What is mercury? Is it found in foods and skin-lightening creams?

I've read something about mercury poisoning and how the element is dangerous and can cause brain, liver, kidney damage!

Do all cosmetics contain mercury?! and
Don't foods contain mercury as well?!

No, they don't contain mercury (in that it is not an added ingredient)
It is a heavy metal.
Some areas of the ocean have produced shellfish which carry mercury residues, which in turn, affect people.
This would be the result of factory pollution.

Mercury was found many years ago in thermometers. It was silver (not red, that's the newer stuff), and if broken, would break into little balls that could be gathered back into one.
It is very heavy.

Mercury is a poison. It can be absorbed thru your skin, so no, it is not added to any cosmetic.

Warnings are typically posted when high mercury fish are noticed in various water supplies. Below you will find a link to the FDA fish advisory:

Its the red stuff in a thermometer

No, all cosmetics do not contain mercury. Seafoods contain more mercury than other foods. The element is not dangerous unless it's vaporized and inhaled. The chemical salts of mercury can be dangerous if ingested.

It's the SILVER stuff in OLD thermometers. The red stuff is colored alcohol. New thermometers with silver in them have an alloy called Galinstan, specifically made to replace mercury. Meteorologists do still use mercury thermometers.

mercury is a heavy metal and his highly toxic. if it is in food (It is in fish for example)it is there due to contamination or was eaten by fish in the ocean. stay far away from swordfish and eat small amounts of tuna for sure. i do not know about mercury in cosmetics but i would not go near it if it did have mercury. if you break a thermometer and touch the mercury you could be acutely poisoned. many years ago hat makers were poisoned by mercury used in hatmaking. thats where the term "mad hatter" originated

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