Boys' Mercury Exposure in California Followed by Elementary School Evacuation

By Mary Mitchell

Published on April 09, 2007

The boys apparently climbed through an open space in a fence around the welding shop in Romoland, which is about halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego in the region known as the Inland Empire. The boys took the vials of mercury home and played with the mercury that night. When the teacher at Harvest Valley Elementary School saw the mercury and notified school officials, they contacted 911 and poison control phone centers and the Riverside County public health department. Other students reported seeing the boys playing with the mercury at the school, and Riverside County's hazardous materials team was then called in. The county asked the Environmental Protection Agency for assistance. At the EPA's suggestion, the school's more than 950 students were sent home.

Mercury ingestion and inhalation can cause serious health problems. The boys and six other students underwent a decontamination procedure and were evaluated at a hospital for signs of mercury poisoning, which include headache, muscle weakness, tremors, a sensation of chest tightness, and shortness of breath. All were released with no treatment necessary. An official with Riverside County's public health department noted that the amount of mercury at issue was small and the risk of exposure was very low. Nevertheless, the EPA sent a team to check and clean the entire school for mercury. No charges have been filed.

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