Mercury found in day care center

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This is not good. I wonder if any of the children had symptoms which is how EPA got involved? http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060803/NEWS01/60803032/1004/LIVING MERCURY FACTS Elemental mercury, the kind found at Kiddie Kollege, appears as a heavy, bright silver liquid that can give off mercury vapor in the air at room temperature. It can flow into cracks and spread throughout an area without being visible. Inhalation of mercury vapors is the most likely way that children and staff at Kiddie College may have been exposed. Because mercury vapor is heavier than air, it will accumulate in the air near the floor, in a child's breathing zone. Long-term exposure to mercury vapor can damage the nervous system. Among the symptoms to look for are psychological changes, insomnia, loss of appetite with weight loss, headaches, short-term memory loss and tremors.

Acrodynia, a rare condition with symptoms that include severe leg cramps, painful pink fingers and peeling skin on the hands and feet, occurs only in children. Urine testing can help can help identify levels of mercury exposure. Source: N.J. Department of Health and Senior Services NEWS UPDATE e-mail newsletter Mercury found in day care center FRANKLIN - A day care center has voluntarily shut down after the state Department of Environmental Protection determined its building had unsafe levels of mercury. Kiddie Kollege, on Delsea Drive, was operating on the site of a former industrial property contaminated with mercury, according to the state Office of the Attorney General, which is investigating. The single-story Kiddie Kollege was formerly the site of Accutherm, a manufacturer of thermometers and related instruments. Accutherm ceased operations more than a decade ago. The site was subsequently obtained via lease by Kiddie Kollege, which, after renovating the property with paving and cosmetic improvements, opened as a day care in January 2004. The day care, which ceased operations July 28, had been serving children ages 8 months to 13 years old. The state Department of Environmental Protection took air and surface samples throughout the building. A naturally occurring element, mercury is toxic to humans when inhaled or ingested. "Through daily exposure to excessive levels of a known contaminant, children and their care-givers potentially have been put in harm's way and that is unconscionable," Attorney General Zulima V. Farber said

in a news statement. Published: August 03. 2006 5:54PM

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