What are the effects (symptoms) occurred after mercury spill. small amount like the one in thermometer fell & dispersed on the floor. Mercury is a heavy metal and very poisonous! Avoid contact with the skin. If spilt on your body seek medical advice immediately.
From Wikipedia:
Mercury poisoning, also known as mercurialism, is the phenomenon of toxication by contact with mercury.
The main dangers associated with elemental mercury are that at standard conditions for temperature and pressure, mercury tends to oxidize forming mercury(II) oxide, and that if dropped or disturbed, mercury will form microscopic drops, increasing its surface area dramatically.
Air saturated with mercury vapor at room temperature is at a concentration many times the toxic level, despite the high boiling point (the danger is increased at higher temperatures).
Watersheds tend to concentrate mercury through erosion of mineral deposits and atmospheric deposition. Plants absorb mercury when wet but may emit it in dry air. Plant and sedimentary deposits in coal contain various levels of mercury. Like plants, mushrooms can also accumulate mercury from the soil.
Human activities, like the application of agricultural fertilizers and industrial wastewater disposal, are examples of how humans release mercury directly into the soil or water. The mercury that is released in the environment ends up in surface water or soils eventually. When the pH values in acidic surface waters are between five and seven, the mercury concentrations in the water will increase. This is due to the mobilization of mercury in the ground near a water source.
Microorganisms are able to convert the mercury that reaches the surface water to methyl mercury and most organisms absorb this substance quickly. Methyl mercury is also known to cause nerve damage. Fish are among the organisms that absorb methyl mercury in great amounts from water. As a consequence, methyl mercury accumulates in fish and passes into the food chain. The deleterious effects of mercury consumed by animals that eat fish include reproductive failure, damage to intestines, stomach disruption, DNA alteration, and kidney damage.
Toxicity in human beings
Pure elemental mercury is a cumulative heavy-metal poison that is moderately absorbed through the skin, rather poorly absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract, and readily absorbed as vapor through the lungs. The element is strongly toxic when absorbed as vapor from the respiratory tract, but it is considerably less so when exposure occurs via other routes. Elemental mercury often passes through the GI tract without being absorbed, and historically mercury has occasionally been used for mechanical relief of intestinal obstructions (today the known toxicity of mercury has put an end to this practice).
Compounds of mercury tend to be much more toxic than the element itself, and organic compounds of mercury are often extremely toxic. Dimethylmercury, for example, is a potent neurotoxin that is lethal in amounts of a fraction of a milliliter.
Mercury damages the central nervous system, endocrine system, kidneys, and other organs, and adversely affects the mouth, gums, and teeth. Exposure over long periods of time or heavy exposure to mercury vapor can result in brain damage and ultimately death. Mercury and its compounds are particularly toxic to fetuses and infants. Women who have been exposed to mercury in pregnancy have sometimes given birth to children with serious birth defects (see Minamata disease).
Some of the toxic effects of mercury are reversible, either through specific therapy or through natural elimination of the metal after exposure has been discontinued. However, heavy or prolonged exposure can do irreversible damage, particularly in fetuses, infants, and young children. Exposure to certain highly toxic compounds of mercury such as dimethylmercury can be fatal within hours or less.
Mercury exposure in very young children can have severe neurological consequences, preventing nerve sheaths from forming properly. Research has been done that demonstrates the inhibitory effect that mercury has on myelin, the building block protein that forms these sheaths.
Mercury poisoning in the young is suspected as a possible cause of autistic behaviors, however there is a lack of quality peer-reviewed work on this matter and the claim of autism as mercury poisoning is considered suspect by mainstream medicine. Furthermore, the autistic community considers this theory offensive, as there is much evidence to suggest that autism is present from birth.
Humans or animals poisoned with mercury or its compounds often manifest excessive salivation, a condition called mercurial ptyalism.
Thimerosal, a preservative that contains mercury, has been added in very minute amounts to vaccines to prevent their deterioration since the 1930s. No adverse effects of thimerosal have ever been proven, although some allergic reactions have been noted. However, organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics have recommended that the use of thimerosal be reduced as a precautionary measure. Today, with the exception of some flu vaccines, none of the vaccines used in the United States to protect preschool children against twelve infectious diseases contains thimerosal as a preservative. mop that shi*t up! cancer in long term You've not stated where?
Depends on how much, ingested, inhaled, or any other info?
Historically - 'mad-hatters' refers to the over exuberant use of mercury in the hat making process of yester year, in particular felt ones
Look on the web COSHH for more information. When I was young, my dentist used to send me home with mercury to play with.(which I did!) I didn't develop any symptoms. I think the effects are gradual if they happen at all, but even so many years later, I am still functioning relatively normally! Some people find me weird, some think I'm super intelligent!, etc.etc. I'm sure you will be OK. I'm not as mad as a hatter, as hatters had constant exposure. |
