One Cup of Mercury = $1,000,000+ Cleanup

Mercury is dangerous. In the past the dangers associated with mercury were little known. However, over time they became more apparent. That's why now you rarely find thermometers or other devices using mercury, especially in a school setting.

To give you an example, note this short article taken from epa.gov/schools that gave suggestions for a healthy school environment. You'll be surprised at the outcome of one cup of mercury and the havoc it wreaked.

On October 2, 2003, the Washington DC Fire Department Hazmat Unit responded to an emergency call from Ballou High School. A student had obtained 250 milliliters (or 1 cup) of elemental mercury from a science laboratory and had sold some of it to other students. This incident led to an exhaustive mercury spill clean-up.

Contamination did not stop at the school. Students unknowingly carried mercury on shoes and clothing through the streets, onto city and school buses, and into their homes. Eleven homes and one common area were found to be contaminated and about 16 families were displaced from their homes for a month.

As a result of the mercury spill, Ballou High School was closed for 35 days and more than 200 homes were tested for mercury contamination. Total cleanup costs were about $1,500,000.