7 Sep
2004
7 Sep
'04
4:53 p.m.
From: "Vintage Computer Festival"
<vcf(a)siconic.com>
On Tue, 7 Sep 2004, Joe R. wrote:
Hi
I suspect the hazmat team over reacted just a little.
Mercury in elemental form is not all that dangerous ( or
most of us old timers would be dead or vegetables by now ).
It is most dangerous as salts or as long term exposure
to vapor.
We had a diffusion pump fracture in a lab once with
mercury in it. It did require that we had to remove the
linoleum flooring but we didn't all strip and hose
ourselves down. That is just plain silly.
This is typical over/under reaction of today's world on hazardous
materials. We fail to put things into perspective. We
also fail to consider all of the consequences of the
choices we make as well. Look at how we handle asbestos.
Look at how California handled MTBE. Look at how people
see using hydrogen to fuel cars. The list goes on.
Dwight
Speaking of that. A few years ago they had a
plastic bottle of mercury
sitting over at the surplus disposal at Patrik AFB (part of Kennedy Space
Center). The bottle had been sitting for a long time and gotten brittle.
Someone tried to pick it up and it shattered and spilled mercury
everywhere. They made everyone stay exactly where they were and called the
haz mat crew. They came and made everyone strip, yeah, naked! Male and
female. And then made them walk out into the parking lot where they sprayed
them down with firehoses (in front of the rapidly gathering crowd!) So
this is what you have to look forward to Sellam!
Excellent! I'll be sure to invite over the Swedish Bikini Team before I
spill any.
Tickets to the spectacle will go sale shortly.
7 Sep
7 Sep
8:28 p.m.
I suspect the hazmat team over reacted just a little.
This is often the case - the hazmat guys I have talked to have been pretty
reasonable, but due to public pressure, they often have to put on a show.
Mercury in elemental form is not all that dangerous (
or
most of us old timers would be dead or vegetables by now ).
It is most dangerous as salts or as long term exposure
to vapor.
Finally someone speaks the truth! Elemental mercury mostly passes thru the
body in one big blob, and very little is absorbed. I think it is rarely
used as an antibiotic, as well.
The compounds are the nasty things, as they due damage pretty
quickly. Also, mercury vapor is also very dangerous *even in short
periods of exposure*! The poor guys in South America that purify gold thru
amalgamation (and the subsequent vaporizing to get the mercury back) tend
to have very short lives if they are not careful.
William Donzelli
aw288(a)osfn.org
6:03 p.m.
New subject: Completely and totally off-topic and without any meritwhatso
I suspect the
hazmat team over reacted just a little.
This is often the case - the hazmat guys I have talked to have been pretty
reasonable, but due to public pressure, they often have to put on a show.
Finally someone speaks the truth! Elemental mercury mostly passes thru the
body in one big blob, and very little is absorbed. I think it is rarely
used as an antibiotic, as well.
The compounds are the nasty things, as they due damage pretty
quickly. Also, mercury vapor is also very dangerous *even in short
periods of exposure*! The poor guys in South America that purify gold thru
amalgamation (and the subsequent vaporizing to get the mercury back) tend
to have very short lives if they are not careful.
William Donzelli
10:08 p.m.
New subject: Completely and totally off-topic and without any meritwhatso
Compounds in mercury? Such as?
Mercury can combine with lots of things. Probably the most common is the
ore, cinnebar. I think it can even be part of some organic compounds.
William Donzelli
aw288(a)osfn.org
8 Sep
8 Sep
12:47 a.m.
New subject: Completely and totally off-topic and without any meritwhatso
in the old days they used to give murcury rubs for syphlis!
ed
----- Original Message -----
From: <jpero(a)sympatico.ca>
To: <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org>
Sent: Tuesday, September 07, 2004 4:03 PM
Subject: Re: Completely and totally off-topic and without any meritwhatso
> > I suspect the hazmat team over reacted just
a little.
>
> This is often the case - the hazmat guys I have talked to have been
pretty
> reasonable, but due to public pressure, they
often have to put on a
show.
> Finally someone speaks the truth! Elemental
mercury mostly passes thru
the
> body in one big blob, and very little is
absorbed. I think it is rarely
> used as an antibiotic, as well.
>
> The compounds are the nasty things, as they due damage pretty
> quickly. Also, mercury vapor is also very dangerous *even in short
> periods of exposure*! The poor guys in South America that purify gold
thru
> amalgamation (and the subsequent vaporizing to
get the mercury back)
tend
to have very
short lives if they are not careful.
Compounds in mercury? Such as?
In old days before "safer" plating base metals with other metals was
developed, like 140 years or more years ago, they used that same way
to "gild" the stuff with gold or silver via the mercury amalgamation.
Whew that must be very miserable lifetime back then as gilders. :-(
Cheers,
Wizard
William Donzelli
11:05 a.m.
New subject: Completely and totally off-topic and without any meritwhatso
At 10:47 PM 9/7/04 -0700, you wrote:
in the old days they used to give murcury rubs for
syphlis!
Did they use metallic mercury or a mercury salt? Mercuric oxide used to
be used as an eye ointment. I remember using it as a kid. It was very
effective.
Joe
ed
----- Original Message -----
From: <jpero(a)sympatico.ca>
To: <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org>
Sent: Tuesday, September 07, 2004 4:03 PM
Subject: Re: Completely and totally off-topic and without any meritwhatso
> > I suspect the hazmat team over reacted
just a little.
>
> This is often the case - the hazmat guys I have talked to have been
pretty
> reasonable, but due to public pressure, they
often have to put on a
show.
> Finally someone speaks the truth! Elemental
mercury mostly passes thru
the
> body in one big blob, and very little is
absorbed. I think it is rarely
> used as an antibiotic, as well.
>
> The compounds are the nasty things, as they due damage pretty
> quickly. Also, mercury vapor is also very dangerous *even in short
> periods of exposure*! The poor guys in South America that purify gold
thru
> amalgamation (and the subsequent vaporizing
to get the mercury back)
tend
to have
very short lives if they are not careful.
Compounds in mercury? Such as?
In old days before "safer" plating base metals with other metals was
developed, like 140 years or more years ago, they used that same way
to "gild" the stuff with gold or silver via the mercury amalgamation.
Whew that must be very miserable lifetime back then as gilders. :-(
Cheers,
Wizard
William Donzelli
7423
days inactive
7424
days old
5 comments
5 participants
participants (5)
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aw288＠osfn.org -
dwight.elvey＠amd.com -
esharpe＠uswest.net -
jpero＠sympatico.ca -
rigdonj＠cfl.rr.com