Boys Track 4 Pounds of Liquid Mercury All Over Town

Childlike Fascination with Liquid Metal Leads to Environmental Nightmare

A small town in West Virginia is facing a major environmental headache after a group of young boys stole four pounds of mercury and tracked it all over town. The children were enthralled by the liquid metal, and they spent several days playing with it and sharing it with their friends before school officials learned about the dangerous situation.

When the town’s dentist suffered a stroke a year and a half ago, he shuttered his practice. The vacant dental office was apparently unlocked, giving the fourth- and fifth-graders access to a massive amount of the poisonous metal.

So far, five students have tested positive for high levels of mercury exposure, but not high enough to cause serious health risks. At least 25 children handled the metal, and another 200 of the town’s 1400 residents will be screened for exposure. The town has scrambled to clean up mercury spills found in the elementary school, the library, the park, the church, and a number of homes – with more mercury drops still being discovered around town.

Whew! While dentists and health authorities don’t seem to be able to agree on the safety of mercury in amalgam, there’s no debating the danger of pure liquid mercury. Yet another reason why dental practices need to use caution in storing and discarding toxic materials…

Read more