NWR- Mercury
I just wanted to pass this along becuase I had a very disturbing thing happen on thursday. I looked down at my feet at the desk (in my home) and saw two pieces of my mercury thermometer broken in half. I didn't notice this, of course, until my dog stood up. He had been laying on Mercury for God knows how long. Licking it up, etc. And I had breathing the fumes for I dont' even know how long. I have no idea when the thermometer was even taken out of the cupboard but for hours I was desperately searching around on my hands and knees with something covering my face and hands looking for droplets of mercury and couldn't find a single bead which means my pups could very well have licked it right up. They went through a bout of throwing up and everything but seem to be find. Gosh, the information I have found on the internet about how dangerous it would have been if I were pregnant...its just not worht it. So my public service announcement for today is, PLEASE get rid of your mercury thermometers now because your entire house can get completely infested with fumes doing a lot of serious injury to you and your pets. I just felt I needed to tell you (oh, and ps, you can't throw them out in the garbage. There are specific procedures you have to go through with your county but its so worth it)
