The thermometer burst when I tried to show my brothers what boiling point in Fahrenheit vs Celsius is. Now I have a little bubble of mercury in a pot…

    by ineedsomebbqribs

    36 Comments

    1. Shot_Independence274 on

      well…

      Get a small bottle and get that drop in it, do everything underwater for security, put on some gloves (for security).

      Then take that to your local school, clinic or pharmacy. They will handle it.

    2. If that pot is aluminium, it’s toast unless the mercury is removed asap.

      Edit: I’d get it out with a syringe.

    3. MelodicBumblebee1617 on

      Mercury thermometers were banned over a decade ago in many places, how old is your thermometer? It may just be galinstan

    4. subservenicedream on

      Certainly take mercury seriously but … you don’t have to burn your kitchen down and salt the ground because a miniscule amount burst into a small amount of water one time.

      If you’re not pregnant or a child , and not regularly handling this stuff, you’re not going to get hurt by this

      Why are so many comments reading like a mom group on Facebook when someone says they aren’t using organic diapers

    5. Why is everyone freaking out so much about metallic mercury as if it was nuclear fuel? It doesn’t get absorbed by the human body, it’s not unsafe to handle it with bare hands. Yes, be careful, wipe down nearby surfaces, but it’s not a huge deal…

    6. Ordinary_Professor_3 on

      Just throw the pot away and all utensils that may be contaminated. Do not donate it.  

    7. LAOlympicGames2028 on

      You must want to turn that heat off and work out ways to dispose off that mixture safely

    8. Unless that thermometer is ancient, it’s far more likely to be gallium, and not elemental mercury.

      Also on the scale of how dangerous it is, it’s not as bad as people make it out to be. They don’t put the really dangerous forms of mercury in thermometers, precisely because this happens. The most dangerous part was when the hot thermometer broke, releasing vapor into the air.

      Suck it up with an eyedropper, and Google what to do with chemically hazardous waste in your area. Give them the pot and metal. All done.

    9. Reminds me of a story my chemistry teacher told. He was handling a bottle of mercury in class and dropped it. At the time, the school had wooden flooring and the mercury slipped through the cracks immediately. The school has since been demolished (not because of this) and the teacher was curious if they ever found the mercury.

    10. The simple answer is call poison control.

      The Internet answer is that you can now make yourself a potion that will grant eternal life! Ancient Chinese secret or something like that 🤷‍♂️

    11. UpsetMycologist4054 on

      If you have a disposable container collect the mercury in there with the water, along with the glass and anything that was touched. Seal the mercury, water, thermometer etc in the container and put duct tape on it to seal it tight. Dump the remaining water outside in a hole in your back yard. Congratulations! You get a new pot! Take the pot and the sealed mercury container to you local hazardous waste collection site.

      Let me be clear: do not touch the mercury. Get rid of anything that touched the mercury. This is not a joke and should be treated with extreme caution. Mercury poisoning is real.

      You also learned a life lesson here. Water boils at 212 degrees. Those thermometers top out at 105-110. Next time use a candy thermometer or kitchen thermometer similar to a meat smoking thermometer.

    12. Neat-o

      Definitely no skin contact, not even gloved unless you have nitrile gloves laying around (you don’t).

      Also that pan is a goner. Mercury forms an amalgam with stainless steel. No good.

      Mercury is a really cool mineral though

    13. I mean, unless you turn it into a salt and inject it into your veins or inhale it then I think you’ll be fine.

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