dd broke a thermometer what should i do

[starshaker]

its the 1 u stick under their arm not the electric 1. well im not sure if she broke it or if it was already broken. i cant find the other bit which i hope means she didnt do it. what should i do

i dont know if its mercury but its the silver stuff (im doing science and know u get some that have alcohol in them)

Mercury Is highly toxic cover your mouth and get everyone out of the house.

Have a look at this

You don't need to evacuate. The amount of mercury in a thermometer is not directly hazardous to life. Fio's advice is spot-on (from what I recall learning at school). I broke a thermometer as a child, and that's pretty much what we did to clean it up. The council's waste-disposal department should know what you need to do with the bag of bits you will end up with.

Personally I'd be quite concerned about the missing piece of the thermometer!

Chlorine gas is very different to Mercury though.

Would you really need to evacuate the house, how on earth did me and the rest of my class survive flicking it at each other throughout physics classes . I'm sure it does need to be found and disposed of properly mind.

Well I've had toxic gas poisoning from a flea treatment and am still undergoing treatment, been in and out of hospital with breathing difficulties, I'd act on the side of caution.

Gas and vapours are much harder to control than solids and liquids. The amount of mercury vapour given off by the mercury in a clinical thermometer is negligible in this context.

This is advice on how to clean up a mercury spill from a thermometer/berometer

I would buy a new one.

yes, buy a new one without mercury in it.

just called nhs 24 and they told me that a childs thermometer has basically no toxins and it should be fine but if im still worried either call them back or take her to the docs tomorrow