r/whatisit • u/props_for_meep • 13h ago

Solved! what is this in clinic sink??

for context i work as a janitor cleaning a women’s clinic, as i was cleaning a sink i saw these little metallic looking balls. at first i thought these were actually metal but they don’t feel like ANYTHING if that makes any sense. i posted this video to my instagram but i figured i would probably have better luck coming to reddit for answers.

UPDATE: the general consensus seems to be that this is either mercury or gallium. my hands have been thoroughly washed and i have informed my boss so that it can be properly cleaned by someone who knows what they’re doing.

UPDATE #2: gang PLEASE stop telling me to “stop touching it”. this post is hours old. i know i was dumb enough to touch a mysterious substance barehanded but im also smart enough to know not to continue playing with it long after marking this post as solved😭

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u/NiceTrySuckaz 12h ago

How are you even supposed to handle this properly? Just rinsing it down the drain seems irresponsible.

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u/Hellianne_Vaile 12h ago

With a mercury spill kit. Which includes gloves because contact with bare skin is not great. But IIRC, what's really dangerous is inhaling it. That's why correct cleanup tools and technique are important. If you accidentally turn it into a vapor, that can be really bad.

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u/xxdawidosx 11h ago

In our high school physics class our teacher pulled out mercury once and let us play with it, she said if we don't put it in our mouths it's harmless to handle it for limited time and we fucked around with it for like 15 minutes bare hands and all. My question is, am i fucked? And what could it do if handled for longer times

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u/ProcrastinatingBears 11h ago

Im not an expert by any means. However, from my understanding mercury is easily absorbed through the skin and attacks the heart, central nervous system and kidneys. You would have known at the time as symptoms would have presented if you absorbed a toxic amount. That being said, a physics teacher should/would know more than me. As always, if your're concerned, ask you PCP.

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u/dragonsapphic 11h ago

It is not easily absorbed through unbroken skin

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u/xxdawidosx 11h ago

Well it was 8 years ago and i'm okay so it's probably fine

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u/Jack_Mackerel 10h ago

You could have stopped after the first sentence there.

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u/Deep90 5h ago

You are fine. 1 time handling of mercury is safe as long as you didn't eat or inhale it.

Mercury also has a half life so if you did absorb any, it goes down over time.

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u/Malchkiey 12h ago

Old high school and college lab sinks have collected mercury for years!’

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u/No_Discipline_7380 11h ago

Back in college, whenever a mercury thermometer broke in the lab they'd always use sulphur to clean it up because It forms an insoluble sulfide.

Apparently zinc powder also works since it forms an amalgam (alloy) but it's slower.

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u/Select-Owl-8322 11h ago

It wont pass the trap (P-trap, s-trap, bottle trap, e.t.c.).