Antique Clock Creates A HazMat Issue In San Ramon
Proof, perhaps, that we knew little about the things we used on a daily basis and that some of those things contained elements that could harm us was brought home Sunday during the relocation of an antique clock on Canyon Green Place in San Ramon.
The clock’s owners, and later firefighters, realized the clock had spilled a quantity of liquid mercury (used in clock pendulums back in the day to compensate for temperature changes and keep the clock accurate) and quickly sealed the home and environs off after detecting traceable amounts of the silvery metallic element.
Caution was taken because liquid elemental mercury is dangerous if inhaled, primarily because it releases invisible, odorless toxic vapors into the air that can damage the nervous system damage.
The incident was first reported at 1:45pm on Sunday with San Ramon Valley firefighters remaining on scene through the night and into Monday afternoon.
Deputy Chief Chris Parsons said Monday afternoon that his teams had cleared the affected residence after testing was completed by the county HazMat crew and a third-party company specializing in cleanup of such substances – in this case vacuuming up the Mercury without aerosolizing it.
“It was definitely not one of our usual calls,” Parsons said. “I think it stood out to us for the same reason it stood out to you (News24/680). I can say I was not aware a grandfather clock contained mercury before this incident.”
And, while, we’re on the topic, lets discuss those painted radium dials and radium ore Revigators – a pseudoscientific medical device consisting of a ceramic water crock lined with radioactive materials – which resulted in a number of sometimes fatal illnesses before they were finally taken off the market.
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I’ll bet this ol’ timer overheard many a toxic exchange as well…and did manage to not spill those. Kudos.
Pretty clock!
Back in the day we kids loved to play with liquid mercury. Roll it in your hands. Coat nickels with it to make them temporarily shiny. No ill effects 50+ years later. But we did not ingest it.
Yes. We had skin thick enough to stop a speeding BB, firecracker-proof fingers, and that miraculous Hanna-Barbera cartoon ability to regain our former shape after a hard fall or dynamite blast. Ah, the good old days… when we were young!
One of the Henry Winkler’s “Hazardous History” episodes had a segment about how mercury was played with by kids and used in many other dangerous ways in the past. Fascinating series, especially for those of us old enough to relate.
Surprised you didn’t put this on TikTok!
I’m old enough to remember my mother talking about what happened to people who worked around those chemicals back in the day and a reall bad story about a group called the Radium Jaw Girls. Those stories scared the h*** out of me.
The things you learn.