How to Protect Yourself From Mercury Vapor

Mercury or quicksilver is a heavy metallic element that's liquid at room temperature. It enjoys a variety of uses in research and industry, including thermometers and fluorescent light bulbs. Unfortunately, mercury is highly toxic --- it has both neurotoxic and carcinogenic effects. If you must work with mercury, you must protect yourself from the vapor. The following are simple steps you can take to minimize your exposure when working in a lab or cleaning up a spill.

Instructions

Working in a Lab

• 1

  Put on chemical splash goggles, lab apron, gloves and a respirator. Make sure you are wearing closed-toed shoes.

• 2

  Turn on the fume hood and lower the sash to the marking on the hood. If the fume hood alarm sounds, do not attempt to use the hood until the problem has been corrected and you are confident it is working properly.

• 3

  Place the container inside the fume hood, together with any other equipment you will need for your experiment. Conduct the remainder of your experiment inside the fume hood for safety.

• 4

  Pour out what you need and immediately recap the container; keep it tightly capped both before and after use. Check the container for leaks or damage, and if you see either, dispose of the container following your lab's standard procedures for dealing with hazardous wastes. If any mercury is accidentally spilled, follow the procedures for dealing with a spill as outlined below.

Dealing With Spills

• 5

  Determine whether the spill is large or small. A dime-size amount of mercury (or smaller) is considered a small spill, while bigger volumes are considered large spills.

• 6

  If the spill is large or occurs on a hot surface like a hot plate, leave the area immediately and contact your local public health department for more information on how to proceed. If you are working in a lab, follow your lab's safety policies for how to deal with this kind of situation.

• 7

  Open windows and doors to provide ventilation, if the spill is small. Ask all people not involved in cleanup to leave the area.

• 8

  Collect any clothing or other items contaminated with mercury, place them in a sealed container and put them outside in a safe place so they can be removed with the trash.

• 9

  Use a mercury cleanup kit to cleanup the spill. These kits are available in most labs and also from chemical supply companies; if you work with mercury, you should make sure you have one. The kit contains chemicals that will bind to the mercury to form a solid that can be easily collected.

• 10

  Remove and trash any contaminated carpets or rugs.

Dealing With Broken Fluorescent Bulbs

• 11

  Have all people and pets leave the room. Fluorescent bulbs contain a small amount of mercury vapor, so it's important to avoid inhalation.

• 12

  Open windows and doors to air the room for 10 minutes. Turn off the central heating and air conditioning (if any).

• 13

  Scoop up glass fragments and powders using stiff paper or cardboard, and place this debris in a glass jar with a metal lid. Use duct tape or other adhesive tape to pick up small glass fragments or powders. Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels.

• 14

  Allow the room to air for another few hours. Do not restart the central heating and air conditioning during this time.