Re: [fast5] OT:mercury was Re: Oh man, you guys HAVE to see this!!!

thanks for that. My dh had said that as long as you aren't breathing it you are fine, but I had forgotten that until I read what you wrote. That explains why we suffered no ill effects.

Of course I haven't played with any in more than 20 years now.....

chantelle

On Mar 15, 2011, at 1:18 PM, Heather Twist wrote:

 

When I was a kid and a thermometer broke, Mom would show us how to

play with the mercury on a dime, and how it would coat the dime and

make it shiny. When SHE was a kid, her Dad brought home a pound

of the stuff for her to play with. I won't say she is completely sane :-) 

but she is 86 and doesn't have major health problems (never had

cancer, her heart is ok, she has all her teeth, and keeps her own house).

Hooke, the inventor of the microscope, used to *drink* liquid mercury

because he felt it helped his stomach. Supposedly it's only the methyl

mercury that is extremely toxic. The compounds of mercury can kill

you. It does get excreted from the body though: our body is better at

getting rid of mercury than it is of getting rid of excess iron, which is

more irritating and more toxic than raw mercury. Here is an interesting tidbit:

http://mysite.du.edu/~jcalvert/phys/mercury.htm

As mentioned above, mercury metal is not a hazardous chemical. It is not poisonous, explosive, inflammable, unstable, irritating or reactive. Mercury compounds are, however, very damaging to kidneys and nervous systems and should definitely be avoided. Being afraid of mercury metal is like being afraid of salt, because salt contains the poison gas chlorine. The only hazard from mercury metal is chronic exposure to its vapor, which requires bad ventilation, long exposure, and a lot of mercury scattered about in warm places. Don't drink mercury, though it was once prescribed as a medicine. There is no danger in occasional external contact. These days, it is good not to dispose of it casually. Keep a bottle for scrap (dirty) mercury, and be very careful that all you use is properly accounted for. Mercury is best cleaned up manually. It coalesces in little drops that can be coaxed onto a piece of paper and put in a safe place. Work with it in a place where it will not get away from you, and, of course, work only with small amounts.

the usual precautions now that most health-focused people do.....we just have to wonder a bit :)

Chantelle