A Simple and Cheap Device for Removing Spilled Mercury from Crevices Recently in this Journal, some a u t h o r P have commented on the risk of mercury poisoning and the care to be taken when mercury is manipulated in the laboratory. One of them1 calls our attention to the fact that very small drops of Hg, when hidden in cracks and crevices on the floor or the bench, are extremely difficult to remove and considers it as "an impossible task". In this note we show these drops can be removed using a simple device that actually attracts them. To make this device take a copper wire (d = 1.5 mm, 1 = 6 cm), sharpen an end, clean it hy eantact with 1N HCI for 1 min, and, without washing, immerse the tip (- 2 em) in clean Hg and leave it in eantact until the wire is coated with mercury. The device is ready. In order to remove a small Hg drop, just touch i t with the point. Due to the strong interfacial tension the drop will he drawn onto the wire easily. The operation can he repeated many times. Then Hg can be recovered by gently beating the wire.
' Weber. J. J. Chem. Edoc. 1986, 63,A224. Nagal, M. C. J. Chem. Educ. 1987, 64, 802.
Alvaro Rocha Flguelra Juan Alberto Coch Departamento de Ouimics Unive~sidadedo Rio Grande (RS) Brasil
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Journal of Chemical Education
