Stoughton Students Exposed To Mercury
Posted: 3:50 p.m. CST January 30, 2004Updated: 11:40 p.m. CST February 1, 2004
STOUGHTON, Wis. -- About 70 students went through a decontamination procedure Friday after an accidental mercury spill in a chemistry lab at Stoughton High School.
School officials said the spill happened sometime between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., prompting the decision to have students who had class in the room to undergo decontamination as a precaution.
Mercury is poisonous to humans and can affect nerve and brain function, including memory loss and hearing problems. Exposure to pregnant women can cause birth deformities. ( Read More About Health Effects )
The decontamination process started at 6:30 p.m. to minimize any possible spread of the mercury. It involved bagging the students' clothing and having the students shower.
The students then were provided with clean jumpsuits and taken to Yahara Elementary School a block from the school, where their parents picked them up.
Parents concerned that their children may have been exposed were advised to submit a urine sample at Stoughton Hospital Saturday morning, so that it could be checked by the state hygiene laboratory for the presence of mercury.
None of the students showed symptoms of poisoning at the time they were checked, said Mary Powers, the nurse and supervisor for the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Poison Control Center, which worked with local emergency staff called to the school.
The mercury apparently spilled this morning in a science lab. About 70 students are being held in the school. So far, none have shown any health problems.
Parents were alerted around 3 p.m. and told to bring clothes to the school because the students can not leave with their clothing because it could be contaminated they said.
Sign Up For Breaking News
School officials said the spill happened sometime between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., prompting the decision to have students who had class in the room to undergo decontamination as a precaution.
Mercury is poisonous to humans and can affect nerve and brain function, including memory loss and hearing problems. Exposure to pregnant women can cause birth deformities. ( Read More About Health Effects )
The decontamination process started at 6:30 p.m. to minimize any possible spread of the mercury. It involved bagging the students' clothing and having the students shower.
The students then were provided with clean jumpsuits and taken to Yahara Elementary School a block from the school, where their parents picked them up.
Parents concerned that their children may have been exposed were advised to submit a urine sample at Stoughton Hospital Saturday morning, so that it could be checked by the state hygiene laboratory for the presence of mercury.
None of the students showed symptoms of poisoning at the time they were checked, said Mary Powers, the nurse and supervisor for the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Poison Control Center, which worked with local emergency staff called to the school.
The mercury apparently spilled this morning in a science lab. About 70 students are being held in the school. So far, none have shown any health problems.
Parents were alerted around 3 p.m. and told to bring clothes to the school because the students can not leave with their clothing because it could be contaminated they said.
Sign Up For Breaking News
Copyright 2004 by Channel 3000. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
