Useful information

• Mercury weight in the thermometer is up to 5 grams
• If a thermometer is broken in a room with 50 m³ airspace, mercury vapors concentration while mercury evaporation process (mercury begins to evaporate at any positive temperature. The higher the temperature, the more intensive the evaporation process gets) grows up to (5000 mg/50 m³) = 100 mg/m³, which is 30 thousand times larger than the MAC (maximum allowed concentration) level for an inhabited area. Fluorescent lamps breaking is also dangerous as in case of a fluorescent lamp the MAC level will be (100 mg/50 m³)= 2 mg/m³ – there will be a 6 times MAC level excess.

Examples of mercury containing waste are listed below:

Mercury belongs to highly toxic elements (1 hazard class). In cases of high-concentrated mercury intake mercury is concentrated in internal organs such as kidney, heart, brain. Intoxication is primarily obtained through respiratory organs, it is explain by high volatility of mercury. About 80 % of inhaled mercury vapors stay in the organism. Salts and oxygen contained in blood promote mercury absorption and combustion and lead to mercury salts formation.

Mercury (Hg) – is a chemical element belonging to the 2_nd group of the Mendeleev periodic system with the index number 80 and atomic weight 200.59. It is a silver-white metal. Mercury density is 13.546 g/cm at 20°С, melting temperature is – 38.87°С, boiling temperature is + 357.25°С. Specific heat capacity of mercury is low. The specific heat capacity of mercury is 0.0334 cal/g°С.

The present document was formulated using the following documents: RSFSR law "On protection oft he environment", 1992. Construction standards and regulations 1.01.28-85 "Ranges for Deactivation and disposal of toxic industrial waste". Sanitary regulations № 3183-84, 1984. GOST 25834-83 "Electrical lamps, marking, package, transportation and storage"; GOST 21575-76" Corrugated fiberboard boxes for fluorescent lamps".