MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2014 Feb 14;63(6):131.
On September 16, 2013, the North Carolina Division of Public Health was notified of an elemental (metallic and liquid) mercury spill on a school bus. An elementary student boarded the bus with approximately 1 pound (454 g) of elemental mercury contained in a film canister, which the student had taken from an adult relative who had found it in a neighbor's shed. The canister was handled by several students before the contents spilled on the bus floor. Ten passengers aboard the bus were exposed, including eight students and two staff members. Although elemental mercury is not readily absorbed from skin contact or ingestion, it does vaporize at room temperatures and inhalation of the vapor can be harmful. The bus driver promptly notified school officials. Firefighters and a local hazardous materials team directed decontamination procedures (i.e., changing clothes and washing hands and shoes) for the 10 exposed passengers. The bus was immediately taken out of service and sent for disposal because of its age and the cost of decontamination.
2013 年 9 月 16 日，北卡罗来纳州公共卫生部接到通知，称一辆校车上发生了元素汞（金属和液态汞）泄漏事件。一名小学生从一位成年亲属那里拿到一个装着约 1 磅（454 克）元素汞的电影胶片罐，随后将其带上了校车，而这位亲属是在邻居的棚屋里发现它的。在汞罐内的物质洒落在校车地板上之前，已有几名学生接触过它。车上共有 10 名乘客暴露在汞蒸气中，其中包括 8 名学生和 2 名工作人员。尽管元素汞从皮肤接触或摄入不易被吸收，但它在室温下会蒸发，吸入汞蒸气可能会造成伤害。校车司机迅速将此事告知了校方。消防队员和当地危险物质处理小组指导 10 名暴露在汞蒸气中的乘客进行了去污程序（即更换衣物，洗手和清洗鞋子）。由于该车年代久远，且去污费用较高，这辆校车被立即停驶并送去报废。
