Mercury poisoning is rare in the United States but can be more common in other countries, especially among mining communities or near seaside towns where food could become contaminated with mercury. The most severe cases of mercury poisoning affect children and fetuses of pregnant people and people who breastfeed (chestfeed) and consume large amounts of fish with high mercury content.
Mercury poisoning can affect anyone who comes into contact with or consumes mercury. Organic mercury: You’ll find organic mercury in coal fumes, fish that ate methylmercury (a form of organic mercury) and older antiseptics (germ killers like red mercurochrome).Inorganic mercury: You’ll find inorganic mercury in batteries, certain types of disinfectants and in chemistry labs.Elemental mercury (liquid mercury, quicksilver): You’ll find elemental mercury in glass thermometers, electrical switches, fluorescent lightbulbs and dental fillings.There are three different types of mercury that are harmful to the human body including: Mercury poisoning occurs when you expose yourself to too much mercury and your body reacts negatively to the compound. Mercury is toxic and harmful to the human body. For this reason, you’ll find mercury in thermometers, street lights and fluorescent lightbulbs. This means that the compound allows electricity and heat to flow through it. Mercury has several uses because it’s a conductor. Mercury is unique because it’s classified as a metal and comes in both liquid and solid forms depending on the temperature. It has a shiny silver appearance, which gives it the nickname “liquid silver.” Mercury is an element on the periodic table with the symbol Hg and the atomic number 80.
#MERCURY POISONING HOW TO#
Mercury Spills Fact Sheet (83KB pdf) How to prevent and avoid exposure from mercury spills.Mercury is a compound found in rocks in the Earth’s crust. Florida DOH has developed this fact sheet to aid healthcare providers. Mercury Exposure from Skin-Lightening Products - Fact Sheet for Healthcare Providers (31KB pdf) Mercury poisoning has been identified with the use of some internationally obtained skin-lightening products. Laboratory Tests: Blood, urine and hair can be tested for mercury.įor more information visit the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) websites for Mercury ATSDR-Mercury These symptoms might include paresthesias, headaches, ataxia, dysarthria (motor speech disorder), visual field constriction, blindness, and hearing impairment. Delayed toxicity symptoms (> 1 month) are typical of organic mercury poisoning and usually involve the central nervous system. For inorganic mercury, symptoms might include profuse vomiting and diarrhea that is often bloody, followed by hypovolemic shock, oliguric (decreased urine production) renal failure, and possibly death. For elemental mercury, acute toxicity might result in fever, fatigue, and clinical signs of pneumonitis. Health Effects: The signs and symptoms of acute exposure to mercury may vary depending on the form of mercury (elemental or inorganic). Reporting: For reporting mercury exposure, follow guidelines on Surveillance and Investigation Guidance website It is also used in the paint industry, neon signs, outdoor lighting, cameras, electrical switches, and some batteries. Some folk medicines and cosmetics contain mercury. These conditions are hazardous even without touching the mercury because it produces mercury vapors. Mercury exposure can occur at home or even in a hospital setting through broken thermometers and blood pressure monitors. Dental amalgam fillings and eating fish that have been exposed to mercury are the main cause of mercury poisoning. Sources: Exposure to mercury can occur by any method. There are three forms of mercury (elemental, organic & inorganic) with distinct characteristics and health effects on toxic exposures. Mercury poisoning is the condition caused by exposure to mercury in a high enough dose to produce health effects.
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