electrokinetic
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Mercury cleanup suggestions.
The teacher who had my classroom before me had a somewhat lax attitude toward mercury. For example, as a class demonstration he would heat up
mercuric oxide in a test tube at the front table so the students could see mercury forming on the sides. No fume hood, but at least he didn't have
the students do it themselves as an activity. "Don't you worry about breathing in mercury vapor, Jim?" I'd ask him. "Oh, well, there isn't much and
most of it goes up to the ceiling away from our faces...", he'd answer.
To the point at hand, turns out he would store the mercury in petri dishes that he would tape shut, and in cleaning out a storage cabinet I just
accidentally knocked one and spilled some mercury. I'm unfortunately not 100% sure how much mercury there was, but the total amount I could find
appeared to be less than what would be in a thermometer. Thankfully, the school is closed because of COVID-19, so no kids are being exposed.
I knew that zinc will form an amalgam with mercury and render it harmless, so I immediately sprinkled zinc dust over whatever Hg droplets I could see
(it's the droplets I can't see that I'm really worried about).
But nothing appears to be happening. I've attached a picture of what some of it looks like.
What I wanted to ask the forum is if I need to wet the zinc, perhaps with not just water but some dilute acidic solution (like citric acid or
vinegar). My understanding is that this is because the surfaces of the metals are dirty and don't allow good contact between the metals. Do you
think this will work? Or just make a bigger mess?
Also—
1. I know not to use a vacuum or a broom or it will get spread even more.
2. I know that sulfur is not longer an option because of the zinc.
3. I know that I'm going to have to use shaving cream or duct tape or something similarly sticky to get the very small particles that could be there
but invisible.
Thanks you!
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BromicAcid
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Usual procedure I have been taught is to take a 250-1L RB flask and equip it with a Torion adapter with side arm. Insert some smallish (1/4-3/8")
tubing through the Torion and pull vacuum on the side arm. Run the tubing to the bottom of the flask. Use the tube to suck up the mercury droplets,
this will get them all in once place where they can coalesce.
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electrokinetic
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Quote: Originally posted by BromicAcid  | | Usual procedure I have been taught is to take a 250-1L RB flask and equip it with a Torion adapter with side arm. Insert some smallish (1/4-3/8")
tubing through the Torion and pull vacuum on the side arm. Run the tubing to the bottom of the flask. Use the tube to suck up the mercury droplets,
this will get them all in once place where they can coalesce. |
Thanks for the quick reply, but unfortunately I don't have a Torion adapter.
I should have mentioned, I think, that this is a middle school. I realize I said classroom and that could have been easily interpreted as a
college—and hence better equipped—classroom.
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morganbw
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Perhaps you worry too much?
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electrokinetic
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I was thinking perhaps I do. I remember breaking thermometers and playing with mercury when I was a kid. Now it's treated like radioactive waste.
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j_sum1
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Metallic mercury is not soluble ionic mercury is not organic mercury.
The risk profiles are very different.
Under the circumstances I would be more than happy with liberally sprinkling zinc powder, leaving for a while and sweeping up.
It is likely that contamination of porous materials by your predecessor presents a greater risk than your spill.
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electrokinetic
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| Quote: Originally posted by j_sum1 | Metallic mercury is not soluble ionic mercury is not organic mercury.
The risk profiles are very different.
Under the circumstances I would be more than happy with liberally sprinkling zinc powder, leaving for a while and sweeping up.
It is likely that contamination of porous materials by your predecessor presents a greater risk than your spill. |
Thank you.
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monolithic
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Pipettes or even eye droppers are good for picking up small globules of mercury.
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SWIM
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When I tried to make zinc mercury amalgam I found that a little 5% HCl would clean the zinc so it would fuse with the mercury.
This was in a test tube though.
It might work on the floor but I've only tried it in vitro, not in pavimento laterem.
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