Liquid Metal Hazards: Dealing With Minor Mercury Spills

!±8± Liquid Metal Hazards: Dealing With Minor Mercury Spills

Mercury is one of the most unique substances on Earth. The only kind of metal that is in liquid form at room temperature, it is primarily found in one household product - the thermometer. And yet, it is toxic, even if only vapors from the mercury are inhaled. Medical mercury thermometers may have slowly lost popularity because of the proliferation of digital thermometers, but other kinds of thermometers still have mercury inside the glass.

Since mercury is a pretty common substance, small accidental spills of mercury may happen anytime. It is particularly true in the case of medical thermometers using mercury, as these have to be shaken and tapped to "reset" the temperature. This has led the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue guidelines for cleaning up small mercury spills, specifically those that come from a thermometer.

Cleaning up a broken mercury thermometer

Have the following items at hand:

* 4-5 ziplock bags
* 2-6 mils thick trash bags
* Protective gloves - rubber, nitrile or latex
* Paper towels
* Squeegee and/or cardboard
* Eyedropper
* Duct tape, or shaving cream and small paint brush
* Flashlight
* Powdered sulfur (optional)

1. Wear the protective gloves.

2. Pick up all broken pieces of glass or other sharp objects, and place on the paper towels. Fold the paper towels and place in the ziplock bag. Secure the bag. Make sure to label the bag as directed by the local health or fire department.

3. Locate visible mercury beads, and with the squeegee or cardboard, use slow sweeping motions to contain the mercury. Darken the room and using the flashlight at a low angle close to the floor, look for additional glistening beads of mercury sticking to the surface or in small cracks. Be sure to inspect the whole room, as mercury moves fast on hard and flat surfaces.

4. Using the eyedropper, collect or draw up the mercury beads, and carefully squeeze it out on a damp paper towel. Place and secure in another ziplock bag, and label accordingly.

5. After removing the larger beads, put duct tape to collect hard to see beads. An alternative would be to put shaving cream on top of the small paint brush, and dot the affected area to pick up the beads. Place duct tape and/or paint brush in another zip lock, secure and label.

6. If powdered sulfur is available, it can be used to absorb mercury beads that are too small to see. Powdered sulfur binds mercury so it can be easily removed, suppresses mercury vapors, and makes it easier to see as sulfur changes color from yellow to brown upon contact. However, it may stain fabrics with a dark color, and can be moderately toxic when inhaled.

7. If sulfur is unavailable, it is advised to call a contractor with monitoring equipment to screen for mercury vapors.

8. Place the mercury beads, all materials used with the cleanup including the gloves, and other related objects into the trash bag. Secure and label the trash bag.

9. Contact the local health or fire department, or the municipal waste authority, for proper disposal of the materials.

If, for some reason, the amount of spilled mercury is more than the amount in a thermometer, isolate the contaminated area and call the local or state health and/or environmental agency. For spills greater than two tablespoons (which is already equivalent to one pound of mercury), call the National Response Center 24-hour hotline at (800) 424-8802.

Liquid Metal Hazards: Dealing With Minor Mercury Spills

Psb Speakers Sale Graco Car Seat Stroller Combo Right Now Discounted Bsc Snark

Kimberly-Clark Products - Multifold Towels, 9-1/5"x9-2/5", 4000/CT, White - Sold as 1 CT - Multifold paper towels are convenient and absorbent. The fold allows easy dispensing on one towel per pull even without a dispenser.

!±8± Kimberly-Clark Products - Multifold Towels, 9-1/5"x9-2/5", 4000/CT, White - Sold as 1 CT - Multifold paper towels are convenient and absorbent. The fold allows easy dispensing on one towel per pull even without a dispenser.

Rate : | Price : $55.05 | Post Date : Dec 19, 2011 00:15:07
Usually ships in 1-2 business days

Kimberly-Clark Products - Multifold Towels, 9-1/5"x9-2/5", 4000/CT, White - Sold as 1 CT

Multifold paper towels are convenient and absorbent. The fold allows easy dispensing on one towel per pull even without a dispenser.

Sold as 1 CT

Manufacturer: Kimberly-Clark

Total percentage of recycled content: 40

Post Consumer Waste: 40

Country of origin: US

Pet Memorial Headstones On Sale

Ew, That Smell! Cleaning Smoke and Other Odors in Your Collectibles

!±8± Ew, That Smell! Cleaning Smoke and Other Odors in Your Collectibles

Have you ever bought anything, gotten it home then realized that it didn't smell fresh as a daisy? Have you ever opened a box you had in storage and the smell almost knocked you over? While everyone has a different sensitivity to odors the last thing you want to do is send an unsuspecting buyer a package that has an offending odor.

Sellers who smoke cigarettes, cigars or pipes must be particularly careful with their inventory and keep it in a smoke free zone if they are to keep their buyers coming back. Nobody wants to buy a garment only to find out it smells like an ashtray. Keep your shipping materials in areas away from smoking too because cardboard easily absorbs odors.

Getting rid of odors can be a tedious task that must be gone about with great care. Many collectible items just can't be washed. This is where simple cleaning items are best.
Always test the method you choose in an area that won't be noticeable before cleaning the entire item. Use these cleaning tips at your own risk.If the item is washable, like clothing, then hand wash or soak in cold water with Woolite then soak in a mixture of white vinegar and water (about an 1/4 cup vinegar to a gallon of water). Let air dry. I've been told that using Woolite on some vintage doll clothes (even Barbie clothes) ruins the sizing so be very careful.

What if the item isn't washable? Get a plastic container with a tight fitting lid and pour in a few inches of baking soda. Put a layer of paper towels on top of the baking soda then place the object you are trying to freshen up on top of the paper towels. Put the lid on and let it sit for 5 - 7 days. Repeat as often as necessary until the odor is gone.

Another remedy you can try is to leave your item outside in the sun for a few days (as long as the weather is nice). Do not do this with anything that would be damaged by heat or may melt. I've also heard that leaving an item out overnight if the weather is dry may work as long as the item is not porous.

Books, boxes and paper items should be aired out or put into containers with baking soda. Most paper items should not be left out in direct sunlight as they may fade.

There are some powerful odor removing products on the market that you can use. One of them is called D-Stinker by Twin Pines of Maine and is made to remove odors from non-porous items. They even have doll cleaning instructions on their website.

I have purchased sets of china on several occasions that were plagued by smoke odor and yellow discoloration. I put these items on the China setting on my dishwasher and let the cycle run. It removes most of the residue. A little bit of window cleaner or grease remover mixed with water can be used to get rid of the yellow stains.

Make sure you always do a smell test when purchasing used items. Unless the item is rare or highly collectible, it is better to pass on items that have offensive odors. You may find a treasure priced really low but the cost can be huge if you have to spend hours cleaning it.

Ew, That Smell! Cleaning Smoke and Other Odors in Your Collectibles

Spinning Bike Workouts Clearance Sale Swiffer Wet Coupons Right Now