Mercury

What is mercury?

Mercury is a compound found in rocks in the Earth’s crust. 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 is unique because it’s classified as a metal and comes in both liquid and solid forms depending on the temperature.

Mercury has several uses because it’s a conductor. This means that the compound allows electricity and heat to flow through it. For this reason, you’ll find mercury in thermometers, street lights and fluorescent lightbulbs.

What is mercury poisoning?

Mercury is toxic and harmful to the human body. Mercury poisoning occurs when you expose yourself to too much mercury and your body reacts negatively to the compound.

What forms of mercury are poisonous?

There are three different types of mercury that are harmful to the human body including:

• Elemental mercury (liquid mercury, quicksilver): You’ll find elemental mercury in glass thermometers, electrical switches, fluorescent lightbulbs and dental fillings.
• Inorganic mercury: You’ll find inorganic mercury in batteries, certain types of disinfectants and in chemistry labs.
• 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).

Who does mercury poisoning affect?

Mercury poisoning can affect anyone who comes into contact with or consumes mercury.

The most severe cases of mercury poisoning affect children and fetuses of pregnant or breastfeeding women who consume large amounts of fish with high mercury content.

How common is mercury poisoning?

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.

How does mercury poisoning affect my body?

Your body will negatively react if you eat, touch or inhale mercury. Once inside your body, mercury travels to your heart, central nervous system and kidneys. Your body knows that mercury is not supposed to be there, so you’ll experience symptoms, caused by your immune system trying to get the compound out in the same way it would attack bacteria or germs.

Symptoms of mercury poisoning are different for each type of mercury and range in severity from person to person.

Elemental mercury poisoning symptoms

Elemental mercury is usually harmless if you touch or swallow it because its slippery texture won’t absorb into your skin or intestines. Elemental mercury is extremely dangerous if you breathe it in and it gets into your lungs. Often, elemental mercury becomes airborne if someone is trying to clean up a mercury spill with a vacuum.

Symptoms of elemental mercury poisoning occur immediately after inhaling the chemical and include:

• Coughing.
• Trouble breathing.
• Metallic taste in your mouth.
• Nausea or vomiting.
• Bleeding or swollen gums.

Inorganic mercury poisoning symptoms

Inorganic mercury is poisonous when swallowed. When the chemical enters your body, it travels through your bloodstream and attacks your brain and kidneys.

Symptoms of inorganic mercury poisoning include:

• Burning sensation in your stomach and/or throat.
• Nausea or vomiting.
• Diarrhea.
• Blood in vomit or stool.
• Urine color changes.

Organic mercury poisoning symptoms

Organic mercury causes symptoms if you inhale it (breathe it in) or touch it. Symptoms don’t occur immediately and usually arise after long periods of contact (could be years or decades) with the compound. Though not always common, being exposed to a large amount of organic mercury at one time can cause symptoms. Symptoms of organic mercury poisoning from long-term exposure include:

• Feeling numb or dull pain in certain parts of your body.
• Tremors (uncontrollable shaking).
• Unsteady walk.
• Double vision or blurry vision; blindness.
• Memory loss.
• Seizures.

Exposure to large amounts of methylmercury (a type of organic mercury) while you’re pregnant can cause brain damage to the developing fetus. Most healthcare providers recommend limiting how much fish you eat or removing fish from your diet (especially swordfish) during pregnancy.

Long-term organic mercury exposure is deadly. If you frequently come into contact with organic mercury, wear proper personal protective equipment, like a mask and gloves, to reduce your risk of health problems associated with the compound.