EHS will exchange your mercury thermometer (or other mercury containing device) with a mercury free one. To determine if your thermometer contains mercury, examine the fluid. If the fluid is silver colored, it is mercury. If it's red, it's alcohol, and if it's blue or green, it's the new environmentally safe fluid. Mercury is a toxic element and when a mercury thermometer is broken, special care must be taken to clean it up. Thermometers broken in water baths or ovens tables are particularly troublesome to clean up. Mercury manometers contain large amounts of mercury and many thousands of dollars can be spent cleaning up after a spilled or broken manometer. Below is a partial listing of mercury free thermometers that EHS stocks for exchange. Please contact EHS for assistance with replacing manometers or thermometers not on the list.
Fill in the quantities below to place an order.
Total Immersion Thermometers
RangeAccuracyLength (in)Quantity Needed-20 ~ 110°C± 1°12-20 ~ 150°C± 1°, ± 1.5° above 105°C12-10 ~ 110°C± 1°8-10 ~ 150°C± 1°, ± 1.5° above 105°C8-10 ~ 225°C± 1°140 ~ 230°F± 2°120 ~ 300°F± 2°, ± 3° above 221°F12
Partial (2") Immersion Thermometers
RangeAccuracyLength (in)Quantity Needed-10 ~ 110°C± 1°8-10 ~ 150°C± 1°, ± 1.5° above 105°C8
Partial (3") Immersion Thermometers
RangeAccuracyLength (in)Quantity Needed-20 ~ 110°C± 1°12-20 ~ 150°C± 1°, ± 1.5° above 105°C12-10 ~ 260°C± 1°, ± 1.5° above 105°C,
± 1°, ± 2° above 200°C140 ~ 230°F± 2°120 ~ 300°F± 2°, ± 3° above 221°F12
I have mercury containing devices to exchange that are not thermometers:
Describe the devices you want to exchange:
Your Email:If you have questions about this form, please contact rlowe@vt.edu.
Thermometers have nonhazardous, biodegradable liquid and dye. Dark green liquid color makes them easy to read and different in appearance from all other non-mercury thermometers. Accuracy is equivalent to mercury thermometers of the same type and range. All thermometers have permanently-fused markings, and all but 200mm (77/8") length thermometers have unique serial numbers for ISO 9000 or other quality systems. A statement of accuracy is provided to indicate instrument traceability to standards provided by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and Deutscher Kalibrierdienst (DKD). Instructions for reuniting the liquid column are included with each thermometer.
Broken thermometers are the cause of numerous calls to the Poison Center. Thermometers with a silver line contain elemental mercury. Thermometers with a red or blue liquid do NOT contain mercury. There is much misinformation about mercury, its various forms and its dangers. Three different types of mercury exist, varying in their levels of toxicity. They are elemental mercury, inorganic mercury and organic mercury.
Elemental mercury
Mercury is an extremely heavy, odorless, silver colored liquid. Mercury exists as a natural element in the earth's crust. Elemental mercury is also known as metallic mercury, liquid mercury, liquid silver and quicksilver.
What are sources of exposure to elemental mercury?
Sources of elemental mercury in the home include broken mercury thermometers, broken fluorescent light bulbs, dental amalgam fillings, mercury containing latex paints, extraction of gold from ore using mercury, and contaminated clothing from workers in thermometer making plants. Elemental mercury is also used as a Mexican folk medicine to treat "empacho," a chronic stomach disorder.
How toxic is elemental mercury?
Of all the forms of mercury, elemental mercury is the most commonly swallowed form of mercury, usually from a broken thermometer. Fortunately, elemental mercury from a thermometer is not absorbed from the stomach and will not cause any poisoning in a healthy person. In a healthy person, the slippery swallowed mercury will roll into the stomach, out in to the bowels and will be quickly eliminated without causing any symptoms. A person with severe inflammatory bowel disease or those with a fistula (hole or opening) in their gut may have problems with mercury if it is not all cleared out, resulting in prolonged exposure. Handling liquid mercury for a very short period of time usually does not result in any problems. An allergic rash is possible, though. Mercury is not well absorbed across the skin so skin contact is not likely to cause mercury poisoning, especially with a brief one-time exposure. Even if a person has cuts in their skin, mercury is too heavy to be contained by a cut. Merely washing the wound well will wash the mercury out of the wound.
Can elemental mercury be dangerous?
Inhalation of elemental mercury vapors is the main cause of toxicity, as mercury is well absorbed by the lungs. To develop problems by inhalation you need either a large one-time exposure or a long-term exposure. A small, one-time exposure is not likely to cause problems.
What are the symptoms?
After a large, one-time inhalation exposure of mercury vapor, the lungs are the main target of mercury poisoning, although other symptoms develop as well. Symptoms may develop within a few hours and include chills, metallic taste, mouth sores, swollen gums, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, headache, weakness, confusion, shortness of breath, cough, chest tightness, bronchitis, pneumonia and kidney damage.
How does long-term exposure differ from a short-term exposure?
Long-term exposure (usually work-related) of inhaled vapors is generally more dangerous than a one-time short exposure. After long-term inhalation exposure, the nervous system is the main target of toxicity. Symptoms may occur within weeks but usually develop insidiously over a period of years. Neurologic symptoms include tremors, headaches, short-term memory loss, incoordination, weakness, loss of appetite, altered sense of taste and smell, numbness and tingling in the hands and feet, insomnia, and excessive sweating. Psychiatric effects are also seen after long-term exposure. Acrodynia can result from repeated exposures to mercury-containing latex paint fumes. Acrodynia is usually seen in younger children. The symptoms include chills, sweating, body rash, irritability, sleeplessness, leg cramps, swelling of the cheeks, nose, hands and feet, light-sensitivity to the eyes and peeling skin layers on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.
Inorganic Mercury
Inorganic mercury compounds are known as "mercuric salts." Some of the mercuric salts include: mercuric chloride, mercuric iodide, mercuric nitrate, mercuric sulfide, yellow mercuric oxide, red mercuric oxide, ammoniated mercury, mercurous chloride and mercurous acetate.
What are sources of inorganic mercury compounds?
Some folk medicines from outside the United States contain high amounts of mercury that can cause mercury poisoning. Two common mercury compounds are calomel and cinnabar.
Chinese herbal drugs with measurable amounts of mercury include: Chinese herbal ball preparations containing both mercury and arsenic include:
- An Gong Niu Huang Wan
- Da Huo Luo Wan
- Dendrobium Moniliforme Night Sight pills
- Niu Huang Chiang Ya Wan
- Niu Huang Chiang Hsin Wan
- Ta Huo Lo Tan
- Tsai Tsao Wan
Indian and Mexican folk medications containing mercury include:
- Creme de Belleza-Manning
- Tainan
- Ping-tong
- Sin-chu
What are the symptoms of inorganic mercury poisoning?
Inorganic mercuric salts are corrosive and they damage the kidneys. Following ingestion, symptoms include nausea, vomiting blood, burns and tissue death in the throat and stomach, abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea, decreased urination and kidney failure.
Long-term application of mercury-containing substances causes skin redness and staining of the skin. More severe symptoms include nerve damage resulting in weakness, numbness and tingling.
Organic Mercury
What are sources of organic mercury?
Organic mercury compounds are found in a variety of products. They are used medically as fungicides and antibacterials. The most common organic mercury compounds in the home may well be mercurochrome (merbromin) and merthiolate (thimerosal), two common antiseptics. Fortunately, small ingestions by children rarely cause major problems.
What is the most common source of organic mercury poisoning?
In the general population, the main source of mercury poisoning is the ingestion of mercury- contaminated food, usually fish. When lake, river or ocean water is contaminated with methyl-mercury compounds, the mercury accumulates and magnifies in the flesh of the fish. Organic mercury concentrations can be more than 1,000 times greater in the fish than in the surrounding water. People who eat fish as a main component of their diet may be at risk. If a river or lake is known to be polluted with mercury, fish eaters are warned to decrease their weekly intake of fish.
What are the signs and symptoms of organic mercury poisoning?
Organic mercury compounds are very damaging. They are toxic by ingestion, inhalation, and skin and eye contact. These mercury compounds can attack all body systems. They can cause nausea, vomiting, lack of appetite, weight loss, abdominal pain, diarrhea, kidney failure, skin burns and irritation, respiratory distress, swollen gums and mouth sores, drooling, numbness and tingling in the lips, mouth, tongue, hands and feet, tremors and incoordination, vision and hearing loss, memory loss, personality changes and headache. Allergic reactions can also occur.
Methyl-mercury, usually from contaminated food, is very dangerous to pregnant women. Methyl-mercury causes profound mental retardation, cerebral palsy, seizures, spasticity, tremors, and incoordination, along with eye and hearing damage in the unborn baby as a result of the mother's exposure. Organic mercury passes into the breast milk as well.
How is mercury poisoning diagnosed and treated?
Because the number of symptoms is so great and the variety of symptoms is so wide, anyone could pick out at least two or three symptoms at any given time. If you have any doubt and if you have been or are exposed to mercury compounds, see a physician and get tested. Testing is the only definite way to determine if mercury is the cause of the symptoms.
Mercury poisoning can be diagnosed by special blood and urine collection tests. If levels are high, there is treatment. Medication can be administered to help bind the mercury and increase elimination. Symptoms do not always correspond to blood mercury levels: Many patients with high levels do not have severe symptoms.
If mercury blood levels are going to be tested, it is important NOT to eat any seafood products for at least 30 hours before testing. Even a single meal of seafood can elevate mercury blood levels for as long as 20 to 30 hours after eating. Eating seafood will cause misleading high levels.
How do I safely clean up a small spill of elemental mercury?
Many people have called the Poison Center asking how to clean up the mercury from a broken mercury thermometer. It is important to know that there are several ways NOT to clean up a mercury spill as it can make the situation worse. There are also several ways to safely clean up the mercury spill.
What never to do about a mercury spill:
- Never sweep the area with a broom. Sweeping breaks the mercury into smaller droplets, further contaminating the room and the broom.
- Never use an ordinary household vacuum cleaner to clean up mercury. Vacuuming vaporizes the mercury and increases the concentration of mercury in the air that can result in poisoning.
- Never pour mercury down the sink drain. It may stay in the plumbing.
- Never wash mercury contaminated clothes in the washing machine. Mercury can contaminate the washing machine.
- Never walk around if your shoes or socks may be contaminated with mercury. That will spread the mercury droplets all over the house.
- Never use household cleaning products to clean the spill, particularly products that contain ammonia or chlorine. These chemicals will react violently with mercury, releasing a toxic gas.
How do I clean up a spill from a broken thermometer?
Before beginning the clean up, change into old clothes and shoes that can be thrown away if they get contaminated with mercury. NOTE: If you are wearing gold jewelry, either remove the jewelry or wear good protective gloves. If the liquid mercury contacts the gold jewelry, the mercury bonds permanently to the gold and ruins it. Wearing gloves is a good idea to prevent mercury from lodging under the fingernails while cleaning.
- Increase ventilation in the room with outside air and close the room off from the rest of the house. If available, use fans for at least one hour to help ventilate the room.
- Pick up the mercury with an eyedropper or scoop up beads with a piece of heavy paper (e.g., playing cards, index cards).
- Wide sticky tape such as duct tape can also be used to pick up any glass particles and mercury beads.
- Powdered sulfur (which can be purchased at garden supply stores) can be used to bind any remaining mercury. When the sulfur combines with mercury the sulfur turns from the usual yellow color to brown. Continue to use sulfur until there is no longer a color change. Keep in mind that sulfur can be irritating to the skin, nose, throat and eyes. Sulfur may also stain fabrics.
- Place the mercury, contaminated instruments (dropper/heavy paper) and any broken glass in a plastic zipper bag. Place this zipper bag in a second zipper bag and then in a third zipper bag (triple bag), tightly sealing each bag with tape. Place the bags in a wide-mouth, sealable plastic container.
- Throw away everything that may have been exposed to the mercury including towels, bedding, clothes if they were contaminated.
- Call your local health department for the nearest approved mercury disposal location. If disposal at such a location is not possible, dispose of the plastic container according to state and local requirements.
- If weather permits, leave windows open for approximately two days to make sure the area is completely ventilated.
- Wash hands very well with soap and water afterwards. Shower well if you think any mercury touched other parts of your body.
What if mercury falls into my sink?
If mercury enters into a sink full of water, the mercury will sink to the bottom. Remove as much water as possible without disturbing the mercury and them recover the mercury with an eyedropper. Place in a wide mouth container, close the lid and seal it with tape. Label it as mercury waste and call your state agency for appropriate disposal.
If mercury enters a drain it will get caught in your sink trap. Working over a tray, remove the trap and pour the contents into a large mouth container. Close the lid and seal it with tape. Label it as mercury waste and call your state agency for appropriate disposal.
Regardless of the method used for cleanup, there is very little risk of danger if the area is well ventilated. A spill of a large mount of mercury that is not immediately cleaned up can be a problem if family members breathe the mercury vapor.
What if I have a large mercury spill?
A spill of a large amount of mercury (more than the amount of mercury in a household fever thermometer) can be dangerous to all members of the household including pets because of the mercury vapors in the air of the house. Most likely a hazardous material team will be required to do a professional clean up. Seal off the area and have all family members including pets leave the area. Call the fire department in your area for advice. Usually professional clean up is expensive but the health and safety of the family is worth it.
Are there alternatives to using mercury thermometers?
Several types of non-mercury thermometers are available commercially. These include:
- Digital electronic thermometers
- Glass alcohol thermometers
All of the above thermometers, like mercury thermometers, can be used to take oral, rectal or axillary (armpit) temperature. Digital electronic fever thermometers are readily available at retailers. There are also digital basal thermometers for family planning that can be used instead of mercury basal thermometers. Alcohol thermometers are currently not as easy to find. In addition, consumers can choose: