Table of Contents
How much mercury is used in thermometer?
Fever Thermometers Oral/rectal/baby thermometers, containing about 0.61 grams of mercury. Basal temperature thermometers (used to track slight changes in body temperature), containing about 2.25 grams of mercury.
How much mercury is in an oral thermometer?
Most oral and rectal thermometers contain about 0.5-0.6 grams of mercury. The main health problems from mercury are from the vapors. These are produced at room temperature and especially when mercury is heated.
How much mercury is toxic from a thermometer?
Each thermometer contains about . 5-1.5 grams of mercury. One gram of mercury can contaminate a 20 acre lake, enough to cause a public advisory to be issued on the potential dangers of eating fish caught in that lake.
Is there enough mercury in a thermometer to hurt you?
Mercury is a very toxic or poisonous substance that people can be exposed to in several ways. If it is swallowed, like from a broken thermometer, it mostly passes through your body and very little is absorbed. If you touch it, a small amount may pass through your skin, but not usually enough to harm you.
How do you remove mercury from a thermometer?
Slowly and carefully squeeze mercury onto a damp paper towel. Alternatively, use two pieces of cardboard paper to roll the mercury beads onto the paper towel or into the bag. Place the paper towel in a zip locking bag and secure. Make sure to label the bag as directed by your local health or fire department.
What happens if you drink mercury from a thermometer?
Background: The oral ingestion of elemental mercury is unlikely to cause systemic toxicity, as it is poorly absorbed through the gastrointestinal system. However, abnormal gastrointestinal function or anatomy may allow elemental mercury into the bloodstream and the peritoneal space.
Do they still put mercury in thermometers?
Those days have passed. Since 2001, 20 states have banned mercury “fever thermometers” for medical use, and regulations tighten every year. But as of today the federal government has more or less killed the mercury thermometer in the United States—NIST has announced it will no longer calibrate mercury thermometers.
Why use mercury for a thermometer?
The advantages of using mercury in a thermometer are as follows: Mercury is a good conductor of heat. Mercury is available in pure form. Mercury is opaque and bright, so the movement of mercury inside the capillary tube is easily visible. Mercury does not stick to the glass surface. Expansion of mercury is uniform along the whole range of temperature.
Do all thermometer use mercury?
Thermometers that check body temperature in the ear, across the forehead, or have a digital display do not contain mercury . The EPA recommends the use of mercury-free thermometers but it does not endorse any specific brand and suggests choosing a thermometer that is easy to use and read.
Is the amount of mercury in a thermometer dangerous?
Mercury thermometer may contain dangerous liquid mercury in an amount of from 1 to 2 grams of the substance. This amount clean mercury out of the glass tube is enough to poison a human body of varying severity.
What is used to replace mercury in thermometers?
Galinstan is commercially used as a mercury replacement in thermometers due to its nontoxic properties, but the inner tube surface must be coated with gallium oxide to prevent the alloy from wetting the glass surface. Galinstan has higher reflectivity and lower density than mercury.