Phase Out
As of 2012 many mercury-in-glass thermometers are used in meteorology; however, they were becoming increasingly rare for other uses, as many countries banned them for medical use due to the toxicity of mercury. Some manufacturers use galinstan, a liquid alloy of gallium, indium, and tin, as a replacement for mercury.
The typical "fever thermometer" contains between 0.5 to 3 g (.3 to 1.7 dr) of elemental mercury. Swallowing this amount of mercury would, it is said, pose little danger but the inhaling of the vapour could lead to health problems.
Read more about this topic: Mercury-in-glass Thermometer
Famous quotes containing the word phase:
“The Indians feel that each stage is crucial and that the child should be allowed to dwell in each for the appropriate period of time so that every aspect of his being can evolve, just as a plant evolves in the proper time and sequence of the seasons. Otherwise, the child never has a chance to master himself in any one phase of his life.”
—Alan Quetone (20th century)
“It no longer makes sense to speak of “feeding problems” or “sleep problems” or “negative behavior” is if they were distinct categories, but to speak of “problems of development” and to search for the meaning of feeding and sleep disturbances or behavior disorders in the developmental phase which has produced them.”
—Selma H. Fraiberg (20th century)