[DBrow]

Mercury is still used in lots of primers.

A fugitive emission is one that is spread out or distributed; does not come from one definite place. The opposite is a "point source" emission like a vent or smokestack.

If you pop a primer outdoors, the mercury drifts away in the breeze.

[neverdem]

Mercury is still used in lots of primers.

Thanks for reminding me. Are there any primers that don't use fulminate of mercury, and do you know it's actual chemical composition, i.e. what is the fulminate?