Mercury
Spot & Stain
Removal

from Bane-Clene^®

Mercury is a silvery white, poisonous, metallic element which is an extremely heavy liquid at room temperature. Mercury is used in thermometers, batteries, some children’s sneakers that light up, some household thermostats, some heirloom clocks, barometers, vapor lamps, and blood pressure cuffs. While mercury in thermometers poses little threat, a portable blood pressure gauge may hold 2-1/2 pounds of mercury. That is enough to cause great concern if spilled.

Metallic mercury is highly toxic. Young children and fetuses are the most vulnerable. Mercury can enter the body through inhalation of mercury vapors or by skin absorption. Mercury will accumulate in body tissues and organs and cause adverse health problems.

Exposure to mercury can come from the breakage of a thermometer, spillage in a laboratory or the unknowing contamination by youths experimenting or playing with discovered elemental mercury. Young children may be at greater risk for exposure since they often play on the floor or carpeting where metallic mercury has been spilled or tracked. They are particularly vulnerable to damage to their nervous systems. Mercury vapors are readily absorbed into the bloodstream through the lungs, and the human central nervous system, which is still developing during early childhood, may become permanently damaged.

When liquid mercury spills, it breaks into small drops. Any disturbance causes the mercury to break into even smaller droplets. As the droplets become smaller, the mercury vaporizes and can be easily inhaled. Even a very small quantity of mercury spilled in a room will produce vapor concentrations that are dangerous to human health. Small amounts of mercury, a broken thermometer for example, may pose only a nominal hazard and be relatively simple to clean up safely. Any spill beyond two tablespoons (one pound) must be reported to the EPA!

• In case of a very small spill (such as breakage of a fever thermometer):
1. Try to ventilate the room to outside air and close the room off from the rest of the house. Promptly turn off central heating or cooling systems. Be sure to seal the heating and air-conditioning ducts. If available use fans for a minimum of one hour to help ventilate the room.
2. Pick up the mercury with eye dropper or scoop up beads with a piece of paper and place it in a sealable plastic zipper bag, a plastic or glass jar or bottle and tightly close the lid. Use any non-metallic material to clean up scattered mercury beads - a suitable scraper and dustpan can be constructed from a plastic soda bottle or similar container. Leave the recovered mercury in the room where the spill occurred. Then, call your local health department for the nearest approved mercury disposal location. If the disposal location is not convenient, wrap mercury and broken glass in plastic or newspaper and dispose of with other household solid waste.
3. DO NOT use household products to clean up the spill - particularly Windex^®, Formula 409^®, bleach or similar cleansers containing ammonia or chlorine. They will react violently with mercury, releasing toxic gases.
4. DO NOT attempt to clean up the mercury by sweeping or by using a vacuum cleaner. Never use a household vacuum cleaner because it causes the metallic mercury to vaporize in the air, creating greater health risks. And, you may have to dispose of the vacuum cleaner later.
5. DO NOT place contaminated garments in a washing machine or clothes dryer or combine with other clothing. Instead, place contaminated garments in a plastic bag and then seal the bag before ensuring proper disposal.
6. DO NOT wash mercury into drains.
7. DO NOT clean up with your extractor (truckmount or portable).
• If the spill is more than a few drops:
1. Immediately evacuate everyone from the room where the spill occurred and close the doors. Do not touch the spilled mercury, or breathe mercury vapors. Stop or contain the spilled material if it is possible without risking contact with skin or clothing. Promptly turn off central heating or cooling systems. Do not allow people into the room.
2. Retain a professional environmental cleanup firm with the training and equipment to safely accomplish the removal. If the spill is one pound or more - the equivalent of two tablespoons - you are required by law to report the incident to the EPA National Response Center, 1-800-424-8802. Contact your health and safety personnel if the spill occurs at work or school. Call your local county health department or poison control center for professional help and answers to health questions. Mercury absorbent kits may be available with the local health departments.

Per the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) website:
What should I do if I break a thermometer or find mercury spilled in my home?
There are a number of methods that you can use to deal with a broken thermometer or if you discover metallic mercury in your home. In general, the process is to first remove as much liquid mercury as you can and then try to remove any vapors.
However, in no case should a broom or vacuum cleaner be used to remove liquid mercury.
The following excerpt from the joint ATSDR and EPA National Alert on Continuing Patterns of Metallic Mercury Exposure discusses cleanup:
First, remove children from the area of the spill. Clean up the bead of metallic mercury by carefully rolling it onto a sheet of paper or sucking it up with an eye dropper. After picking up the metallic mercury, put it into a plastic bag or airtight container. The paper or eye dropper should also be bagged and disposed of properly, according to guidance provided by environmental officials or your local health department. Try to ventilate the room to the outside and close it off from the rest of the home. Use fans to speed the ventilation. If larger amounts of metallic mercury are found (for example, a jar), make sure that the metallic mercury is in an airtight container and call your local health department for instructions in how to safely dispose of it.
If the larger amount is spilled, leave the area and contact your local health department and fire authorities. Do not simply throw it away, but instead seek professional guidance.
There are a lot of other sources that describe how to do cleanups, including perhaps your local health or environmental authorities or poison control center. Some communities have kits with instructions available in retail outlets, usually hardware or home improvement stores. Detailed instructions are available on the Internet from various sources. Your local Poison Control Center can also provide help.

Also, follow directions at the EPA site regarding mercury spills.