Components of a medical mercury thermometer. Mercury. Mercury thermometer. The mercury thermometer has broken. How to get rid of mercury in your home? What to do if the thermometer is broken

In our time, when digital and electronic technologies are actively developing, and are entering all spheres of human activity, playing an increasing role and becoming more and more indispensable for each of us, there are ordinary objects and things from our everyday life that will serve us for a long time. and be useful.

Such items include the well-known " thermometer", Or how to call it more correctly - mercury medical thermometer.

Even after the appearance of a large number of models of electronic thermometers, the mercury thermometer has not lost its popularity and is the most common device for measuring the temperature of the human body.

The main element of a mercury thermometer is a capillary tube. The tube is sealed on both sides and air is pumped out of its nutria. A mercury reservoir is located at one end of the tube. There is a special scale for measuring the temperature. The scale is marked on a bar attached to the tube. The scale measurement range is from 34 to 42 degrees Celsius. For accurate measurement of body temperature, each degree on the scale consists of 10 divisions, equal to 0.1 degree Celsius.

The fundamental difference between a medical thermometer and conventional mercury thermometers for measuring ambient temperature is that the junction of the reservoir with mercury and the capillary tube is specially curved and slightly narrowed, which in turn makes it difficult for the mercury to move in the opposite direction.

Thanks to this design of the "thermometer", when measuring the temperature of the human body, mercury heats up, expands and slowly reaches its maximum level, showing the correct temperature.

But at the same time, after the termination of the temperature measurement and exposure to the thermometer, mercury does not change its position and the reading on the scale is fixed at the maximum value that was reached during the measurement. That is why the medical thermometer is called the maximum.

To return the thermometer to its initial position for further use and temperature measurement, it is necessary to shake the "thermometer", thereby returning the mercury back to the reservoir.

Advantages of a mercury thermometer:

A mercury medical thermometer, due to its characteristics, is the most accurate in terms of its indicators, and is close in readings to a gas thermometer, which is considered a reference thermometer. Therefore, a mercury thermometer measures the temperature of the human body more accurately than other thermometers.
At the same time, a mercury thermometer is less susceptible than others to the effects of extraneous factors and temperature measurement conditions.
The design of the mercury "thermometer" allows it to be disinfected with full immersion in a disinfectant solution, therefore it is suitable for healthcare and medical institutions.
Compared to electronic thermometers, an ordinary "thermometer" is very attractive for its price to any buyer (the cost of a medical mercury thermometer is 25-50 rubles). But here the following feature should be taken into account. A mercury thermometer is difficult to manufacture. Mercury of high quality and special purification is required. Requires special equipment for cleaner production. Therefore, mercury thermometers produce less and more electronic ones. And with the subsequent development of technology, electronic thermometers will become much cheaper over time.
The most primitive design of the thermometer provides simplicity and availability of use.

Disadvantages of a mercury thermometer:

Measures body temperature for a long time. On average, the temperature measurement should last at least 5-6 minutes, and the most accurate measurement requires a weight of 10 minutes.
But the main disadvantage of a mercury thermometer is the mercury itself. It is the presence of mercury (about 2 grams) - a dangerous substance for human health, and the glass construction of the "thermometer", which is easily broken, negates all the advantages of a mercury thermometer in comparison with all the others.

Mercury is a liquid with a silvery-metallic luster, which begins to evaporate at temperatures of + 18 ° C and above.

Mercury is a silvery white metal. But the metal is unusual in our traditional understanding. The melting point of mercury is very low for metals and is equal to -38.9 degrees Celsius.

Due to this specific property, under normal conditions, for example at room temperature, mercury is an easily mobile liquid, which, with a slight impact, is divided into small balls, and when combined, it easily re-combines into a single ball.

Another property of mercury is that it begins to evaporate already at a temperature of + 18 ° C and above.

If a mercury thermometer breaks in a room or apartment, then the mercury after the impact breaks up into many small drops and spreads throughout the room. At the same time, mercury can easily penetrate into the pile of carpets, into the cracks in the floors, in the gaps between the baseboard and the floor. Then mercury, actively evaporating, pollutes and poisons all the air in the room.

If a person breathes this air constantly, over time, mercury begins to accumulate in the body, which in turn leads to chronic mercury intoxication, which can manifest itself as a metallic taste in the mouth, headaches, diarrhea, kidney damage, stomatitis, salivation, anemia, dermatitis, tremor limbs.

How to use a mercury thermometer correctly?

Before each measurement of body temperature, it is necessary to check the thermometer by carefully examining it. If the reading on the mercury column exceeds 35 C, shake off the thermometer.

Shaking the thermometer is done as follows:

Hold the top of the thermometer in your fist so that the head of the thermometer rests securely in your palm, the reservoir of mercury looks down, and the middle of the thermometer is between your thumb and forefinger
Several times, with a jerky movement in the elbow joint, forcefully lower the arm downward, while making an abrupt stop of the arm, so that there would be a real shaking of the "thermometer".
After measuring the temperature, the mercury thermometer must be disinfected; in this case, under no circumstances wash the mercury thermometer with hot water. From exposure to hot water, it can lose its accuracy or even deteriorate or even crack.

Before eliminating the consequences of a broken mercury thermometer, you need to prepare:

A glass jar with a tight-fitting lid to preserve the collected mercury.
Medical cotton wool, pieces of plaster, a sheet of thick paper, and rags.
Large plastic bags for disposing of items that may be contaminated with mercury.
Knitting needle or thick needle, medical syringe.
Flashlight or table lamp with an extension cord for lighting.
Rubber gloves.
Chemicals with oxidizing (bleaching or disinfecting) properties and containing chlorine compounds (whiteness, chlorinol, etc.). A potassium permanganate solution may come in handy from the first aid kit.

The first stage of mercury removal is demercurization.

Demercurization is the collection of droplets of mercury. This is the most important and time consuming stage.

Never use a vacuum cleaner to remove dust. There are two main reasons for this.

Firstly, the vacuum cleaner itself will be contaminated with mercury particles, and it will be impossible and dangerous to use it in the future.

Secondly, the filters of the vacuum cleaner will not retain all the mercury, and most of it, already sprayed, will again appear in the room and settle on all possible surfaces (from which it will already be difficult to collect it), and in large quantities will enter your lungs.

Remove from the premises all people who are not involved in cleaning. Be sure to take your children and pets away from the apartment. Keeping children and animals in a contaminated room is dangerous to their health, and in addition, they can carry mercury throughout the room or even swallow it.
First of all, conduct a thorough inspection of all objects, surfaces and objects that may have gotten mercury droplets. It is worth considering that elastic balls of mercury roll very well on any surface, while they can be very small in size.
It is better to use a flashlight prepared in advance to illuminate all corners, crevices, cracks in the floor, grooves and irregularities. Thanks to its metallic sheen, mercury is easier to spot in bright light.
All things susceptible to mercury contamination must be collected and put in plastic bags and taken out into the fresh air from the contaminated room.
When examining horizontal surfaces and floors, especially parquet or laminate, it is necessary to mark in advance with chalk or pencil the places where the mercury particles were found. Do not step on these contaminated areas to keep the mercury out of your shoes.
The collection of mercury must be started with the largest droplets so that they do not break into smaller droplets. For the convenience of cleaning the mercury, it is best to use a thick sheet of paper, folded in half, or in the shape of a scoop. Use a thick needle or knitting needle to roll the drops of mercury onto a piece of paper.
By gently bringing the drops closer to each other, you can combine several small drops into one large one. Place large drops carefully in a prepared glass jar.
Use a small piece of plaster or adhesive tape to collect very small drops of mercury. Small drops of mercury should be held on the sticky side of the patch. Place the plaster with drops of mercury adhered to it in a glass jar.
From crevices in the floor, parquet or other objects, drops of mercury can be removed with a needle with a cotton swab wound around it. For effectiveness, the tampon should be soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate. Place the swab with drops of mercury adhered to it in a glass jar.
Drops of mercury can also be removed from the cracks using a medical syringe with a thick needle.
If you suspect that mercury particles have gotten behind the skirting board, under the laminate or under the parquet flooring, be sure to remove them and carefully examine them.
Collecting mercury particles from a broken thermometer can take hours. For the safety of your health and exclusion of mercury vapor poisoning, every 10-15 minutes you should take a break and go out into the fresh air.

After you have collected all the mercury, it should be handled very carefully and carefully. Close the jar with mercury with a tight lid so that mercury vapors do not escape. Under no circumstances should mercury be thrown into the trash heap, trash chute or toilet bowl. This will only lead to new, very difficult to remove dirt. A jar with collected mercury can be temporarily put on a balcony or in a garage, providing all means for its integrity, and then handed over to representatives of the rescue service.

The second stage of mercury removal is chemical demercurization.

It is necessary to proceed to the stage of chemical demercurization only if all visible droplets of mercury are removed and all objects and things susceptible to contamination are collected and removed from the room.

To do this, you will need the chemicals available at home. The most affordable remedy that can be found in any medicine cabinet is potassium permanganate. Depending on the area of the treated surface, we prepare a solution of potassium permanganate. For reliability, it is better to immediately prepare one liter.

To prepare the solution, pour water into a jar and add a few crystals of potassium permanganate to make an almost opaque dark brown solution. Based on the proportion per liter of water, add and dissolve a tablespoon of table salt, as well as a tablespoon of vinegar essence or a pinch of citric acid. Mix the resulting solution carefully and thoroughly so that no particles remain.
We put on rubber gloves and begin to process the contaminated surface with the resulting solution. When treating surfaces, special attention should be paid to cracks, crevices and corners where mercury particles may have remained. You can even pour a little solution into such places for more reliable processing.
After applying the solution to the surface, leave it for 7-8 hours. As the solution dries, it is necessary to periodically wet the treated surface with clean water.
After a lapse of time, the treated surface is thoroughly washed with the use of detergents and cleaning chemicals. Then you need to do high-quality wet cleaning throughout the apartment.
To prevent the elimination of the consequences of a broken thermometer, daily wet cleaning of the apartment and frequent prolonged airing are carried out.
Usually, after a week of high-quality cleaning and airing, it is possible to completely get rid of mercury particles in the apartment.

What to do after liquidation of the consequences:

After collecting the mercury, you need to contact the Ministry of Emergency Situations by phone 101 for help, to transfer the cans with mercury to them.
Drink as much liquid as possible (water, tea, coffee, juices), as mercury formations are excreted from the human body through the kidneys.
If you suspect that mercury is still present in your apartment, call a specialist with a mercury gas analyzer. On the issue of measurements, it is necessary to contact the regional centers of hygiene and epidemiology.

What not to do:

Do not throw a broken thermometer and mercury particles into the trash heap or into the garbage chute. Two grams of mercury in a thermometer is enough to pollute six thousand cubic meters of ambient air.
Do not flush mercury down the drain. It tends to settle in sewer pipes, and it is almost impossible to extract mercury from the sewer.
Do not collect mercury with a vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner, blowing air with mercury, will evaporate the liquid metal, thereby polluting the ambient air in the room. However, you will have to throw away the vacuum cleaner, as it will be dangerous to use it.
Do not sweep mercury particles with a broom. The stiff rods of the broom will only crush the poisonous balls of mercury into fine mercury dust, which will immediately enter your lungs.
Do not wash things, clothes and shoes that have come into contact with mercury, neither with your hands, nor with the help of a washing machine. It is better to throw these things away altogether.

Maybe it's time to get rid of the mercury in the house?

The fact that mercury thermometers are dangerous was recognized in the EU and in a number of other countries. That is why the use of mercury thermometers is forbidden in medical and healthcare institutions. At the same time, the sale of measuring devices containing mercury, including thermometers and thermometers, is prohibited. This measure can significantly reduce the amount of toxic mercury released into the environment with household waste.

Electronic thermometers are the best alternative to mercury thermometers. In the absence of mercury and glass in their body, they are absolutely safe to use for humans, including when measured in the mouth. And the speed of measurement and the presence of memory distinguishes them favorably from the old mercury thermometer. / P>

Often, during repair work or during experiments, it is necessary to measure the temperature of the medium by immersing a measuring device in it. For such measurements, a liquid thermometer is required.

Dive point

This mark allows you to compensate for fluctuations in air temperature, which directly affect the liquid.

Liquid thermometers are widely used in factories and plants to take readings of the temperature of liquid solutions and substances flowing through process pipes. Such procedures make it difficult to measure the temperature of the liquid due to inadequate access. Special measuring channels are created in tubes and reservoirs for device input and reading.

Rules of use and precautions

Thermometers are composed primarily of glass and liquid. They are dangerous for two reasons: broken glass and the toxicity of the active substance.

Mercury is a very toxic substance

In the chemical industry, mercury or alcohol thermometers are more commonly used. Laboratory experiments require high precision, and liquid devices allow procedures to be performed at the highest level. For this, a large volume of mercury is used. When working with such devices, a special tray should be kept under the thermometer in order to collect mercury as soon as possible in case of destruction.

The main thing in the case of a broken thermometer is to quickly collect the mercury.

Falling from a height of human growth, mercury quickly splits into many balls and scatters in all directions. Balls of toxic liquid metal fall into the crevices of the floor, into all holes and cracks.

Mercury is a very fluid metal. Collecting it completely is not an easy task. Gradually, the mercury will begin to evaporate, creating a dangerous toxic background. It is not easy to ventilate the room from mercury vapor, as mercury vapor is a very heavy gas.

The procedure for removing mercury from a room is called demercurization.

All work must be stopped immediately, mercury must be removed immediately. Removing mercury means doing the following:

All visible mercury should be removed immediately. There are two cleaning methods - a rubber bulb and a cotton swab. When cleaning with a swab, remember to grease the swab with oil.
All collected mercury must be handed over to a dedicated service. Mercury cannot be poured down the drain, it is much heavier than water.
The place where the mercury has been spilled should be treated with a 20% solution of iron (III) chloride, and then wait until it dries completely.
After a day, the surface should be wiped with detergent and clean water.

Pros and cons of liquid thermometers

The main disadvantages of the devices are the unsafeness of liquids in the event of depressurization (especially in the case of toxic mercury) and the impossibility of using them at extremely low or high temperatures.

Most thermometers have a scale of 1–2 degrees Celsius. This allows calculations to be made quite accurately, however, the temperature range for each model is different.

The advantages of liquid thermometers are a wide range of applications - both for domestic and medical purposes, as well as for air, steam, gas and power plants.

Popular models of liquid thermometers, their prices and comparison

The most popular devices are TTZh-M isp4, SP-1, BT-52.220 and TS-7-M1 isp1.

Popular liquid devices: TTZh-M isp4, SP-1, BT-52.220 and TS-7-M1 isp1

TTZH-M isp4

The thermometer is produced by the Steklopribor company. The L-shaped form provides for taking readings in various boiling devices with a provided valve. The average price of the device is 350 rubles.

The active substance is kerosene, the scale division is 2 degrees. The length of the immersion part is 6.5 cm, the measurable range is from 0 to +100 degrees Celsius.

TS-7-M1 isp1

The device belongs to the budget class - the price varies from 250 to 300 rubles. Used primarily in agriculture. The working fluid is methylcarbitol, the measured temperature limit is from -20 to +70 degrees Celsius. The immersion length is only a few centimeters.

BT-52.220

Bimetallic device, Designed specifically for aggressive environments found in oil, food and chemical industries.

Resistant to corrosion, allows changing temperature ranges. The average price is 1200 rubles.

Thanks to replaceable sleeves, the length of the immersion part can be changed from 6.4 to 25 cm. The minimum range is from -45 to 0 degrees Celsius. The maximum is from 0 to +450 degrees.

The device was developed by the Rosma company. The sleeves of this device are made of brass and stainless steel. The device operates at ambient temperatures ranging from -10 to +60 degrees. The dial is made of aluminum. The device is equipped with a radial scale and an arrow.

SP-1

Liquid device manufactured by Termopribor. The average price is about 2,000 rubles.

The device works only in positive ranges. The design allows using four ranges: minimum - from 0 to +100 degrees Celsius, maximum - from 0 to +300 degrees.

The device is resistant to vibration and is used in workshops and machine-building factories. Working fluid is mercury.

One of the most popular medical devices in our country is a mercury thermometer. Despite the emergence of its safer electronic counterparts, most people continue to give preference to this particular temperature meter.

It is believed that its indicators are more accurate and true, even in medical institutions they are in no hurry to change medical mercury thermometers for questionable analogues.

Nevertheless, this device has a very significant disadvantage, which many of us remember from childhood, fragility. And as you know, free mercury is very harmful to health and the consequences of its exposure are difficult to eliminate. Everyone knows that collecting "scattered" balls of matter without leaving a single one can be problematic.

So the inhabitants face a difficult choice: an inaccurate and safe electronic thermometer or an insidious and faithful mercury thermometer?

It is important to note that many of the facts associated with the risk of using the latest device have long since sunk into oblivion. In this article, we will consider all the advantages and disadvantages of a faithful "inhabitant" of Russian first-aid kits.

Values and norms of readings of mercury thermometers

Determining the temperature with a mercury thermometer takes about 10 minutes. The unit of measurement is degrees Celsius. It is carried out most often under the armpit on dry skin.

In the absence of diseases, the temperature readings vary from 36 to 37 degrees Celsius. The lowest temperature threatening human life varies from 23 to 15 degrees, the highest temperature is 43 degrees.

Changes in body temperature in a healthy adult can be caused by physical exercise, intense emotions, sultry weather, physiological changes in the female body and after a meal. The children's body differs from these indications by an overestimation of the temperature, and in people in old age, it is observed to decrease.

How to choose a mercury thermometer

A mercury thermometer has only one weakness - the fragility of its glass shell. Accidental blow or fall and the thermometer leaves behind sharp fragments and difficult-to-collect chemical element. For many, this disadvantage outweighs the many advantages of a medical device. But let's see if he is so dangerous?

What is difficult to come to terms with is the presence of hazardous substances in the house. However, the amount of mercury contained in a glass mercury thermometer according to GOST is unlikely to be harmful to health, especially if the substance is quickly and accurately collected.

For safety, rubber gloves should be used. You can collect metal using available tools, for example, adhesive materials: scotch tape, electrical tape or plaster; a syringe without a needle or a syringe; brush or cotton wool.

Household appliances such as a vacuum cleaner will make it easier to clean up the debris.

On this, the enumeration of the negative consequences of a damaged device can be completed. Let's pay attention to the positive properties.

As mentioned earlier, the thermometer has a high accuracy in determining body temperature. The error is only 0.1 degrees. The price of the issue differs from other analogs in a pleasant way.

Unlike electronic thermometers, when handled with care, the shelf life tends to infinity. This device is convenient to disinfect, it is enough to wipe it with a disinfectant. Another plus follows from this quality: different places for measuring temperature.

It should be noted that glass mercury thermometers of reinforced strength are now being produced, which can be used to determine the temperature in children.

As you can see from the photo, a mercury thermometer is a glass tube sealed at both ends, in an airless space of which there are a container with mercury and a scale with divisions.

Another name for this thermometer is maximum. That is, the substance inside rises to the highest point that determines the body temperature and freezes at it. To return the explosive silver to its place, you need to shake the tube.

It is difficult to imagine a person who does not know how to use a thermometer correctly. But most of these devices are sold without instructions, so some details of its operation may be overlooked. Let's recall the basic principles of working and handling a glass thermometer.

Thermometer operating rules

Make sure the mercury is below the 35 degree mark before using. Otherwise, the readings should be "knocked down".

To shake the thermometer, hold it in your palm, resting the thick edge on your hand. The end where the mineral is located is turned down. Pinch the middle of the flask with your thumb and forefinger. Shake the device downward, stopping abruptly at the lowest point. Check the level of the substance.