Mercury Thermometer Replacements in Chemistry Laboratories

Highlights from The Science Teacher: December 2009 to Summer 2010

“…A primary reason for using digital thermometers is to eliminate any mercury thermometers still in classroom use. Readers can learn about possible replacements for mercury thermometers in a JCE article by Barbara Foster . This Journal is a bonanza if readers want to build their own lab equipment.…”

ZnO–SrAl2O4:Eu Nanocomposite-Based Optical Sensors for Luminescence Thermometry

“…The mentioned rise in temperature happens inside the tissue and as a result, in vivo measurement is a key aspect of the desired thermometer. Such a phenomenon eliminates the employment of some of the most conventional heat sensors such as glass, semiconductors, and infrared thermometers due to reasons such as toxicity, fragileness, − electromagnetic interferences, and low precision and accuracy. Furthermore, the mentioned devices cannot perform in vivo measurements and lack the adequate miniaturization capability required for medical applications.…”

A Simple, Inexpensive, Mercury-Free Bubbler Apparatus

“…Closer to our own institution, the state of Minnesota has been at the forefront of state-based regulation of mercury via its own ongoing reduction plan, the Mercury Total Maximum Daily Load, initiated in 2007 . In the laboratory setting, replacement of mercury thermometers was the primary target given their ubiquity and heavy use. − Mercury-based bubblers for Schlenk lines are a common laboratory application of mercury that has lingered as no easily implemented, universal, and comparable replacement has arisen. Our developed apparatus seeks to eliminate the need for mercury for this purpose while providing an equal, if not superior, replacement for the mercury bubbler design itself.…”