![]() Too much mercury can cause lasting problems with understanding and learning. Young children (under 15 years old) and fetuses are more sensitive to mercury. In rare cases, it has caused paralysis and even death. Nerve damage from mercury may start with a loss of sensitivity in hands and feet, difficulty in walking, or slurred speech. Low-level, long-term exposure can cause muscle tremors, irritability, personality changes, or rashes. High-level, short-term exposure can cause skin rashes, diarrhea, and respiratory distress. The effects of mercury exposure can range from none to severe. what other chemicals they are also exposed to, and.Factors that determine how mercury affects a person's health include: However, if someone comes in contact with elemental mercury, very little is absorbed through skin.Įxposure to mercury through the pathways above can damage the central nervous system, kidneys, and liver. Skin contact: Exposure to mercury through skin contact can occur when using products such as skin-lightening creams that are made with mercury compounds. If someone swallows the elemental form of mercury, very little is absorbed through the stomach and intestines into the bloodstream. If someone eats fish with higher methylmercury on a regular basis, mercury concentrations can be high enough to pose a risk to their health. If a person is exposed for a long enough time period, even a small amount in the air can affect his or her health.Įating: People are exposed to methylmercury most often through eating fish and seafood. Mercury vapor breathed into a person’s lungs quickly enters blood and is carried to the brain. When elemental mercury is spilled or exposed to the air, it vaporizes slowly. Some traditional medicines, such as skin lighteners or freckle creams, can contain high levels of mercury.īreathing: The greatest danger from elemental mercury is through breathing in mercury vapor. In the past, mercury compounds have been used in some products including fungicides, antiseptics or disinfectants. Other Forms of Mercury: Mercury naturally occurs in the environment in a salt form or in rock, such as cinnabar.Methylmercury is the form that people encounter most often. Older fish and those that feed on other fish have higher amounts because methylmercury builds up in their bodies. Methylmercury: In the environment, certain bacteria change elemental mercury to methylmercury, which then accumulates in algae eaten by fish.In a warm environment (like a kitchen or on a hot plate) it will vaporize more quickly. Elemental mercury that is not in a closed container will slowly give off toxic vapor that can accumulate in indoor air. Concerns with elemental mercury in the environment include its short and long-range (global) transport in the atmosphere. ![]() Elemental mercury has been used in a wide variety of equipment and consumer products, such as thermometers and certain types of light bulbs. Elemental Mercury: Often called metallic or elemental, mercury is a shiny, silver-white, odorless liquid.Exposure to mercury can cause health effects. Mercury is a naturally occurring element found in rocks, soil, water, air and living things.
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