HOUSTON — The Houston Health Department continues to uncover more details surrounding Sunday's mercury spill in west Houston.
In a press release emailed Monday, the department said not only has more mercury been found in areas not originally reported, but the spill could have happened as early as Friday.
The chemical was previously found outside a Walmart, a Sonic and a Shell station across from Sonic near the intersection of Beltway 8 and Westview Drive on Sunday.
Now officials are saying the chemical has been detected inside of the Walmart near the restrooms and the McDonald's inside the Walmart. Officials say the concentration in the McDonald’s is higher than the other areas of Walmart.
A possible contamination is also being investigated at a convenience store named Bucky’s (not Buc-ee’s) located at 1212 West Sam Houston Parkway.
The Houston Health Department encourages people who visited the Walmart, Sonic, Shell or Bucky's on December 13, 14 or 15 to monitor for symptoms over the next few days and go to their family doctor if necessary. Pregnant women who visited these locations should be especially mindful as a fetus is more sensitive to mercury than an adult.
Symptoms of acute mercury exposure can include headaches, eye and throat irritation, coughing and nausea.
“Even with mercury detected inside the Walmart, the threat to the general public remains minimal,” said Dr. David Persse, local health authority for the Houston Health Department. “With mercury, the biggest concern is long-term exposure, which is not the case in this situation."
People who were at the locations and are concerned about their shoes can place them outdoors to help potential mercury evaporate, wash the shoes twice in a washing machine or simply throw them away.
Christopher Lee Melder, 19, has been arrested and charged in connection to Sunday's mercury spill. He has been charged with burglary and unlawful disposal of a hazardous material.
He's also in custody on an outstanding felony drug possession warrant, according to the FBI's field office in Houston.
There was a mercury spill at CHI St. Luke’s Health-Springwood Village on Saturday.
The hospital said a patient walked into the Emergency Department seeking treatment for a lacerated finger. While being treated by a nurse, approximately five ounces of a liquid substance, later determined to be mercury, fell out of the patient's pocket and backpack, the hospital said.
The Houston Health Department said it is unclear if this incident is related to Sunday's mercury spills but an investigation is ongoing.
The hospital said there are no known injuries associated with the mercury spill. The only two patients who were in-house at the time of the incident were transferred to CHI St. Luke’s Health – The Woodlands Hospital as a precaution.
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