Mercuric Chloride

[nworth]

Ordinary precautions should keep you reasonably safe when handling small amount of mercury (II) chloride. Metallic mercury has a fairly high vapor pressure and is therefore much more dangerous. That does not mean it can be handled carelessly, spilled around the lab, or ignored as a poison. But most countries and localities have some very strict rules on the purchase, shipment, use, and disposal of mercury compounds that must be obeyed.

 

[brianmquinn]

very few actual FACTS were given. That's all I'm getting at!

There was one FACT presented OVER and OVER again. DO NOT USE MERCURY IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.

 

[michaelbsc]

very few actual FACTS were given. That\'s all I\'m getting at!

There was one FACT presented OVER and OVER again. DO NOT USE MERCURY IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.

I\'m with Chris here. You tell children no.



You tell adults it is a bad idea, but if they must then here are the rules. But it is still a bad idea.

 

[Gerald C Koch]

In sublethal doses mercury II attacks the central nervous system. It was used for a long tine in felt making hence the term "mad hatter".

Google "minamata disease" for nervous system effects. The famous photographer Eugene Smith did a series on the victims.

 

[holmburgers]

There was one FACT presented OVER and OVER again. DO NOT USE MERCURY IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.

This is exactly what I'm talking about! No facts, just "NO NO NO NO".

But oh well, I think my point has been made. Michaelbsc's got the idea...

And Gerald thank you for pointing out that disease; these are the kind of "facts" that I think will make people do the right thing by their own volition.

 

[mattmoy_2000]

Information:

MERCURIC (II) CHLORIDE
Emergency Overview
--------------------------
DANGER! MAY BE FATAL IF SWALLOWED. HARMFUL IF INHALED OR ABSORBED THROUGH SKIN. CAUSES SEVERE IRRITATION TO EYES, SKIN AND RESPIRATORY TRACT; MAY CAUSE BURNS. MAY CAUSE ALLERGIC SKIN REACTION. MERCURY COMPOUNDS AFFECT THE KIDNEYS AND CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM. BIRTH DEFECT HAZARD. CAN CAUSE BIRTH DEFECTS.

Health Rating: 4 - Extreme (Poison)
Flammability Rating: 0 - None
Reactivity Rating: 2 - Moderate
Contact Rating: 4 - Extreme (Life)
Lab Protective Equip: GOGGLES & SHIELD; LAB COAT & APRON; VENT HOOD; PROPER GLOVES
Storage Color Code: Blue (Health)

There's your answer. Wear goggles and a shield for your face. Wear a lab coat and an apron. Use a vent hood with the appropriate filter and wear "proper" gloves, by which it probably means the extremely heavy waxy gloves, similar to what roadworkers wear when handling molten tar.

If you lack any of these precautions (and I assume you don't have a fume cupboard in your dark room) then DON'T USE IT.

If you have ALL of these precautions, and are properly trained to handle "extreme"ly poisonous chemicals with a "lifetime" toxicity, then go ahead.

You might make a nice picture, but is it really worth risking killing yourself, ruining your CNS/mind/kidneys, giving your as-yet-unborn children or grandchildren birth defects and/or exposing your family and friends to these risks by having the chemical in your home?

 

[michaelbsc]

Thanks!

 

[JSebrof]

I've got a question, though I'm not really interested in using Mercuric Chloride at the present time. Where I used to work we'd use some somewhat toxic chemicals, for cleaning and such. We were told repeatedly to use proper PPE and for the most part we did. We had posted in multiple places around the shop, a sign that matched chemistry with the proper gloves for handling it. Of course some gloves were capable of handling multiple chemicals, but others were far less capable for certain things than one might presume.

My question is this: Is there a resource somewhere that can identify precisely what "proper" PPE for certain chemicals is?

"extremely heavy waxy gloves, similar to what roadworkers wear when handling molten tar" seems all well and good, but what if the glove you get actually lets the chemistry right through and then traps it against your skin! On a less "worst case scenario" note, I remember that we had these big, rigid "silver shield" gloves that were uncomfortable and expensive. We were however guaranteed at least 4 hours of protection with them against anything on the chart. However, there was one chemical that another, much more comfortable and economic glove gave 8 hours for that the silver shields gave only 4.

 

[michaelbsc]

This is a good idea. Maybe we should start a thread for PPE.