nimbus8
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Trace amounts of mercury
Hey everyone, i got a condenser in the mail today and inside of it was a cardboard tube with a broken mercury thermometer inside of it. There was no
visible mercury in the condenser. The condenser was properly cleaned with water, the issue is the condenser is intended to help make perfume which is
intended for the skin. Is it possible there are trace/dangerous amounts of mercury left in the condenser?
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Random
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That is.... unlucky. Personally if I was to use something out of that topically I would probably bury it in sulfur before.
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nimbus8
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Thats what im likely going to do, i ordered a few pounds of sulfur. Sulfur completely neutralizes it correct?
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Variscite
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It makes insoluble HgS, id say dust it with sulfur, and just clean it very well and you will most likely be fine.
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AndersHoveland
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Mercury is actually much more poisonous if the fumes are inhaled than by skin contact.
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nimbus8
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Yeah ive had a headache ever since i opened the box.
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Variscite
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Mercury poisoning symptoms would not manifest in a matter of hours, it would most likely take months for symptoms to take after exposure. I honestly
dont think opening the box would expose you to sufficient mercury vapor to harm you, as it is really more of a cumulative poison. I think the
chemo-phobia hype nowadays over mercury is crazy. Im even pretty sure some of the older members on this board can recall playing with elemental
mercury as a child or teen.
How did you handle/store/dispose of the broken elemental Hg?
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nimbus8
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I have it and all of the shitty glassware sitting outside in a sealed box with a trashbag around it. Im not even sure if it was the mercury i had a
reaction to. But i definitely had a reaction, i haven't had a headache for like 5 years and within an hour of opening that box it was shipped in ive
had a splitting headache for 2 days.
And i apologize for being ignorant about how this chemical reacts with the body, whenever i try to research it i get a bunch of chemo phobic hippie
bs.
[Edited on 25-6-2013 by nimbus8]
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Random
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Quote: Originally posted by nimbus8  | I have it and all of the shitty glassware sitting outside in a sealed box with a trashbag around it. Im not even sure if it was the mercury i had a
reaction to. But i definitely had a reaction, i haven't had a headache for like 5 years and within an hour of opening that box it was shipped in ive
had a splitting headache for 2 days.
And i apologize for being ignorant about how this chemical reacts with the body, whenever i try to research it i get a bunch of chemo phobic hippie
bs.
[Edited on 25-6-2013 by nimbus8] |
There is actually known acute and chornic poisoning separately from mercury IIRC. Acute is more possible with its salts but fumes could maybe do
something too.
[Edited on 25-6-2013 by Random]
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nimbus8
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Well it was shipped in a sealed box for about a week in a half in 90 degree weather so....
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12AX7
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Organic nitrates are more likely to give you a headache like that..?
As an aside, one probably should not practice chemistry if one is a hypochondriac.
Besides a rub with sulfur, I'd guess a wash with nitric acid (let's say, diluted to 20% so it's not simply outrageous) would take off any residues,
liquid, adsorbed vapor, or solid, not just of mercury but any other compounds as well. The acid then contains whatever was on the surface, but
really.. if there weren't beads of mercury rolling around to begin with, there just ain't any way there's much still there.
I suppose if you're really paranoid, you could give it all a bath in some nasty brew (chromic/sulfuric acid, Caro's acid, Fenton's reagent, etc.).
That pretty much guarantees there's glass on the surface and... not much else.
Tim
[Edited on 6-26-2013 by 12AX7]
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