As if eczema and lead in his system isn't enough, I now have to worry about mercury. I was cleaning off the top of our computer desk yesterday and had the stuff normally up there down on the desk itself. As I did something for one of the other kids, Jacob grabbed one of those "environmentally friendly" light bulbs that the electric company had sent to us and threw it on the floor. I didn't even want them in our house because they contain mercury, so if they are broken are a hazard. I just pictured a kid accidentally pulling on a cord or knocking over a lamp with one of those bulbs.......and sure enough 17 month old Jacob has now done it! I got rid of the light bulb, it's outside in trash, and I took the kids upstairs and opened the front and back doors. They don't have as much mercury as old thermometers did, but there is still some risk. So now I'm worrying about how much Jacob was exposed to, as he threw it down and was standing over it when it broke and the vapor escaped. (the mercury doesn't come out as droplets like in the thermometers.) I'd like to be done with all this worrying stuff-lacerations and vomiting, stitches, elevated levels of stuff, itching, making faces at kids, and mercury poisoning!
4 comments:
making faces at kids? i think i missed something.... =)
LOL-that would be Leanna, she was making mean faces at kids at school.
Does anyone remember being thrilled years ago when a mercury thermometer would break and you would have the chance to play with the little balls of mercury? Now I know why I turned out the way I did. Explains lots. (Not trying to take away from seriousness of situation....just know that years ago no one had any concern about dangers of mercury.)
ya, true...someone also told me recently that they used to mess with mercury at school...wonder if the concern now is b/c with the light bulbs you are not dealing with the liquid, like steph said....
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