While repairing flood damage in the Temple High School gymnasium, the Carroll County school system sent out some of the tile and rubber flooring being removed for testing, expecting to find asbestos. They were surprised when the test results came back saying the rubber flooring was contaminated with mercury, a highly toxic pollutant.

The Temple High School gymnasium has been closed since Oct. 17 and will remain closed for a while longer as the system removes the mercury.

The mercury was used as a bonding agent in the 1960s when the rubber flooring was installed. It was hidden under the wooden gym floor which was installed in the 1980s. However, when the flood waters invaded the gym and damaged the wood flooring, the removal of the rubber flooring underneath released the mercury into the air.

“It’s not a liquid mercury,” said Jack Gresham, co-owner of Facilities Management Solutions. “This is a vapor mercury that came from the polyurethane rubber athletic floor. It came from that when it was removed.”

The vapor then settled on surfaces like the floor and wall, up probably 10 feet high, Gresham said. Gresham has worked with the school system since last spring with its asbestos removal program and is helping to organize the mercury removal project. It’s a new issue for the company and there is no set protocol with the EPA. There is academic information out there, but no real world protocol, he said.

“We’re developing this protocol along with the EPA on exactly how we’re going to do this,” Gresham said.

The removal is pretty simple, but hazardous. It requires applying the compound HgX to all surfaces. The compound merges with the mercury and it becomes a waste product which can then be safely washed away.

“We know the product we’re using works. That’s, I’ll say, a given. It’s tested and proven that it takes care of the problem,” he said.

All the workers have had hazardous material training and know how to safely handle the mercury.

The school system notified the EPA about three weeks ago and the company is working with them to create an action plan detailing the way the mercury is going to be removed and the precautions the company is going to take. The EPA has committed to helping monitor air quality and helping the system through the removal process. First the school system has to figure out the extent of the problem.

Right now, the company is still in the testing phase. Once the removal begins, Gresham estimates it will take about two weeks to complete. The company will be working at the school this week while students enjoy their Thanksgiving break.

“Mercury is a hazardous material and it is very dangerous,” Gresham said. “The only thing is for people to understand, if it is handled properly, it’s not a problem.”

Mercury is a naturally occurring metal that is liquid at room temperature and vaporizes into the air. Very small amounts can vaporize and create hazardous concentrations in the air.

The EPA’s Web site for its video aimed at middle school children, “Don’t Mess With Mercury,” says a teaspoon of mercury not cleaned up properly can contaminate a house so that it is no longer inhabitable.

According to a Department of Human Resources mercury fact sheet, most people are exposed to low levels of mercury throughout their lives, generally from the seafood they eat. That mercury is just excreted out of the system. But repeated exposure to mercury can lead to mercury poisoning which affects the liver, kidneys and central nervous system. Infants, young children and the unborn are most susceptible.

The students at Temple were not exposed to the mercury vapor, said David Goldberg, executive director of facilities for the school system. The mercury was released when the rubber flooring was ripped up and no students were using the gym at that time or have used it since. The gym will remain closed until testing determines the mercury has been removed and the building is safe for the students.

“Our main objective is to protect the students,” Gresham said.

The EPA video can be downloaded at www.dontmesswithmercury.org.