So, a few months ago I decided to go outside and smash all my old phones into a million pieces just for fun and since they didn’t work. I put them in a bag in my closet because I don’t have an easy way to dispose them correctly. Well, my 9 year old brother tells me that he thinks it’s killing me because of “liquid mercury” and stuff in the screens. Just asking here if that’s actually the case.

The devices are a Samsung Galaxy J3, a Samsung Galaxy A5, a Samsung Galaxy S6, and an iPod Classic.

Thanks in advance!

  • Quasarbeing@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    I don’t recall any mercury being in such phones.

    Hope you removed the batteries before smashing.

  • ImPattMan@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    I mean, there likely is some mercury in that bag, small amounts are present in a couple different components.

    Is it going to hurt you through the bag? No, I don’t believe that’s likely. If you started licking stuff within that bag? Yeah, don’t do that.

    You can Google “Electronics recycling {insert city here}” and you’ll be able to find where to safely dispose of the phones. Which is just generally a good idea.

  • AlexanderScott66@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    First of all, there’s no mercury in phones. That 9 yo is kinda stupid for thinking that out of all things.

    Second of all, it’s not that hard to find a recycling center that will take them. There’s really no need to smash them “for fun” because cleaning up the mess won’t be worth it

    • croholdr@alien.topBEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      Yea I’m sure that 9 year old and his brother who likes to ‘smash old stuff for fun then put it in a bag’ goes around taking things to places like an electronics disposal service all the time!

      Personally, as a middle aged man, I have never taken anything to a electronics recycler, I once had a collection of old phones but they were stolen out of storage. I’m curious to hear about others experiences disposing of old electronics…

    • Gh3rkinz@alien.topBEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      I mean. He’s 9. Real possibility they believe in Santa. Saying they’re stupid is a bit harsh.

      • AlexanderScott66@alien.topBEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        Mercury hasn’t been used in really anything since thermometers. When I was 9, a lot of thermometers around still used Mercury, and even I knew that phones didn’t use Mercury. Mercury altogether was outlawed for most purposes in 2008. The kid certainly wasn’t born during a time when it was in anything

        • Gh3rkinz@alien.topBEnglish
          1·
          1 year ago

          Nice, dude. When I was 9, I was shocked to learn the teenage mutant ninja turtles were in fact, mutated turtles.

          Don’t take a childs intelligence seriously. There aren’t many demographics that are more gullible and prone to misunderstandings than 9 year olds. The next would be an 8 year old.

          • AlexanderScott66@alien.topBEnglish
            1·
            1 year ago

            If you want to get political, I can think of a pretty big demographic that’s the most gullible. Hint: their favorite day is January 6th

    • dsolo01@alien.topBEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      No kidding. By 9 years old your silly childish imagination should already be smashed to pieces just like your siblings phones 🙄

  • mendeleev__@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Just asking here if that’s actually the case.

    I wouldn’t believe a 9 year old when talking about biocumulative heavy metals. Just sayin.

    No, its not dangerous or hazardous for you indirectly that way. The worst could happen is the battery going bad and becoming one of them r/spicypillows but not much else. You probably removed it before smashing them.

    Just give 'em to your nearest recycling facility. At worst it will occupy space on your closet and start rusting

  • croholdr@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    You’re not supposed to throw away that kind of electronic. Pretty much everything electronic (and a lit of other things like plastics and metals) you buy will have little icons of how it can be disposed of. These icons are little depections of what is covered in an items MDS (material data safety sheet)

    Over time it may be possible that things could become harmful if you smashed something electronic with pcb’s and soder into tiny particles then huffed it like paint; yea you could scar your lungs if you did that every day for a couple years. So he’s not totally wrong.

    The battery is the most dangerous and can catch fire/ explode. You may not die but you can burn yourself pretty bad and the fire will need to be estinguished properly or you can make it grow bigger.