Mercury levels low at Carson High after spill

But clothing kept as precaution

F.T. Norton

Appeal Staff Writer

Twenty-two freshman science students and their teacher were sent home from Carson High School in paper robes on Wednesday after mercury was discovered on the floor of their classroom.

The students were removed from the second-floor classroom to a neighboring room in the southwest wing of the high school and students in nearby classrooms that the mercury had not affected were evacuated to the library by 1:30 p.m.

Carson City Fire Chief Stacey Giomi said the school's air system was also immediately shut down to prevent any contamination that could be carried through the air vents.

A student noticed the silver substance about 1 p.m. and the fire department was on scene by 1:15 p.m.

When classes let out for the day 40 minutes later, the science students and teacher remained shoeless in a neighboring classroom until the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection could get on scene to test the levels of mercury in the room and on the 23 people exposed.

"The readings we were getting were well below anything that would be considered dangerous," Giomi said, "but just to be on the safe side we are taking their clothes."

Giomi said the minuscule amount of mercury detected will dissipate in open air and sunlight and the students should have their clothing, shoes and backpacks back by Friday.

Just after 4 p.m. the students and teacher were allowed to leave. Each student either had an adult pick them up, or they were given a ride home, Giomi said. He none of the students were expected to walk home in a paper robe.

The classroom in which the spill was contained also gave a low reading for contamination, but as a precaution the school district hired a third-party clean up crew to decontaminate the room. Giomi didn't expect the process would take longer than a few hours and there is the potential that the classroom will be operable by this morning.

The amount of mercury that was found would be the equivalent of what is used in a thermometer. Giomi said after a scare in 2005, when a gauge that contained mercury on an outdated blood pressure machine was broken, anything that used the toxic substance was removed from all the schools.

"We don't know where it came from," Giomi said.

According to the EPA, exposure to high levels of elemental mercury vapor can result in nervous system damage, including tremors and mood and personality alterations.