Re: Fw: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Re: Blowing ballast (was: question about general design?)

[Lew Clayman <lew_clayman@yahoo.com>]

--- Carsten Standfuß <MerlinSub@t-online.de> wrote:
> Mercury in old scuba bottles is nice choise. 
> My suba bottle (10 Liters) filled with mercury will be 
> two times my own weight.. Mercury has a 1,2 point greater 
> density than lead or 1.7 to steel. But is really expensive.. 
> Two old scuba air bottles, one in the bow and one in the stern
> a pipe and a pump - ready is a very compact trimming system. 
> And in emergency as last hope you can drop the mercury by only 
> opening a valve. 

Be careful, mercury is VERY toxic - to humans.  An emergency is an emergency, do what you need to
do of course.  But in general use, try to never touch mercury or breath fumes.

A small amount will probably do no great harm, but continued low-level exposure is very dangerous.
 

Carsten, you might not be familiar with the Alice in Wonderland books (mid-19th Century English) -
the expression "Mad as a hatter" and the character of the Mad Hatter are based on the use of
liquid mercury in the top-hat trade at that time (not understood at the time).  Daily use of
mercury causes neural problems - unpredictable what part of the brain will be affected.  Can cause
loss of muscle control, emotional problems, blindness, almost anything.  Bad stuff!

-L

=====
"Yo no soy marinero / Soy capitan"
          - Traditional Mexican Lyric (La Bamba)
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