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Children discovered playing with mercury for months at Yakima home

Published  April 8, 2015 12:26pm PDT
Associated Press

YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) — Federal officials say they have finished cleaning up a Yakima home where children were discovered playing with mercury, which is highly toxic.

The Yakima Herald-Republic reports a concerned citizen reported the mercury in March. The Environmental Protection Agency says a tenant confirmed the children had been playing with the toxic substance for two months. The tenant said the mercury had also been swept from the driveway.

EPA workers, in cooperation with the state Department of Ecology and the Yakima Health District, recovered about 4 fluid ounces of mercury from the home.

The EPA reports air monitoring indicated the mercury levels were up to 50 times higher than is considered safe.

Children may suffer learning disabilities and damage to the nervous system when exposed to mercury. Adults may suffer cardiovascular and central nervous system problems.

Officials say everyone exposed at the home has been medically evaluated.

The source of the mercury was unknown.