Mercury thermometer will bid farewell to the Chinese market in 2026

Recently, the thermometer has also become a major e-commerce platform of the smart goods, different from the price of tens of hundreds of dollars of electronic thermometer, the price of only a few dollars of mercury thermometer, because the temperature measurement is accurate, and low prices are more popular with consumers.

However, because the mercury thermometer contains mercury as a metal, the mercury thermometer will also bid farewell to the Chinese market in 2026.

"Cheap and easy to use" why ban production?

The Minamata Convention on Mercury clearly states:

"As of January 1, 2026, the production of thermometers and sphygmomanometers containing mercury will be prohibited."

Mercury thermometers measure body temperature based on the thermal expansion and contraction properties of mercury (mercury), even if the temperature changes only slightly, the volume of mercury will also change with the measurement accuracy is higher and the mercury thermometer is more affordable.

But mercury thermometers also have drawbacks. One is the inconvenience of use. Before each use, shake the thermometer to restore the mercury to its original position. The second is fragile. Mercury is a toxic volatile heavy metal. If it is not cleaned up promptly and correctly after discharge, it will harm health and environment. Third, mercury thermometers read in small print. It is inconvenient for the elderly to read.

How harmful is mercury?

Mercury, also known as mercury, is a naturally occurring element. It can be volatilized at room temperature and is one of the top ten chemicals or groups of chemicals of major public health concern. Mercury is neurotoxic, and inhalation of mercury vapor can cause damage to the nervous, digestive and immune systems, as well as the lungs and kidneys, and can cause long-term damage to the heart. Inorganic salts of mercury corrode the skin, eyes and gastrointestinal tract.

If ingested can cause kidney poisoning, a mercury thermometer smashed a 15 square meter room of mercury concentration will soon be nearly a hundred times higher, even ventilation takes a month to recover, one gram of mercury after transmission, may make a 100,000 square meters of lake, all the wild fish pollution to unsafe standards, "mercury poisoning" is no fun!