OT A tale of two webpages, both from Baltimore City
A Baltimore fire department spokesman says more than a dozen people at a Baltimore school have been isolated after broken thermometers prompted concerns about the mercury inside.
Kevin Cartwright, a spokesman for the fire department, said between 12 and 20 students and staff were isolated Friday at Rodman Elementary School in West Baltimore.
Cartwright says there were no signs of significant injuries. The students and staff were to be showered in a decontamination trailer.
Cartwright says students were playing with thermometers, which broke and released mercury.
Mercury Myths And Realities
If a mercury thermometer breaks what should you do? Could your health be at risk? These are two of the most common questions asked of the experts at the Maryland Poison Center at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. Below you'll find the answers and more facts about mercury.
- Mercury is a shiny, odorless, poisonous metal that is a liquid at room temperature. * There are three types of mercury: elemental, organic and inorganic. * Elemental mercury is found in thermometers, barometers, blood-pressure devices, fluorescent lights, batteries and is used in dental offices. * In 2000, 4,186 cases of mercury exposure were reported in the United States. * Most mercury poisoning occurs from breathing contaminated air or from ingesting contaminated water or food. * Long-term exposure to a large amount of mercury could cause neurological problems. * Short-term exposure to a small amount of mercury is not likely to cause health problems. * The amount of mercury in an oral/rectal thermometer is not enough to be toxic. If a child were to ingest mercury from a thermometer, it should not cause any health problems.
So you can even eat the stuff. Admittedly there was more than one thermometer in the first story, but I doubt if they did more than barely touch it. I used to play with liquid mercury when I was 7 to
12 years old, and I'm yako.
- The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents use a digital thermometer as opposed to a mercury thermometer when taking a child's temperature. * Place a mercury thermometer in a sealable plastic bag when throwing it away. * To clean up a broken thermometer, use two sheets of paper to pick up the beads of mercury. Then place them in a plastic bag before disposing of the material. * Never use a vacuum cleaner to clean up mercury. * For a larger mercury spill, contact the Maryland Department of the Environment 24 hours a day at 410-974-3551. * For questions and poison emergencies, call the Maryland Poison Center 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-222-1222.