School officials discovered eight to 12 fluid ounces of elemental mercury was missing from a classroom after school on Friday. The investigation revealed that a student took the mercury and shared it with other students.
Half of the mercury was later recovered from the home of one of the students.
Officials decided to close the school and conduct air-sampling tests to determine if hazardous levels of mercury vapor were present in the building. Exposure to mercury vapor can irritate lungs and airways causing difficult breathing, burning sensation in the lungs, chills, fevers, headache, and cough.
South Granville High is the only school closed on Tuesday. All other schools in the Granville County system will be open.
Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
