Views: 8 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2020-10-27 Origin: Site
The Food and Drug Administration will completely ban mercury thermometers, the best choice for adult body temperature measurement with infrared thermal imaging cameras
Because of its simple structure, convenient operation and low price, mercury clinical thermometers have been welcomed by countless families and become essential medical equipment for families. The mercury-containing sphygmomanometer, which also uses mercury as the main structure, is also a "frequent visitor" in home life. However, by 2026, these mercury-containing medical devices will no longer be produced. Recently, the State Food and Drug Administration issued the "Notice of the Comprehensive Department of the State Food and Drug Administration on Matters Concerning the Implementation of the "Minamata Convention on Mercury". From January 1, 2026, my country will completely ban the production of mercury-containing thermometers and mercury-containing sphygmomanometers product.
Why is "cheap and easy to use" banned production? Mercury thermometers are widely used in my country's medical field and ordinary families because of their small size and accurate measurement. They can be easily purchased from a few yuan to a dozen yuan in some pharmacies. Why should the production of such "cheap and easy to use" mercury thermometers be banned?
It is reported that a mercury thermometer contains about 1 gram of mercury. After being smashed, all the leaked mercury evaporates, making the air mercury concentration in a 15 square meter large and 3 m high room reach 22.2 mg/m3. It is generally believed that people will quickly cause poisoning in an environment with a mercury concentration of 1.2 mg to 8.5 mg/m3, which shows the "magic power" of mercury thermometers.
Figure 1. Mercury thermometer.
In addition to harm to the human body, the production, use, and discharge of mercury and its compounds can cause environmental pollution, and in severe cases, cause neurological, immune, and reproductive disorders in humans and mammals, and have a greater impact on fetuses and pregnant women. Mercury (also known as mercury) is a naturally occurring element that can be volatilized at room temperature. It is one of the top ten chemicals or chemical categories of major public health concerns. Mercury is neurotoxic. Inhalation of mercury vapor can cause damage to the nerves, digestive and immune systems, as well as the lungs and kidneys, and can cause long-term damage to the heart. The inorganic salt of mercury corrodes the skin, eyes and gastrointestinal tract, and if ingested, it can cause kidney poisoning.
Without mercury-containing thermometers and sphygmomanometers, what should we use to measure body temperature and blood pressure? There are currently three types of clinical thermometers on the market: mercury clinical thermometers, electronic clinical thermometers and infrared thermal imaging thermometers. Electronic and mercury clinical thermometers are mainly used in daily life, and infrared thermal imaging is suitable for group use.
Figure 2. Thermal imaging camera.
The core of the infrared thermal imaging system generally uses imported high-end detectors to make the human body temperature measurement more accurate and have a closer temperature consistency. Moreover, it can perform non-contact, real-time, and continuous accurate human body temperature measurement to further prevent cross-infection caused by personnel detention. At the same time, it supports face recognition when wearing a mask, and detection can be performed without removing the mask, and it can also prevent false alarms. The system integrates visible light and infrared thermal imaging functions to make the imaging clearer. The alarm information can be automatically saved to facilitate historical tracing. Infrared thermal imaging is the best choice for adult body temperature measurement.
