Removing lead from gold

goldierocks said:

Mercury-induced brain damage will do that to you....

• Mercury poisoning of hat-makers – In 18th and 19th century England, mercury was used in the production of felt, which was commonly used in the hat-making trade at the time. Long-term use of mercury products often resulted in mercury poisoning-induced erethism among hat-makers.[1][2] In the late 19th-century United States, a notable example occurred in Danbury, Connecticut, where hat making was a major industry. Instances of erethism were so widespread among hat-makers, the condition became known locally as the "Danbury Shakes." It was characterized by slurred speech, tremors, stumbling, and in extreme cases hallucinations.[3]
  
  Most lead pellets look like lead pellets and can be picked out.

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Aries said:

Yeah, as a kid my job frequently was to "freshen up" the plates in various state batteries by rubbing the amalgam plates with a cloth whenever one of my numerous relatives put a crushing through.
These days you would be jailed (rightly so) for getting a minor to play with mercury all day.

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Pete E said:

Years ago, I remember reading an article about a woman who phoned the local council for advice after a mercury thermometer was broken in her home.

I don't recall the exact details, but the council treated as a HAZMAT type of incident, and a team in protective suits turned up to test the premises. It seems that the mercury and traces of mercury vapour could be detected through the whole house, although at very low levels. The family had to evacuate, and a large percentage of their household goods were taken away to be disposed of as hazardous waste. The house itself then had to be decontaminated by a specialist company before the family could return. It was a hugely stressful event for the family and they were battling against being billed for the whole clean up...

Looking back at my childhood, I can't help thinking: There but for the grace of God, go I!

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Aries said:

mercury-contamination-closes-lead-deadwood-high-school

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goldierocks said:

What absurd overkill!

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