Spills of mercury are potentially hazardous to the occupants of a home.  As a result, the Kentucky Division of Waste has published guidelines for managing household spills of the liquid metal.  Liquid mercury or “quicksilver” (AKA elemental or metallic mercury) is found in a variety of household items, such as thermometers and compact fluorescent bulbs.

Exposed mercury can evaporate and become an invisible, odorless toxic vapor that can be harmful if inhaled. Getting mercury on your skin or ingesting mercury is also hazardous. Therefore any spill – including mercury from a broken thermometer – is serious.

If the spill is larger than the amount from an average human thermometer (.5 to .7 grams), the state agency advises that you get professional help. Call the Kentucky Environmental Response Team at 502-564-2380 or 800-928-2380.  If the spill is one pound (about two tablespoons) or more, you must also call the National Response Center’s 24-hour hotline: 800-424-8802 or 202-267-2675.

Here are the recommended steps to handling a small household mercury spill, i.e., less than 0.7 grams:

1. Do not touch the mercury. Mercury is a powerful neurotoxin, so don’t handle it with bare skin.
2. Get people and pets out of the area and take care they don’t walk through the mercury. You’ll track it all around the house via the bottom of your shoes or your pet’s paws.
3. Turn off heating, air conditioning and ventilation systems that could spread the vapors.  Don’t inhale mercury vapors or you’ll become as “mad as a hatter.” (Look it up, don’t guess what this phrase means.)
4. Open windows and doors to the outside for ventilation.
5. Assess the situation before taking action.  Don’t panic, but have a plan of action.

Small spills (the amount from a thermometer or less) can be cleaned up from hard surfaces like wood or tile using a mercury spill kit or ordinary household materials. Children and pregnant women should not assist with the cleanup. Follow these steps when cleaning up a small spill:

1.       Use protective gear (liquid-proof gloves and eye protection) and remove jewelry and watches before beginning the cleanup. Mercury will bond with metal in personal jewelry.

1. Pick up broken glass and place in a paper towel. Fold the paper towel and place in a Ziploc bag or other vapor-proof unbreakable container.
2. Locate visible mercury beads. Using a flashlight is helpful. Remember: those little beads can roll far away from the spill site or hide in cracks or grooves.
3. Pick up the beads. Some recommended techniques for rounding up droplets of mercury:

a.       Use two stiff pieces of paper (like two index cards) or a squeegee and paper to corral larger beads.  

b.      Collect smaller beads with an eyedropper or put shaving cream on a brush and daub up the beads or use duct tape to pick them up.

1. As you work, place the beads on a paper towel in a Ziploc bag and seal.
2. When you are finished, place the container, any tools you used including gloves, and contaminated shoes and clothing into a garbage bag – double-bag it for good measure.
3.  Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
4. Contact the complaints coordinator at the Division of Waste Management for information on safe disposal of your bagged mercury waste. Call (502) 564-6716 or e-mail waste@ky.gov   
5. Weather permitting keep the area well ventilated to the outside for 24 hours.
6. Don’t use a vacuum cleaner. Heat from the vacuum cleaner will vaporize the mercury and further distribute it through the house.
7. Don’t use a broom or try to soak up the mercury with a rag. That will break up and scatter the mercury beads.
8. Don’t use household cleaning products – especially those with ammonia or chlorine. Those chemicals combine with mercury to create a toxic gas.
9. Don’t pour mercury down a drain or wash contaminated items in your washing machine.

More detailed cleanup tips, including information about larger spills, can be found in a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publication: Spills, Disposal and Site Cleanup, online at http://www.epa.gov/mercury/spills/index.htm This EPA website also explains what to do if a compact fluorescent light bulb breaks.