How should I clean up a mercury spill in my home (including a broken mercury fever thermometer)?
If mercury is burned, heated, sprinkled or spilled in the home, a poisonous gas can be produced, requiring a clean-up procedure. Mercury vapour is odourless and invisible, and special equipment is required to measure mercury concentrations in the home. A professional can determine the areas of the house that are affected by measuring the level of mercury vapour with special equipment, and by assessing how mercury was used in the house. The amount of mercury found in household products does not usually lead to serious health problems and can often be cleaned up without the help of a trained professional. However, even small spills should be treated as hazardous and cleaned up with caution. Remember to report these spills to the local environmental health authorities. Depending on the size of the spill, hiring a Contractor to monitor mercury levels in air, and to conduct a professional clean-up, may be advisable. There are also commercially available small mercury spill kits that can be
