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  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 2005  > February  >
In the Laboratory
Mercury Thermometer Replacements in Chemistry Laboratories
Barbara L. Foster
C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506-6045
Cover
February 2005
Vol. 82 No. 2
p. 269
Abstract
Every undergraduate student in a chemistry laboratory must use a thermometer at some point during his or her chemistry laboratory experience. The mercury-in-glass thermometers that are typically used in chemistry laboratories are easily broken. The resulting spilled mercury can easily become trapped under the laboratory benches and in the flooring material in the laboratory, exposing students and laboratory personnel to hazardous levels of mercury. The resulting spill must be thoroughly cleaned and properly disposed by knowledgeable and experienced personnel. Mercury is a hazardous material that can cause burns to the skin, eyes, and respiratory tract. It is being investigated as a reproductive effector, a mutagen, and a tumorigen. Mercury vapors are odorless and colorless. Chronic exposure to mercury vapors can produce damage to the central nervous system. The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry at West Virginia University teaches approximately 2000 students per semester in its undergraduate laboratories. To eliminate the health and environmental hazards that are encountered when working with traditional mercury-in-glass thermometers, the department has tested and selected suitable substitutes for use in the general chemistry and the organic chemistry laboratories.
More Information
*  Citation
 Foster, Barbara L. J. Chem. Educ. 2005 82 269.
*  Keywords
 General Chemistry; Laboratory Equipment / Apparatus; Laboratory Instruction; Mercury; Organic Chemistry; Safety / Hazardous Materials
*  History
 Created:
Last Updated:		 January 4, 2005
January 12, 2005
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