When broken, the spilled mercury warrants quick action, including evacuation of the room, and a hazardous material cleanup response. Whether at school or home, mercury spills of any kind or size pose a serious health risk. One mercury spill from a broken necklace was reported last year in a school in St. Joseph. The necklaces are often a beaded chain, cord, or leather strand with a glass pendant that contains mercury. The mercury appears as a silvery clump of liquid that rolls around in the hollow glass pendant.
Pendants can be in various shapes, such as hearts, bottles, saber teeth and chili peppers.
Once mercury spills, it breaks into tiny beads that can roll into cracks in floors or walls, or become trapped in carpet or upholstered furniture. Mercury vaporizes rapidly at room temperature, and can rapidly spread throughout the room. If spilled in or near heating ducts, the vapor can rapidly spread throughout the home or building. These spills should not be cleaned up with a vacuum cleaner or Shop Vac -style vacuum. This will actually cause the mercury to vaporize more and spread further.