Methods provide an alert to the release of mercury. A sealed container containing an odor-producing agent is provided proximate to a sealed breakable enclosure containing mercury, the container and/or the breakable enclosure physically separating the agent from the mercury. In response to a breaking of the breakable enclosure, the agent produces an odor as a function of the breaking, the odor providing an alert to a release of the mercury. Service methods are also provided, for example wherein a service provider provides the sealed breakable enclosure containing mercury and deploys the odor-producing agent. Articles of manufacture, systems, articles and programmable devices are also provided.