Environmental health hot topics. Mercury, 101.

October 3, 2003, The Washington Post--Students steal a 250-milliliter container of mercury from a science lab and spread it around the school and grounds. As of October 28, 2003, the school has been shut down and decontaminated, five people showed some type of mercury exposure, more than 100 homes were tested and found contaminated, families were told to leave with the clothes on their backs, city buses were cleaned due to mercury contamination, 1,300 students were displaced and in temporary classrooms, and the cleanup and investigation costs are in the millions and still climbing. As the community nurse, would you know the health risks and could you assist students, parents, and educators? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Pediatric Nursing is the property of Jannetti Publications, Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)