found a jar of mercury?

[Randy in Maine]

Do yourself a favor and call your state department of environmental protection (your local fire department can give you the number). Here in Maine they will come by and pick it up as it really is that dangerous to you and your family.

By the way, mercury is the worst part of bunring coal as it is a very small % impurity found in coal.

 

[bwringer]

Do yourself a favor and call your state department of environmental protection (your local fire department can give you the number). Here in Maine they will come by and pick it up as it really is that dangerous to you and your family.

By the way, mercury is the worst part of bunring coal as it is a very small % impurity found in coal.

Seconded. It's dangerous stuff, and your local or state government will have a way to deal with with it properly at no cost to you. It's in everyone's best interest to get mercury out of people's houses.

Google "Hazardous Household Waste" for your city, county, and/or state and you should find the correct info.

Here's an example from my city, Indianapolis -- they specifically mention mercury as one of the items they will accept.
http://www.indy.gov/egov/city/dpw/sustainindy/rrr/reuse/pages/toxdrop.aspx

 

[BMW Rider]

I'm definitely keeping it or donating it, or maybe I'll make a really cool and gigantic mercury switch.

I have to wonder

On one side there are people saying it should be avoided like it's plutonium, but I can't help but notice that I've heard so many stories of the 50+ crowd that played with it in school like it was as harmless as a marble, verified by this forum. All of these people are alive and well.

The scientist in me wonders what about it is so dangerous if it was handled so often 40 years ago. Maybe it's just terrible for the environment?

Have you ever heard the saying "mad as a hatter"? That originated from Victorian England when hat makers (hatters) used mercury to smooth the pelts for making top hats. Long term exposure to the mercury caused a form of insanity. Its also linked to many other health effects and birth defects. While many people may have played with it in their youth in school without any observable effects, its not nice stuff to expose yourself to. If you don't have a legitimate purpose for having it, get rid of it through proper disposal before you are someone else is exposed to it needlessly and suffers for it. There are so many things that were taken for granted or not considered dangerous in the past that we know today are bad, mercury is top among them.

 

[Randy in Maine]

I would add that of all of the bad things we do to ourself, mercury is probably the worst.

There is a very good reason it is defined as "hazardous".

 

[CNGsaves]

Previous dumping of mercury in waterways/lakes led to poisoned fish with enough mercury that it affected humans when eating the fish. Big business had been dumping mercury forever and ill effects were becoming obvious.

+1 to get that mercury OUT of house and to proper party.

 

[404]

The vapor is a danger if the pure mercury is heated. Not at room temperature.

Snopes says the hatter story is undetermined.
http://www.snopes.com/language/phrases/hatter.asp

Everyone who took high school chemistry in 1975 had a puddle of mercury in their hand at some point.

Compounds of mercury can be a serious problem, as with lead. That is not what you have here.

Consider the lead issue to give some perspective.
Most all chimney flashing here in MA is lead. It is washed regularly with distilled water (rain) which then dumps down into the ground around the house. Some people have rain barrels and use this "leaded" water on the vegetable garden. Some houses have lead pipes for the city fresh water coming into the house.

So, either metallic lead is not a serious hazard, or, we all have lead poisoning.

Lead flashing is not under attack because people would not put up with having the govt make them rip it out. The people who make brass faucets and electronics with solder are not so lucky, and the rest of us are stuck with unreliable solder joints.

I am not advocating having an open bowl of mercury as a decoration in your living room. A closed jar in the garage is unlikely to reach out and kill you.

Regards,
404

 

[58Yeoman]

Contrary to popular belief, chocolate milk does not come from brown cows.

Okay, smartypants...I suppose you're going to tell us that brown eggs don't come from brown chickens too!

 

[Piece-it Pete]

In 8th grade science class we used to play with it in our hands and burn magnesium.

Me too. I remember dropping small amounts on the floor so they'd 'disappear' - lung cancer for sure

This is where the phrase "Mad as a Hatter" comes from. Mercury was used in the production of felt for hats in the 18th and 19th centuries and Hatters (people who make hats!) slowly absorbed the mercury working with the material and ended up going lick the windows bonkers.

CHANGE PLACES!

I found a penny a few years ago that was real silvery looking - like a dime. Now I know what that was, someone put mercury on it.
I gave it to my brother in law, so no damage can come of it. He's already crazy.

There are also zinc pennies around, from back when they needed the copper for ww2.

Pete

 

[Jackfre]

It was around '72 or '73 and I was doing my apprenticeship for the Plumber and Fitters Union. I was on a job at Cornell Univ at one of the old vet school lab buildings. We were building a new lab building and there were some tie in from the old buildings to the new. I noticed that there was a 12" building trap in the basement of the old building with a ****** and valve that ws plugged off at the bottom of the trap, so I got a bucket and cracked that valve and got over a gallon of mercury out of it. I didn't hold that bucket up for long.

Between the asbestos (a wonder drug that is everywhere) and mercury that we played with as kids it is a wonder any of us is still around. I know when they came out with the news that asbestos was bad for you I was really worried about it as I had worked with a lot of it at an early age. I finally got to thinking of a mathematical solution to the problem. In math, two negatives equal a plus. Once I came to this conclusion I figured I had no choice but to go cuddle up to a few nuclear reactors on some power house shut downs and pick up a few Zoomies (radiation). I figured that the radiation would off set the adverse affect of the asbestos. So my mercury/asbestos/radiation, as well as other things, contaminated body has a half life of it own. We'll see how it works out in the end, but at 66, well.....?

 

[38 Dodge Coupe]

My dad was a HVAC tech and after he passed I was cleaning out the garage and came across a bottle of mercury in his tool box. I remember that he used it in making thermostat switches or something of that nature. Anyway our area has a recyling day once a year for hazardous chemicals. I took it along with other basic chemicals that I had to dispose of. They took it during that event. No problem.

 

[Davefr]

The vapor is a danger if the pure mercury is heated. Not at room temperature.

I am not advocating having an open bowl of mercury as a decoration in your living room. A closed jar in the garage is unlikely to reach out and kill you.

Regards,
404

I agree that a closed jar of mercury is pretty innocuous.

But you can't sell it, ship it or really use it for anything. If ever does spill then you have little splatters of mercury that could possibly produce vapors from the increased surface area. Especially is the splatters eventually get heated and broadcast out like going thru a shop vac.

Spilled/splattered mercury is really hard to pick up.

I'd turn it in. It's just not worth the risk.

 

[Scott V]

Mercury isn't that hazardous but it's vapors sure are. You can drink mercury but if you spill the mercury that becomes a big cleanup problem. (especially if it's spilled on carpet and you use a shop vac to try and clean it up).

It's just not worth the risk IMHO.

Coincidentally people used to take mercury pills to help them ****. There have been a lot of discoveries of mercury in the ground under old outhouse locations...
http://www.offbeatoregon.com/H1006d_BiliousPills.html

 

[LS6 Tommy]

There are also zinc pennies around, from back when they needed the copper for ww2.

Pete

Don't forget the steel pennies...

Tommy

 

[cstreu1026]

I work for a environmental and industrial service company and deal with mercury on a regular basis. As others have said the vapors are the biggest hazard and as they have also suggested contact your local authorities for help in disposing of it. Hopefully they have household hazardous waste events in your area. If that container were to break or leak you could be on the hook for tens of thousands of dollars in clean up costs.

 

[exmaxima1]

In 8th grade science class we used to play with it in our hands and burn magnesium.

+1

We played with it at home. Old thermostats sometimes have 1/2 fluid oz of mercury in them, and we'd play with it with our fingers (it acted just like that Liquid Metal Terminator guy). And we'd light powdered magnesium in the driveway with a torch, and hit it with a stick to make it flash!

Ah, the good 'ol days.....

 

[exmaxima1]

Spilled/splattered mercury is really hard to pick up.

It quickly lumps together, and you can slide it onto a piece of paper to pick it up.

 

[Randy in Maine]

We are all smarter now though. Thank god.

Here is something to read....

http://www.maine.gov/dep/homeowner/cflbreakcleanup.html

 

[Piece-it Pete]

Don't forget the steel pennies...

Tommy

D'oh! That's what I meant

[edit - looking, it turns out they were zinc coated steel]

Pete

 

[ebonyswan]

I'm definitely keeping it or donating it, or maybe I'll make a really cool and gigantic mercury switch.

I have to wonder

On one side there are people saying it should be avoided like it's plutonium, but I can't help but notice that I've heard so many stories of the 50+ crowd that played with it in school like it was as harmless as a marble, verified by this forum. All of these people are alive and well.

The scientist in me wonders what about it is so dangerous if it was handled so often 40 years ago. Maybe it's just terrible for the environment?

the people around now are the survivors.....

 

[karbinas]

if your local fire dept. has a Haz-Mat team they might dispose of it for free, I know our local dept. still gets called if there is a mercury spill.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

D'oh! That's what I meant

[edit - looking, it turns out they were zinc coated steel]

Pete

Could be. I never looked at the three I have closely enough to check.

Tommy

 

[Whitworth]

Mercury has several common house hold uses, though you may not be aware of all of them. Obviously mercury switches in thermostats. Fluorescent light bulbs. Old fashioned thermometers. Silver amalgam fillings. And Thiomersal which is a common preservative in cosmetics and medicines. Tuna fish has mercury in it. So if it's so bad.....?

Remember when the dentist packed silver amalgam into the cavity and little crumbs of metal fell into your mouth and you swallowed them ?

So I don't consider free metallic mercury particularly dangerous.

A fun and easy way to clean mercury is roll it around on Post-it sticky note paper.

Gary

 

[dlcwent]

I'd drink it and get rid of the problem of having to dispose of it the right way. IT WON'T HURT YOU as far as you know. And if it does, you probably won't remember why you don't remember your name.

 

[Kevin54]

Call your local HazMat and let them take care of it.

We had a couple here in town that found a jar of it, got to dicking around, and broke it. They lived in a hotel for over two weeks while every square inch of their place was cleaned up or stuff tossed away. Not a cheap ordeal for them or the insurance company.

 

[Piece-it Pete]

Crazy 'bout some mercury..... I'm crazy 'bout some mercury.

I'm gonna find me some mercury and get some freakin cancer I'm told.

Pete

 

[Kevin54]

Me too. I remember dropping small amounts on the floor so they'd 'disappear' - lung cancer for sure



CHANGE PLACES!

There are also zinc pennies around, from back when they needed the copper for ww2.
Pete

Those pennies were steel pennies, and would easily rust. You'll never find one out while coin hunting.

Todays pennies are zinc with a very thin copper coating over the top of them. Find an old copper penny, and take a new penny, drop them and listen to the difference. Also cut a penny in half and it is silver colored inside.

 

[little d]

http://www.bethlehemapparatus.com/mercury-virgin

 

[Nick Danger]

I'd drink it and get rid of the problem of having to dispose of it the right way. IT WON'T HURT YOU as far as you know. And if it does, you probably won't remember why you don't remember your name.

Planning on some heavy drinking tonight?

 

[Jim in Wis]

Well no wonder Ford quit making them!

 

[IOWNJUNK]

In 8th grade science class we used to play with it in our hands and burn magnesium.

So did I, people look at me funny when I say that. We filled beakers with hydrogen and lit it too.

 

[larry4406]

My brother and I played with it also in the early 70's. Silver dimes and half dollars dipped in it became extremely smooth with a high luster.

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

So did I, people look at me funny when I say that. We filled beakers with hydrogen and lit it too.

Has anyone seen the neat demonstratin with three balloons, one about 6" diameter with O2, another about 6" with C2H2 (acetylene), and one about 1" with welding style "neutral mix". Hit each one, one at a time with a torch / flame.... O2, bright flash and a bang. C2H2 muffled bang & puff of soot floaters. Neutral mix, large bang/boom similar to an M80... Treating all of us to a practical lesson on Oxy Acetylene safety...

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Mercury has several common house hold uses, though you may not be aware of all of them. Obviously mercury switches in thermostats. Fluorescent light bulbs. Old fashioned thermometers. Silver amalgam fillings. And Thiomersal which is a common preservative in cosmetics and medicines. Tuna fish has mercury in it. So if it's so bad.....?

Remember when the dentist packed silver amalgam into the cavity and little crumbs of metal fell into your mouth and you swallowed them ?

So I don't consider free metallic mercury particularly dangerous.

A fun and easy way to clean mercury is roll it around on Post-it sticky note paper.

Gary

Really old "silent" light switches also had Hg in them....

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Those pennies were steel pennies, and would easily rust. You'll never find one out while coin hunting.

Todays pennies are zinc with a very thin copper coating over the top of them. Find an old copper penny, and take a new penny, drop them and listen to the difference. Also cut a penny in half and it is silver colored inside.

My dad called them lead pennies.. but in reality they were zinc plated steel...

 

[VC455]

+1
and any additional info on dental fillings..?

 

[malibu101]

Really old "silent" light switches also had Hg in them....

My grandfather, who was a plumber by trade, had his own plumbing business and along with another guy would buy cheap houses, fix them, and resell them in the 70's.
What is called flipping today.

Anyway, he would save me old thermostats and switches so I could break the glass mercury containing vials open and save it in a mason jar that I kept in his barn.
I remember having almost a pint of it.
It went away when they sold the place in their old age.

This was the same time (me about 10 years old) that I thought is was great fun to go with Pop-Pop out to a job.
He would have me mix this white powdery material up in bucket with water for him to insulate stovepipes and water pipe elbows.

 

[Clik]

I'm 60 and was one of the kids who passed mercury around the class in my bare hand, all sanctioned and encouraged by the teacher. As kids we sword fought with old flourescent light tubes until they broke. And then what was that stuff our parents put on our cuts that had the skull and crossbones on it?

 

[Clik]

It looks like the scrap yards will pay $7 to $10 a pound for it.

 

[logixjock]

Crazy 'bout some mercury..... I'm crazy 'bout some mercury.

I'm gonna find me some mercury and get some freakin cancer I'm told.

Pete

And then she took off my Romeos............

 

[mudflap]

I'm 60 and was one of the kids who passed mercury around the class in my bare hand, all sanctioned and encouraged by the teacher. As kids we sword fought with old flourescent light tubes until they broke. And then what was that stuff our parents put on our cuts that had the skull and crossbones on it?

Probably Iodine.