Representatives from several area agencies responded last Thursday to a report of a hazardous materials spill at a Highway CC residence near Licking.
Licking Rural Fire Department Chief Jimmy Sherrill said firefighters responded at about 9:30 p.m. and discovered that an old glass bottle full of mercury had been knocked over by a cat. Sherrill said fire crews contained and cleaned up much of the mercury, and that members of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources returned the following day to complete clean up and conduct tests of the air and surfaces inside the home.
Also responding to the scene Thursday were representatives of the Local Emergency Preparedness Committee (LEPC), a Texas County Sheriff’s Department deputy and an ambulance crew. Sherrill said personnel involved were instructed to go to the fire department Friday evening for a briefing, and that all equipment used was properly decontaminated.
“We wanted to know that everyone involved had their mind at ease about the situation, because there are a lot of concerns with mercury,” Sherrill said. “Usually when something like this happens, it’s just a broken thermometer or something like that.”
Mercury is a heavy metal known to at times produce toxic effects, including damage to the brain, kidney and lungs. Mercury poisoning can also result in several serious diseases. Symptoms can include impairment of vision, hearing or speech, and a lack of coordination.
Exposure to mercury can occur from absorption through direct contact with bare skin (or in some cases insufficiently protected skin) or through breathing contaminated air.