonous metal scatters throughout the living area;
• after the process of collecting heavy metal, wash the things in which it was carried out;
• the latter are subject only to recycling.

In addition, the mercury thermometer should not be disposed of by throwing it into the trash.

If a broom or a vacuum cleaner is still used, they must be disposed of.

It is not necessary to use chlorinated iron and copper sulfate in the collection process. The former is itself a toxic substance, while the latter helps dissolve mercury and smear it, which complicates the cleaning process.

No need to pour water with collected metal down the drain. It settles on the walls of pipes and will serve as a constant source of toxic fumes.

We provide security

It is not necessary to leave a mercury thermometer unattended, after the temperature has been measured, it must be immediately placed in a protective case, while shaking, it must be firmly held in hands, not brought closer to heating devices, do not give to animals and children as a toy.

As an alternative to such a device, you can use electronic thermometer. However, it must be taken into account that it must fit snugly against the skin, so it is best to use it rectally or orally. There are forehead and ear infrared thermometers, thermometers-nipples for babies.

Finally

This article addressed the question "How to dispose of a mercury thermometer?". When breaking it, this must be done carefully, using special means, utilizing it by handing it over to special organizations. The collection process should be as safe as possible, for which it is necessary to use personal protective equipment, after collecting the site of infection, it is necessary to process those of the listed means that are available at home. Alternative thermometers can be used to prevent mercury ingress if the thermometer is accidentally slipped.

"The thermometer crashed, what to do" ... Seeing such a request, any search engine on the Web will give out a bunch of links with tips. As it turned out, not all of them are adequate. "RG" figured out what to do with mercury, and where to carry the broken thermometer.

When the author of these lines "accidentally" dropped the thermometer on the floor, the flu somehow passed by itself. Chernyshevsky's famous question was immediately asked to Yandex, but the "answers" alerted him. Someone advised to carefully collect the mercury and throw it away, while someone fought in hysterics and demanded to immediately pull all the operational services of Moscow to Zyablikovo. I had to call 01. The dispatcher, having barely heard the question, immediately switched to a specialist. The expert girl, having learned that mercury had spilled on the parquet, advised this:

• collect mercury with paper soaked in water
• put the resulting ball and a broken thermometer in a jar of cold water and close tightly
• put the jar on the balcony
• ventilate the apartment: half an hour or a little longer.

Are there detergents in the house? - asked the girl-expert.

Followed awkward pause: the question was clearly in the wrong place. But mutual understanding was reached. It was enough to plan laundry soap into water, then thoroughly wash the place of disaster. When all the recommendations were fulfilled, another question suddenly surfaced: where to put the broken thermometer? The Internet did not advise anything intelligible, but it reminded me: there will be two grams of mercury in the thermometer, and if they evaporate, this can threaten the entire microdistrict with disaster. I had to call the Ministry of Emergency Situations again at 01. The emergency department did not accept thermometers, but helped with advice.

Contact the sanitary and epidemiological station, the management company or DEZ in the morning: there are special boxes for used batteries in the control rooms, mercury lamps and thermometers,” dispatchers said.

On Saturday morning, the broken thermometer did not let me sleep for a long time. But it didn’t work to get through to the local department of Rospotrebnadzor - they didn’t pick up the phone. There were specialists in the administration of the Orekhovo-Borisovo South district and the local DEZ, but they did not know where they take thermometers. They advised me to contact the Ministry of Emergency Situations. In 01, where I had to turn again, the "joke" was not appreciated. They advised us to get the public utilities to do their job. And it happened: in the council and DEZ they gave the number of the control room.

These are the boxes that should be in every communal control room. But there is no separate place for thermometers - in this case, you will have to ask the employees of the organization for help. Photo: Sergey Babkin

You are the first one in several years who has addressed such a problem, - the duty officer answered. - Lamps are brought, batteries are stacked, but so that thermometers ....

Nevertheless, they agreed to take the broken device. Right in the next house there was a special recycling point, where everyone can bring a broken thermometer. True, they will not give money for this, but anonymity is guaranteed.

What to do if the thermometer breaks in the apartment

• Restrict people's access to this room and restrict the movement where the mercury spill occurred to prevent its spread on the soles of shoes and other items, and urgently call specialists.
• Quickly protect the respiratory organs with personal protective equipment: a gas mask, a respirator, and in their absence - a cotton-gauze bandage, a scarf, a scarf, a towel, etc., moistened with water.
• Ventilate the premises and exclude drafts to prevent the ingress of polluted air into other premises.
• Do not allow the use of items that contribute to the spread of mercury contamination (vacuum cleaners, brooms, floor rags).
• If possible, cover the spill site with gas-tight material to reduce mercury evaporation.
• When spilled a large number mercury needs to leave quickly dangerous place and urgently call specialists. Change clothes, take a shower, rinse your mouth with 0.25% manganese solution and be sure to brush your teeth.
• If an ordinary thermometer breaks at home, then a small amount of mercury leaked out of it can be collected using an ordinary medical "pear". Wipe the place where the mercury was with a damp cloth, then wash your hands thoroughly.

According to the press service of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations in Moscow

The question of where to dispose of a mercury thermometer worries citizens in cases where the thermometer has broken or is simply no longer needed.

If the product is damaged

If the thermometer burst, crashed, cracked, then there is only one answer to the above question - you need to call the Ministry of Emergencies. The specialists of this service are obliged to organize the whole complex of measures to solve this problem, namely:

• eliminate droplets of mercury;
• secure the premises;
• pick up the damaged thermometer.
• burn them.

Sometimes people are not sufficiently informed about where to put a broken mercury thermometer and often just throw it in the trash or bury it in the soil. This is unacceptable, because mercury causes irreparable harm to the environment and human health.

Solving the recycling problem

Today, private firms have appeared in many cities, for which recycling hazardous waste is the main area of ​​activity. These include the Mercury Safety Agency. With the participation of this company, the solution of the problem came to new level. All more people prefer to hand over the mercury thermometer to the company's specialists, instead of just throwing it in the trash or out the window.

In some domestic megacities, such an innovation as the Ecomobile has appeared. People can dial a phone number and call a mobile collection point for environmentally hazardous waste.

Another solution for residents major cities is an ecoterminal. Special machines of blue color for the disposal of thermometers and other products with high level hazards are placed near shopping centers, hypermarkets, gas stations, other visited places.

Alternative drop off locations

In large and medium-sized cities, the disposal of mercury thermometers can be carried out at stationary demercurization points. However, this option is not suitable for residents of towns, villages, villages, etc. In this case, you should contact the SES or district office. If the employees of these institutions do not show initiative, you need to insist on your own or make an appointment with the head of the district, other officials call the hotline.

Many citizens, thinking about where to take thermometers with mercury, turn to pharmacies. According to the order of the Ministry of Health, pharmacists are required to accept defective thermometers, as well as broken and damaged ones. Unfortunately, not all pharmacies operate this procedure.

folk method

There is an opinion among the people that the disposal of mercury from a thermometer can be carried out in the following way: carefully collect the crumbled mercury (this should be done with rubber gloves), pour it into a jar and pour it with a manganese or soap-soda solution so that the heavy metal does not emit vapors. In fact, only specialists should deal with such a serious incident. Therefore, it is better to find out where to hand over a broken thermometer in a particular locality, so as not to make even more problems.

I am glad that today there are more and more environmental companies where you can donate a mercury thermometer. One of the most profitable options stands for cooperation with the Agency "Mercury Security". This company solves the problem as quickly as possible, providing services at the lowest rates.