Mercury poisoning: Symptoms and early signs

There are numerous possible symptoms of mercury poisoning. Examples include nervousness, numbness, muscle weakness, nausea, and more. Treatment can include avoiding mercury and, in severe cases, chelation therapy.

Mercury is a heavy metal that is highly toxic to humans. Mercury poisoning is the result of being exposed to too much mercury, either through the diet or environment.

Consuming food that contains mercury is the most common cause of mercury poisoning. Mercury poisoning can cause severe symptoms and put the body at unnecessary risk.

A person can help prevent mercury poisoning by making changes to their diet and environment that limit exposure to the toxic metal.

Mercury is a naturally occurring metal that is in many everyday products, albeit in tiny amounts. While this limited exposure is usually considered safe, a buildup of mercury is highly dangerous.

Mercury is a liquid at room temperature and readily vaporizes into the air around it. It is often a by-product of industrial processes, such as burning coal for power. Vaporized mercury can make its way into the rain, soil, and water, where it poses a risk to plants, animals, and humans.

Ingesting or coming into contact with too much mercury can cause symptoms of mercury poisoning.

Mercury may affect the nervous system, leading to neurological symptoms such as:

• nervousness or anxiety
• irritability or mood changes
• numbness
• memory problems
• depression
• physical tremors

As the levels of mercury in the body rise, more symptoms will appear. These symptoms may vary depending on a person’s age and exposure levels. Adults with mercury poisoning may experience symptoms such as:

• muscle weakness
• metallic taste in the mouth
• nausea and vomiting
• lack of motor skills or feeling uncoordinated
• inability to feel in the hands, face, or other areas
• changes in vision, hearing, or speech
• difficulty breathing
• difficulty walking or standing straight

Mercury can also affect a child’s early development. Children with mercury poisoning may show symptoms such as:

• impaired motor skills
• problems thinking or problem-solving
• difficulties learning to speak or understanding language
• issues with hand-eye coordination
• being physically unaware of their surroundings

Mercury poisoning tends to develop slowly over time if a person comes into frequent contact with mercury. However, in some cases, mercury poisoning comes on quickly and is associated with a specific incident.

Anyone who experiences a sudden onset of mercury poisoning symptoms should call a doctor or poison control.

Exposure to high levels of mercury may also put a person at risk for long-term complications, including:

Neurological damage

Share on PinterestMercury poisoning may cause slow reflexes, damaged motor skills, and intelligence disorders.

High levels of mercury in the blood may put a person at risk for long-term neurological damage. These effects may be more pronounced in children who are still developing.

A study in the Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health noted that many incidents of mercury poisoning have led to long-term nerve damage, which can cause:

• intelligence disorders and low IQ
• slow reflexes
• damaged motor skills
• paralysis
• numbness
• problems with memory and concentration
• symptoms of ADHD

Reproductive effects

Mercury poisoning also poses a risk to the reproductive system. It may cause reduced sperm count or decreased fertility and may also cause problems with the fetus.

Possible effects of mercury poisoning include deformity and a decreased survival rate of the fetus, and reduced growth and size of the newborn at birth.

Cardiovascular risks

Mercury helps promote the accumulation of free radicals in the body, which puts the cells at risk for damage. This may lead to an increased risk of heart problems, including heart attack and coronary heart disease.

The most common cause of mercury poisoning is from eating seafood, but people can get mercury poisoning from industrial processing, thermometers and blood pressure machines, dental work, and old paints.

Mercury poisoning from seafood

Share on PinterestThe most common way for a human to have mercury poisoning is by eating seafood tainted with mercury.

Eating seafood that has been tainted with mercury is one of the most common ways humans accumulate mercury in their bodies. The mercury in seafood is a highly poisonous form of the metal called methylmercury, which forms when mercury dissolves into the water.

Methylmercury can be absorbed from the water by all sea creatures, but it also continues through the food chain.

Small sea creatures, such as shrimp, often ingest methylmercury and are then eaten by other fish. These fish will now have more methylmercury in them than the original shrimp.

This process continues all the way up the food chain, so that a large fish may contain much more mercury than the fish it has eaten. This does not necessarily make it better to eat smaller fish, however. It is always essential for a person to check the source of their seafood to avoid contaminated fish and shellfish.

People worried about their exposure to mercury may want to limit their seafood intake, particularly of fish that are high on the food chain, such as swordfish, shark, white tuna, pike, walleye, and bass.

Pregnant or breast-feeding women may want to avoid or restrict their intake of fish and shellfish, as any mercury they contain can pass to the fetus or infant through the umbilical cord or breast milk.

Dental fillings

Amalgam fillings, commonly called silver fillings, contain approximately 40 to 50 percent mercury. Amalgam fillings are not often used now, as there are newer and safer alternatives.

Old fillings may increase a person’s risk for mercury exposure. Some people choose to replace their amalgam fillings to reduce their long-term exposure to mercury.

Other causes

Mercury poisoning may also be due to direct or environmental exposure. Mercury exposure may come from one or more of the following sources:

• mining for gold
• exposure to some types of jewelry
• exposure to older paints
• some vaccinations
• contact with a broken fever thermometer or older house thermometer
• toxic air in areas near factories that produce mercury as a by-product, such as coal plants

Some skin care products may also be tainted with mercury, though this is uncommon.

Doctors can usually diagnose mercury poisoning through a physical exam and blood tests. Doctors may ask about any symptoms the person is having, as well as for a general breakdown of their diet.

They may also ask questions about the environment the person lives or works in, including whether they live near any factories or work in an industrial plant.

If the doctor suspects mercury poisoning, a blood and or urine mercury test can gauge the levels of mercury in the body.

Treatment of mercury poisoning involves eliminating any and all exposure to the metal. Doctors will recommend that the person does not consume any seafood that contains mercury.

If mercury poisoning is related to a person’s workplace or environmental exposure, doctors may suggest that the person change their environment to reduce their exposure, or that the workplace puts new safety measures in place.

Mercury poisoning may cause some long-term side effects, which will be treated or managed individually.

Certain types of severe cases of mercury poisoning may require chelation therapy. This is the process of removing mercury from the organs so the body can dispose of it.

The drugs used in chelation therapy bind to heavy metals in the bloodstream and are then eliminated in the urine. Chelation therapy comes with its own risks and side effects, so it is crucial to use the medication only when necessary.

Mercury is toxic to humans. There is no standard cure for mercury poisoning, so it is best to avoid exposure to high amounts of mercury when possible.

Eliminating risk factors by making changes in the diet and work or living environment may help reduce the levels of mercury in the body.

It is essential to consult a doctor at the first sign of mercury poisoning, as it can have long-lasting effects. Parents and caregivers should also be aware of the signs of mercury poisoning in children and call a doctor if a child or infant displays any symptoms.

Mercury Information | Mount Sinai

This article discusses poisoning from mercury.

This article is for information only. DO NOT use it to treat or manage an actual poison exposure. If you or someone you are with has an exposure, call the local emergency number (such as 911), or the local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States.

Poisonous Ingredient

There are three different forms of mercury that cause health problems. They are:

• Elemental mercury, also known as liquid mercury or quicksilver
• Inorganic mercury salts
• Organic mercury

Where Found

Elemental mercury can be found in:

• Glass thermometers
• Electrical switches
• Fluorescent light bulbs
• Dental fillings
• Some medical equipment

Inorganic mercury can be found in:

• Batteries
• Chemistry labs
• Some disinfectants
• Folk remedies
• Red cinnabar mineral

Organic mercury can be found in:

• Older germ-killers (antiseptics) such as red mercurochrome (merbromin) (this substance is now banned by the FDA)
• Fumes from burning coal
• Fish that have eaten a form of organic mercury called methylmercury

There may be other sources of these forms of mercury.

Symptoms

ELEMENTAL MERCURY

Elemental mercury is usually harmless if it is touched or swallowed. It is so thick and slippery that it usually falls off the skin or leaves the stomach and intestines without being absorbed.

A lot of damage can occur, though, if elemental mercury gets into the air in the form of small droplets that are breathed into the lungs. This often occurs by mistake when people try to vacuum up mercury that has spilled onto the ground.

Breathing in enough elemental mercury will cause symptoms right away. These are called acute symptoms. Long-term symptoms will occur if small amounts are inhaled over time. These are called chronic symptoms. Chronic symptoms may include:

• Metallic taste in the mouth
• Vomiting
• Difficulty breathing
• Bad cough
• Swollen, bleeding gums

Depending on how much mercury is inhaled, permanent lung damage and death may occur. Long-term brain damage from inhaled elemental mercury can also occur.

There have been cases of mercury being injected under the skin, which can cause fever and rash. Infection may develop, requiring surgical drainage and removal of the mercury.

INORGANIC MERCURY

Unlike elemental mercury, inorganic mercury is usually poisonous when swallowed. Depending on how much is swallowed, symptoms may include:

• Burning in the stomach and throat
• Bloody diarrhea and vomiting

If inorganic mercury enters your bloodstream, it can attack the kidneys and brain. Permanent kidney damage and kidney failure may occur. A large amount in the bloodstream may cause massive blood and fluid loss from diarrhea and kidney failure, leading to death.

ORGANIC MERCURY

Organic mercury can cause sickness if it is breathed in, eaten, or placed on the skin over long periods of time. Usually, organic mercury causes problems over years or decades, not right away. This means that being exposed to small amounts of organic mercury every day for years will likely cause symptoms to appear later. A single large exposure, however, can also cause problems.

Long-term exposure will likely cause symptoms in the nervous system, including:

• Numbness or pain in certain parts of your skin
• Uncontrollable shaking or tremor
• Inability to walk well
• Blindness and double vision
• Memory problems
• Seizures and death (with large exposures)

Being exposed to large amounts of the organic mercury called methylmercury while pregnant may cause permanent brain damage in the baby. Most health care providers recommend eating less fish, especially swordfish, while pregnant. Women should talk to their provider about what they should and should not eat while pregnant.

Before Calling Emergency

Have this information ready:

• Person’s age, weight, and condition (for example, is the person awake and alert?)
• Source of the mercury
• Time it was swallowed, inhaled, or touched
• Amount swallowed, inhaled, or touched

Do not delay calling for help if you do not know the above information.

Poison Control

Your local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.

This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

What to Expect at the Emergency Room

General treatment for mercury exposure includes the steps just below. Treatment for exposure to different forms of mercury are given after this general information.

The person should be moved away from the source of exposure.

The health care provider will measure and monitor the person’s vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure.

Tests that may be done include:

• Blood and urine tests
• Chest x-ray
• ECG (electrocardiogram) or heart tracing

Treatment may include:

• Activated charcoal by mouth or tube through the nose into the stomach, if mercury is swallowed (under limited circumstances)
• Dialysis (kidney machine)
• Fluids through a vein (by IV)
• Medicine to treat symptoms

The type of exposure will determine what other tests and treatments are needed.

ELEMENTAL MERCURY

Inhaled elemental mercury poisoning may be difficult to treat. The person may receive:

• Humidified oxygen or air
• Breathing tube through the mouth into the lungs and use of a breathing machine (ventilator)
• Suctioning of mercury out of the lungs
• Medicine to remove mercury and heavy metals from the body
• Surgical removal of the mercury if injected under the skin

INORGANIC MERCURY

For inorganic mercury poisoning, treatment often begins with supportive care. The person may receive:

• Fluids by IV (into a vein)
• Medicines to treat symptoms
• Activated charcoal, a medicine that soaks up many substances from the stomach
• Medicines called chelators to remove mercury from the blood

ORGANIC MERCURY

Treatment for exposure to organic mercury usually consists of medicines called chelators. These remove mercury from the blood and move it away from the brain and kidneys. Often, these medicines will have to be used for weeks to months.

Outlook (Prognosis)

Breathing in a small amount of elemental mercury will cause very few, if any, long-term side effects. However, breathing in larger amounts can lead to a long hospital stay. Permanent lung damage is likely. There may be brain damage. Very large exposures will likely cause death.

A large overdose of inorganic mercury may cause massive blood and fluid loss, kidney failure, and likely death.

Chronic brain damage from organic mercury poisoning is difficult to treat. Some people never recover, but there has been some success in people who receive chelation treatment.

Mahajan PV. Heavy metal intoxication. In: Kliegman RM, St Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 738.

Theobald JL, Mycyk MB. Iron and heavy metals. In: Walls RM, Hockberger RS, Gausche-Hill M, eds. Rosen’s Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 151.

Last reviewed on: 7/5/2021

Reviewed by: Jacob L. Heller, MD, MHA, Emergency Medicine, Emeritus, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

Beware: mercury! – Useful information

Reminder to the public

Mercury is a silvery-white liquid metal, specific gravity under normal conditions is 13.55 gcm3. Metallic mercury is poison. The main route of mercury entry into the human body, leading to the development of acute and chronic poisoning, is inhalation. Acute poisoning of people is possible when the concentration of mercury in the air is in the range of 0.13-0.8 mgm3. Materials such as wood, plastic, paint, etc. actively absorb mercury vapor. A serious danger to people is mercury, which accumulates (deposits) under the floor, in cracks, etc. It is a source of secondary infection of the object. After demercurization and ventilation of the premises, the concentration of vapors in the air decreases to the permissible level, but then mercury vapor begins to be released from the structural materials and their concentration increases sharply and can exceed the permissible value by many times.

Mercury vapor, even at concentrations of 100 MPC (maximum permissible concentrations) and more, has no color, no smell, no taste, does not have an immediate irritating effect on the respiratory, vision, and skin integuments.

Mercury vapor poisoning appears after 8-24 hours.

Acute poisoning with mercury vapor causes copper-red coloration of the mucous membranes of the mouth and throat, metallic taste in the mouth, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, possible increase in body temperature up to 39°C. After a few hours, and sometimes days, an upset stomach may appear. There is redness, swelling and bleeding of the gums.

All of the above phenomena are accompanied by an extremely painful condition, a feeling of fear, severe headaches and pain when swallowing, rapid pulse, cardiac weakness, cramps in the calf muscles. Possible fatal outcome.

Chronic mercury poisoning (merculism) usually begins with mild symptoms of acute poisoning. In the future, general malaise, loss of appetite, and weight loss gradually develop. The affected person becomes nervous, weakness, drowsiness, heavy dreams and irritability, headaches, joint pains appear. In severe cases of poisoning, working capacity, mental activity, and memory are reduced. A “mercury tremor” (trembling) of the fingers, eyelids, lips and toes develops – typical signs of mercury neurasthenia.

Metallic mercury and its vapors affect not only the internal organs of a person, but also affect his skin (hair loss, rash, itching, changes in skin sensitivity).

ATTENTION CITIZENS:

If you broke a thermometer:

First – do not panic, in domestic conditions, competent demercurization (neutralization of surfaces contaminated with metallic mercury) can be carried out independently.

1. Open windows to let fresh air in and lower the temperature in the room (the warmer it is in the apartment, the more metal evaporates).

2. Restrict people’s access to the room where the device crashed (close the doors) in order to prevent the spread of mercury to adjacent rooms and the spread of vapors around the apartment, lay a rug soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate at the entrance.

3. Start the demercurization process.

Conduct a thorough inspection of things and surfaces that may have been exposed to droplets of mercury. All contaminated items should be placed in plastic bags and taken out of the room. Carefully and carefully collect all the fragments of the thermometer and mercury balls in any sealed container (for example, a glass jar with a polyethylene lid). A medical pear with a thin tip, an enameled scoop, a sheet of thick paper, and an adhesive plaster will help well in this work.

Vacuum cleaner is not recommended as when mercury is collected by a vacuum cleaner in the room, the concentration of vapors increases sharply and when working without protective equipment, you can get tangible poisoning; after such a procedure, an ordinary vacuum cleaner can no longer be used for its intended purpose due to heavy pollution. Washing vacuum cleaners can be restored only after thorough washing with special solutions.

Treat floors and objects that have been exposed to mercury with a chlorine-based product. Chemical neutralization is carried out as follows:

– in a plastic (not metal!) bucket, a solution of chlorine-containing bleach (“Whiteness” or bleach powder) is prepared at the rate of 1 liter of the product per 8 liters of water (2% solution). With the resulting solution, using a sponge, brush or floor cloth, the floor and other contaminated surfaces are washed. Particular attention is paid to the cracks of parquet and skirting boards. The applied solution is kept for 15 minutes, then washed off with clean water.

– in the future, it is desirable to regularly wash the floor with soap and soda solution and intensive ventilation.

4. Think about your own health :

a) wash gloves and shoes with soap and soda solution

b) rinse your mouth and throat;

c) brush your teeth thoroughly;

d) take 2-3 activated charcoal tablets.

What should I do if mercury is found somewhere?

Sometimes mercury is found spilled in the entrance, at the workplace, sometimes it is found by children. Such cases, unfortunately, are not rare.

This is an emergency and should not be dealt with on your own. Remember that you can never accurately determine how much of a hazardous substance is spilled, where it leaked and how much evaporated.

Professionals clean the room with chemicals that react with and neutralize mercury, and then wash away the compounds.

Licensed organizations on the territory of the Vladimir region engaged in the demercurization and disposal of mercury-containing waste:

– Engineering LLC

Address: Vladimir, st. Gorky, house 106, office 41,

tel./fax 8 (4922) 34-08-15

– Econorma LLC

Address: Vladimir, st. Dvoryanskaya, house 27 “A”, building 7, office 28

Tel. 8 (4922) 37-12-13

Works are carried out in accordance with the price list, prices must be specified by phone organizations.

Symptoms of mercury poisoning – AMO

Reading time: 2 min.

Even if the concentration of mercury vapor in the air is from 100 MPC and higher, a person will not feel any smell or taste, as well as irritation of the respiratory organs, skin and eyes. Clinical symptoms of mercury vapor poisoning appear 8-24 hours after a person has come into contact with a poisonous substance.

Clinical symptoms and features

Symptoms of acute mercury vapor poisoning are as follows:

• mucous membranes of the oropharynx become copper-red;
• people complain of a metallic taste in the mouth;
• the patient feels sick, in severe cases, vomiting and pain in the epigastrium are observed;
• sometimes body temperature rises to 39C.

Disorders of the gastrointestinal tract appear after a few hours or days. The gums swell, become bright red, and bleed. At the same time, the general condition of the patient is rather severe: the head hurts, it hurts to swallow, the pulse becomes frequent, the calf muscles cramp. If qualified medical care is not available, the symptoms of intoxication increase, and eventually death is possible.

There is also chronic mercury poisoning, which is commonly called merculism. It is distinguished by more blurred clinical symptoms characteristic of acute poisoning. The following is a gradual development:

• general malaise;
• severe weight loss;
• lack of appetite;
• nervousness;
• drowsiness;
• joint and headaches.

Severe cases of chronic mercury poisoning are characterized by the appearance of “mercury tremor”, when the patient’s eyelids, lips and fingers constantly tremble. This condition is called mercurial neurasthenia.

The effect of mercury vapor extends not only to the organs, but also to the skin. Hair falls out, a rash and itching appear, a change in skin sensitivity occurs.

First aid tactics in cases of mercury poisoning

First of all, you need:

• gastric lavage of the victim with an aqueous solution with activated carbon in the amount of 20-30 grams. You can also use protein water by whisking the egg white with it. If possible, prepare a slimy decoction of rice or oatmeal;
• Give the patient a laxative.

If we are talking about acute inhalation poisoning with serious damage to the respiratory system, the victim must be quickly removed from the danger zone, calmed down and taken to the hospital as soon as possible.

Where can I get skills to provide PHC?

Every health worker, regardless of his status, should be able to provide first prehospital and medical care. This knowledge is necessary for all healthcare workers, and you can get it on the basis of the Academy of Medical Education. It is here that leading Russian specialists, highly qualified doctors, regularly hold seminars on emergency medical care provided at the stage before hospitalization.