DENVER (KDVR) — A family member who was cleaning out a garage to help a Fort Collins resident who recently moved broke and spilled a glass vial of mercury Monday, prompting a hazmat response.
The Poudre Fire Authority Hazmat Team was called into the 600 block of Atwood Court in Fort Collins. The team works out of Station 10 on Vermont Drive and is tasked with responding to unknown substance spills and unique situations such as the one presented on Monday.
The agency said for some crew members, this mercury spill was a first. The Poudre Fire Authority shared that mercury is a nervous system disrupter, and while usually harmless to the touch, it can be extremely dangerous when breathed in. Mercury is sensitive to changes in temperature and can become a gas if heated.
The vial was estimated to be decades old, likely dating to the 1960s or 1970s.
“This is a good reminder that you never know what you might find when it comes to deep cleaning, especially when moving into a new property that may have belongings from a previous tenant left behind,” the Poudre Fire Authority said in a release. “Use caution and never hesitate to call if you come across an ‘unknown substance.’ The Hazmat Team and other first responders have the training and skills to help.”
Mercury cleanup can lead to exposure, which can present with symptoms of lethargy, memory loss, decreased dexterity and other neurological issues.
On Monday, the spilled mercury took to cracks in a sloped driveway, moving away from the garage where the vial was spilled. The Poudre Fire Authority crew worked for over three hours to clean up the spill, using four mercury spill kits to clear the area.
The kits are built to handle around a tablespoon of mercury, and the vial appears to have held between four to five ounces. The agency said that this incident would “be considered a large mercury spill.”
The fire agency said that the kits include a compound that, when mixed with water, will adhere to the mercury. The crew also used tools to suck the substance up.
“If you try to wipe it up it just splits into smaller and smaller beads,” said the team’s lieutenant in a release.
Because of how dangerous mercury exposure can be, the crew worked in full bunker gear and with air tanks. They cleared the spill site just after noon.
