Dropped and broke a frig/freezer thermometer. Mercury?

[mskay]

Hey all,

A frig/freezer thermometer fell and broke out of my freezer. It was just little drops of red liquid. I wiped it up and it got on my foot and obviously I washed that off. Do you think it's mercury? I can't find it anywhere on-line. It's a taylor trutemp frig/freezer thermometer 3503. With kiddos around, I just want to be sure I take care of it properly. Thanks all!

 

[nephthys43]

unless that fridge is realy old, it wouldn't have a mercury thermometer. mercury is silver and almost gel-like. it makes little blobs that kinda bounce if you poke em (which you should never do with bare skin). most thermometers have alcohol or the like in them now.

 

[RitaZ.]

Since the liquid is red, then it doesn't contain mercury. You're safe.

 

[CathrynRose]

My husband owns an appliance repair company.

He said they dont use mercury in fridges, unless its REALLY old. (he said 'like 50 years old')

So - he said no - youre good.

 

[DawnCt1]

How many of us used to play with mercury when it broke? Come on, fess up!

 

[crz4mm2]

How many of us used to play with mercury when it broke? Come on, fess up!

I know, right? Me. It was a blast.

 

[Tinijocaro]

We played with it in 2nd grade as part of a science unit. We broke it up with popsicle stick.

 

[mskay]

OP here. The thermometer didn't come with the frig. I just bought it at Target probably a year or two ago. Thanks!

 

[CathrynRose]

OP here. The thermometer didn't come with the frig. I just bought it at Target probably a year or two ago. Thanks!

Gosh - I dont know then (neither does he) ??

I wonder if they still have them - and you can get a number off the box, or something?? I'd be scared too.

BUT - yes, I accidently played with it as a kid too.

 

[DawnCt1]

We played with it in 2nd grade as part of a science unit. We broke it up with popsicle stick.

I took it to school and let my friends play with it with our bare hands! Today they would have locked down the school and surrounded it with the state police and the EPA!

 

[MosMom]

I remember a thermometer breaking on our glass coffee table ages ago and my dad showing me how to push it around. That was probably 25 years ago.

 

[CathrynRose]

I took it to school and let my friends play with it with our bare hands! Today they would have locked down the school and surrounded it with the state police and the EPA!

Oh - my - GOD!!!

Like the team in Monsters Inc - when a child was touched??

Yes - I stayed home 'sick' - but I wasnt sick, and my mom left the thermometer out. I was microwaving things, and taking their temprature. The milk was apparently too hot, and busted it. But then the cool silver stuff was globbed in the bottom of the cup.

So I poured it down the drain.

I no longer live in Naperville, Illinois - and do not reccomend moving there.

 

[RitaZ.]

How many of us used to play with mercury when it broke? Come on, fess up!

I did!

 

[nephthys43]

me too! me too!

 

[crz4mm2]

Oh - my - GOD!!!

Like the team in Monsters Inc - when a child was touched??

Yes - I stayed home 'sick' - but I wasnt sick, and my mom left the thermometer out. I was microwaving things, and taking their temprature. The milk was apparently too hot, and busted it. But then the cool silver stuff was globbed in the bottom of the cup.

So I poured it down the drain.

I no longer live in Naperville, Illinois - and do not reccomend moving there.

Wasn't there some big problem with some monster fish in a lake up there or something?????

 

[rie'smom]

How many of us used to play with mercury when it broke? Come on, fess up!

We had a school mate who's dad was at NASA and he used to bring mercury to school. It fascinated me. That stuff brought hours of joy and God knows what else .

 

[RitaZ.]

We had a school mate who's dad was at NASA and he used to bring mercury to school. It fascinated me. That stuff brought hours of joy and God knows what else .

Yes, we were easily amused, too! I'm at the part that I bolded. Who knows how many genetic mutations were caused by our "fun". I remember my mom telling me not to touch the "silver beads" because they were poisonous.

 

[froglady]

We had a school mate who's dad was at NASA and he used to bring mercury to school. It fascinated me. That stuff brought hours of joy and God knows what else .

I handled it many, many times, and even lost a gold ring because of it. (It destroys gold- it actually crumbled into dust!)

No strange mutations, but my life isn't over yet, so who knows?

 

[Geoff_M]

Yep, we used to play with it in HS Chemistry class on the table tops.

The red liquid in thermometers is, IIRC, usually just glycerin with red coloring added.