4 children exposed to mercury in northern Iowa - KTTC Rochester, Austin, Mason City News, Weather and Sports

ARMSTRONG, Iowa (AP) -- Authorities are keeping a watchful eye on four children who have been exposed to liquid mercury in the north-central Iowa town of Armstrong.

Emmet County emergency management coordinator Terry Reekers says one of the children stuck his fingers into the mercury and put the fingers in his mouth on Saturday evening.

An estimated 25 pounds of mercury was found in the sandbox. The current property owners say the previous owners had the mercury in the house.

Someone took the mercury to a business in Armstrong, but the container holding it was dropped, exposing more people.

A special cleanup will have to be done around sandbox and the business.

The Environmental Protection Agency says high levels of exposure can lead to kidney damage, respiratory failure and death.