Calif. school reopens after mercury spill

CALEXICO, Calif., Feb. 5 (UPI) -- Classes resumed Thursday at a California high school that had been closed due to a mercury spill, the Environmental Protection Agency announced.

The EPA said the mercury apparently came from a blood-pressure cuff that broke last week at Calexico High School in Calexico, Calif., and wasn't reported until last Friday.

An emergency crew checked out the school, located near the Mexican border in rural Imperial County, and found elevated mercury vapor levels in a dozen rooms as well as other areas of the campus. School officials decided to cancel classes Wednesday.

The EPA said in a written statement it was fencing off the contaminated area and dusting it with sulfur powder to stabilize the mercury molecules. Air monitors will be used to detect any additional spread during the three to five days it will take to complete the cleanup.

Mercury vapors can cause a variety of health problems and affect the brain, heart and immune system, the EPA said.