How to clean up a broken mercury thermometer

Generally speaking, if a mercury thermometer breaks in a clinical setting, it is not usually a serious problem. The first step is to open the windows for ventilation to allow the mercury vapor to disperse. Since the chemical component of mercury is elemental mercury, it can easily volatilize at room temperature. Therefore, the higher the room temperature, the greater the volatility. After proper ventilation and cooling, these harmful vapors will dissipate. Moreover, the amount of mercury contained in a single thermometer is very small.