U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The exposures described in this report primarily affected homes and schools. Inorganic mercury is a heavy, silver-white metal that is liquid at room temperature. The vapor pressure of mercury is high compared with other metals, creating the continual hazard of airborne exposure to mercury vapor, which is odorless and colorless. Mercury is absorbed into the blood following inhalation and is then transported to the brain and other areas of the nervous system and to all other tissues.
Most elemental mercury is excreted unchanged in feces.
Small amounts of mercury, such as from a broken thermometer, can be cleaned up by spraying the mercury gently with hairspray or dusting with an absorbent such as powdered sulfur and sweeping up the mercury and absorbent with a wisk broom. Any person who discovers a large quantity of mercury should immediately contact the local poison-control center or health department. The residential exposure described in this report was unprecedented in terms of the amount of mercury involved and the extent of contamination. The rapid and coordinated response to this incident minimized the risk for and assured the health of the exposed residents. Knight, A.L. Mercury and its compounds.