On January 1, 2021, the UDEQ requested EPA assistance with a mercury release in Teasdale, Utah. A local resident in a single-family residence was using a deep fryer and checked the oil temperature with a mercury thermometer. Unbeknownst to the resident the thermometer ruptured into the oil. The residents noticed the broken thermometer after cooking and consuming the food. The residents called the Utah poison control center and UDEQ for assistance. The residents were instructed to isolate and contain the cooking oil with the mercury and any other items that contacted the oil. The residents bagged and placed the oil and items in a container outside.
