[mana]

hi all
how I  should remove mercury pollution if mercury thermometer was broken in the lab? is it OK to pour some sulfur powder on the remained mercury and then swapping or vacuuming the mercury sulfide that has formed due to this reaction?
or is there any better way for that?
thanks in advance for your help

[Corribus]

EPA has you covered.

https://www.epa.gov/mercury/what-do-if-mercury-thermometer-breaks

I remember once when I was in graduate school someone had their mercury bubbler rupture, spewing mercury everywhere. We had to call the chemical safety specialists at the university and they evacuated the whole lab for a day while they cleaned it up. Never saw what they did, but they did come in with hazmat suits. That was a lot more mercury than a single thermometer.

[Bryan Erlinz]

Hello! I know I'm answering too late, but I can't help but answer. Firstly, sulfur practically does not react with mercury at room temperature. This has also been proven in the works of Stock, Pyankov and others. Secondly, there is not so much mercury in the mercury thermometer that its concentration in the air can poison people. The mercury evaporated quickly.

[billnotgatez]

... The mercury evaporated quickly.

I was not sure of that but an internet search is interesting.