Mercury Help Needed Options

[swizz]

I collected three sluice samples this weekend and one of the concentrates contains a LOT of liquid Mercury. I noticed a good sized ball in my #20 mesh, and much more in my #30.
Needless to say... I stopped processing at that point and quarantined this bag of concentrate. I realize that the Mercury is probably holding all of the Gold from that sample and don't care to recover it.
Not sure whether I hit a naturally occurring deposit or if it was residual from something else. This was in the lower reaches of Kaufman Creek, so miners beware.
Thankfully my other two samples were taken elsewhere and have no Mercury. All samples were taken from pristine NF lands which were never commercially mined.
Question: Now that I have removed it from the environment I would like to dispose of this properly, what is the safest and best method?
Thanks.

[Coalbunny]

First, put it in something better than a bag.
Second, water is not needed if the bag/container is sealed. Hg does evaporate, but the rate of evaporation/vaporization decreases with cold temps.
Third, if I find any I'm keeping it.

So put it in a bag, push the air out, seal it, and put it in the freezer. It may not solidify, but the vapor potential is miniscule compared to when it's at room temps. You can also put it in a second bag, just in case.

The problem is in using it. Open sores, cuts, scrapes, stuff like that, increases your absorption. If you use golves and use it in a proper setting, it's relatively safe and can be recycled. Just because the government says it's poisonous should not scare you. Just use precautions.

A can of RAID is more toxic than Hg is. Yet you can buy it over the counter. Attacking Hg is only reducing the methods available to recover fine gold in an economic fashion.