Figure 3.

A) When mercury is pulverized in mills, it can form tiny beads that bind to soil. A simulated sample of mercury flour (top right) is shown in which the mercury does not coalesce and it is not visible to the naked eye. The soil containing the floured mercury appears very similar in appearance to mercury‐free soil (top left). B) The floured mercury is observable in the SEM image as microbeads bound to soil. C) A polymer made from sulfur and recycled cooking oil is effective at removing floured mercury from the soil sample. The procedure requires mixing the polymer and soil directly. The polymer changes colour to black as metacinnabar is formed. The polymer‐bound mercury can be isolated by sieving. Neither the polymer nor the polymer bound to mercury are toxic to cells. Images were adapted under a Creative Commons (CC) license.45