Mercury poisoning...Help!

[Krish]

I have a problem which I hope isn't too big. About 2-3 weeks back I accidently dropped a hydrometer/thermometer under my stand and it broke sending mercury beads everywhere. I cleaned up all the pieces I could find and quite a bit went into my sump, which I removed, atleast all I could find. I don't have any fish in my tank which is a good thing, but I went to the local pet shop and got some blue holdex (i think it was) to neutralize the metal. My problem is this, I just realized that I missed a few mercury beads because there are a few rustish brown looking spots in my sump. When I looked closely sure enough I found 4 more beads. Will this create a problem? Should I put more blue holdex in the tank incase I missed some more or is it simply harmless at this point seeing that I already dosed it?

 

[wrightme43]

I dont know the answer to that.

 

[Krish]

I guess I'm probably going to have to take down my sump and clean it thoroughly. I shouldn't harm anything because I just set it up 4 weeks ago and never had any fish in it. If there are any suggestions please let me know, but from what I read, the blue holdex should neutralize the metal. I'll find out for sure when I add the fish later on down the line.

 

[Angelscrx]

When in doubt take it out. I would take the sump out and clean it if you still have rust spots down there. Once cleaned do a water change. HTH

 

[Krish]

??? Water change??? Like all the water? Is there a test kit out there to see if there are any traces of metals in the water?

 

[wrightme43]

Now I am sure you know this. The reason for the term "mad as a hatter" is they used mercury to make hats shine. It makes you crazy and very very sick. Please be very careful with mercury. I broke a thermometer when I was a kid and picked up all the mercury balls by hand because I didnt know any better. I must admit I am crazy. I dont know if its the mercury or all the drugs I did growing up. LOL
Just be careful.

 

[Krish]

Thanks. I just emptied my sump and put some start right in the tank to neutralize any metals that still may be in there. I'm pretty sure there are no more beads in there, just what may have dissolved. I'm thinking seriously on going for a check up though. Not only did I get cut by the glass and touched the mercury with my bare hands, but stupid me went and used my mouth to suck the air out of my cpr overflow...not once, but a few times (and we all know that water gets in your mouth when you do this). I just installed a temporary powerhead in my sump and attached the venturi to the overflow until I can get an aqualifter.

 

[steve-s]

If this is your garden variety thermometer from the LFS (red indicator), it had no mercury in it. The use of mercury (retail applications) was long ago phased out because of it's noxious properties. The substance used now is still poisonous to a degree (organic liquids/alchohol) but nowhere near as bad as mercury. More commonly you may end up with some nuisance algaes but the small amount should not result in any stressed/ailing animals water volume depending. Still a good idea to get it cleaned up but running carbon/water changes will usually do the trick. Mercury vapourizes at room teperature (albeit slowly) and is quite poisonous if that's what you had.


Cheers
Steve

 

[Krish]

Well, I'm pretty sure that the hydro/thermometer had mercury beads in it. Doesn't it look like tiny metal pellets? If so, hopefully it is not a very toxic form of mercury.

 

[wrightme43]

The alchol ones look completely different, you describe small metal beads, and that is mercury from experince breaking one myself I know. All merc. is toxic as far as I know. In the future you may want to think about a nice digital spa and pool thermometer with a probe to put in your sump. Thats what I have now. I like it alot.

 

[Krish]

Yeah. I always used the instant ocean hydrometer, but my friend misplaced it so I just ordered a replacement. The only reason I used that one (with mercury beads) was because that was all the LFS had.

 

[steve-s]

Well, I'm pretty sure that the hydro/thermometer had mercury beads in it. Doesn't it look like tiny metal pellets? If so, hopefully it is not a very toxic form of mercury.

The "beads" are not mercury AFAIK, merely a weight to keep the thermometer submerged. Guessing here but I'll bet they are some type of stainless alloy. Boomer will most likely know that answer to that one.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Krish]

Where the hell is Boomer? Tell him we need him here? LOL. I don't know if I'll go so far as to say stainless because the few pieces I missed started to rust in my sump...That's how I found them.

 

[steve-s]

Stainless will still rust, depends on what grade it is.

As for Boomer, he said he would be away until some time today so we'll have to see if he shows up.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Forestal]

all forms of mercury are toxic. I have no idea what its properties are in salt water, but i would consider it toxic to all life.

it absorbs into our skin amazingly fast.... so never pick it up by hand without protection. that being said, the amount in a thermometer probably will not have done you harm (you can get a mercury blood test through your physician)

i don't know if mercury will oxidize, will wait to see what boomer says....

hopefully the system is ok, and you don't have to restart

 

[Krish]

Well, I guess I'll have to wait and see what happens. I go to the doctor this week anyway for a check up so I'll see what he says. I just can't see them making something so fragile containing something that is toxic if come in contact with by humans without any warning labels on it. There was no info on the package to warn you against it in case of breakage which leads me to believe that it may not be mercury or toxic. I have a little confession to make though...This wasn't the first time I did this. I dropped a thermometer in my bare empty tank a year ago (oops). First the thermometer now the hydrometer...Hmmmm what can I break next. LOL

 

[Llarian]

Wait, beads? As in the weights at the bottom of a hydrometer keep the tube from floating out of the water? Those are not mercury. I don't think I've ever seen a hydrometer/themometer in the past number of years that contained mercury.

 

[Krish]

I hope and I think you are right because if you think about it, the world has advanced so much on a daily basis that I can't see them still using mercury beads at this stage.

 

[Angelscrx]

Ok quick question here. On a thermometer that contains mercury the liquid is on the bottom and as the temp around it changes it causes the mercury to rise or fall in the cylindrical tube where the temp readings are noted right? On the thermometer that I use in my sump (Chiller probe in the overflow) it has silver beads at the bottom and the fluid that measures temp is red. The red fluid surrounds the silver beads which may be the stainless beads we are all talking about. Is this what we are questioning is Mercury?

 

[wrightme43]

Good point. Mercury feels like liquid beads, it is not solid at all. It is kinda rolley running balls. The hard solid feeling ones are just wieght. The only reason I know is I broke a human temp. thermometer at my grandmas house when I was a little kid. The solid balls are nothing really to worry about.