Mercury

[Orpheus]

Snopes finally got a hold of this original story:

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/cfl.asp

 

[homebrewer_99]

Good article...

 

[Torchiest]

here's how beer will clean up the enviromnment

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18440305/

That is a truly beautiful thing: a creative solution that benefits everyone involved.

 

[TxBrew]

I broke a CFL on my carpet last month and didn't do anything but vacuum it up. I'm still alive.

 

[homebrewer_99]

I broke a CFL on my carpet last month and didn't do anything but vacuum it up. I'm still alive.

with a slight dose of heavy metal poisoning...

 

[TxBrew]

with a slight dose of heavy metal poisoning...

I needed to gain some weight anyways.

 

[the_bird]

:rockin: :rockin: :rockin:

 

[homebrewer_99]

As a friend, just let me say this...and I mean it in the best of intentions...you've been hanging around Cheese too long...

 

[JeepGuy]

I still don't buy that mercury is that bad for you. My parents in grade school used to play with the stuff. My little sister was given a vial of it by one of her science teachers, and I played with it. (Let it roll around in my hand to feel the weight, let it scatter across the table and scoop it all back up. Pretty remarkable stuff actually) We're all still here.

 

[Buford]

Mercury is a rather toxic heavy metal, and most of its compounds are toxic as well. It's just that it takes prolonged exposure to show any effects. From Wikipedia:

Case study has shown that acute exposure (4-8 hours) to calculated elemental mercury levels of 1.1 to 44 mg/m3 resulted in chest pain, dyspnea, cough, hemoptysis, impairment of pulmonary function, and evidence of interstitial pneumonitis.

Acute exposure to mercury vapor has been shown to result in profound central nervous system effects, including psychotic reactions characterized by delirium, hallucinations, and suicidal tendency. Occupational exposure has resulted in broad-ranging functional disturbance, including erethism, irritability, excitability, excessive shyness, and insomnia. With continuing exposure, a fine tremor develops and may escalate to violent muscular spasms. Tremor initially involves the hands and later spreads to the eyelids, lips, and tongue.
Long-term, low-level exposure has been associated with more subtle symptoms of erethism, including fatigue, irritability, loss of memory, vivid dreams, and depression.

 

[z987k]

I've played with mercury to, it's quite fun. However I don't think you can absorb it through your skin. The danger is when you take it internally either through liquid or a gas, or through it being particles in the air, which is where this article is getting at I think.

 

[olllllo]

Anything you get on your skin will get in your eye or your mouth or in ...

Gross but true.

 

[z987k]

wash your hands