Would a person die by indirectly swallow mercury?!
Question:
Would a person die by indirectly swallow mercury?
My classmate broke a thermometer and a small round silvery droplet was found by me. Thinking that it's a ball...my friend touched it. I saw her and told her to wash her hands, unfortunately there was no soap but she insisted on washing her hands. While we were walking through the corridor another classmate offered her pack of cookies she couldn't finish. My classmate ate it with her bare hands.Can she be poisoned by doing swallowing her food with her hands washed only with water? if poisoning is possible what are the cures?
Answers:
No. Mercury is poorly absorbed in the digestive tract, and only moderately absorbed by the skin. And, at any rate, mercury exposure has to occur over a long period before it becomes harmful.
Mercury vapor is extremely toxic when inhaled, however. But that's not a concern in this case.
When I was a child, way back before the alarmists started convincing people that everything under the sun was dangerous, I once broke a thermometer and spent several minutes pushing the bead of mercury around the table with my finger. And I don't remember washing my hands afterwards!