What to do with Mercury ?

**BGL** · 23-03-2012, 16:50

Back in the bad 'ol days mercury was supposedly the best thing to remove lead deposits from the barrel. Im not sure if it was the best but thats what I used to use.
Trouble is Ive still got a bottle of it - about 500g
What can I do with it ? Does it still have any uses ?
More importantly how do I get rid of it ? Its highly toxic and a known carcinogen. None of the waste disposal companies will touch it. Even a freind whos a hazardous materials expert doesn't know what I should do with it.
Any ideas ?

**KK20** · 23-03-2012, 17:03

make your own recoil damper in a sealed tube and put into the stock of one of your rifles.

**MAB** · 23-03-2012, 17:07

Maybe these guys can help you.
http://www.reclite.co.za/services.html

Otherwise make a whole bunch of thermometer

**Antlion** · 23-03-2012, 17:11

Donate it to a high school. A physics teacher should have a use for it. We used some back then,can't remember what for though.

**Freakazoid** · 23-03-2012, 17:46

Well I heard a story that people used to fill their Hollow Points with Mercury and sealed it off with wax, thus should you even shoot a BG and only wound him, he will die of Mercury Poisoning one day.

But, don't do that. If you really need help, PM me I might know a University that would take it off your hands.

**ikor** · 23-03-2012, 22:31

Let your conscience be your guide.

*Me, I'd seal it as well as possible and bury it...deep...in as remote a location as posible and tell no one. Pretty sure that 500g of mercury won't bring the world to a halt any time this century, as I hate to think about all the old thermometers we used to deliberately break and play with the mercury in, decades back.

* This likely violates some sort of government regulation or such...

**wombat57** · 24-03-2012, 04:35

If you know one who is a amateur prospector.They might have a use for it.I know some here still use mercury for extracting gold.

**burger** · 24-03-2012, 05:06

Whatever you do, make sure you don't expose yourself too much: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_as_a_hatter

**sl@de** · 24-03-2012, 07:05

Originally Posted by Freakazoid

Well I heard a story that people used to fill their Hollow Points with Mercury and sealed it off with wax, thus should you even shoot a BG and only wound him, he will die of Mercury Poisoning one day.

I was thinking the exact same thing when I read that heading! lol

**UltraMange** · 25-03-2012, 19:45

Haha, I hade the same problem in Johannesburg a few yeas back. May father in law had a large jar of mercury. When he died I had to empty the house. Being a well trained socialist European I called the counsil expecting a well developed system for handling hasardous waste. I was highly suprised when I was given the directions to a land fill. I protested and said that this was probably nothing that I should dump there. My protest where however in vain. I must say that some people have been given their jobs for other reasons than competence.