Story Comments

This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »

I didn't suggest that children SHOULD play with mercury, I am stating a fact that children DID play with mercury in the past. Not every day, not as a constant and favorite toy, but when thermometers broke or a bit of mercury came around one way or another, yeah, children (and even some teachers) used to handle it.

It rolls around in your hand, and acts like not much of any other substance. It gives a weird tingly feeling and is generally kind of cool. It also eats gold -- an indication to those who DO play with it and have on rings, that maybe it's not such a good thing to play with.

I would be willing to be that the vast majority of people over the age of 45-50 have played with mercury at some point in their life.

Now, would I let my children play with it? Obviously not, but one broken thermometer in a closet is not going to kill an entire school or even have any adverse effects -- especially if the stuff is cleaned up.

Use a little common sense.

1 Reply