What are the main sources of mercury exposure. How does mercury affect human health. What are the environmental consequences of mercury pollution. How can we reduce mercury exposure and mitigate its toxic effects.

Sources and Forms of Environmental Mercury

Mercury exists in the environment in various forms, both naturally occurring and as a result of human activities. The three main forms are:

• Elemental mercury (liquid metal)
• Inorganic mercury compounds
• Organic mercury compounds (e.g. methylmercury)

Human activities have significantly increased the amount of mercury circulating in the environment. Some key sources include:

• Fossil fuel combustion
• Mining operations
• Industrial processes
• Waste incineration
• Use of mercury-containing products

Once released, mercury can remain in environmental circulation for years, moving between the atmosphere, soil, and water. This persistence makes mercury pollution a long-term global concern.

Bioaccumulation in the Food Chain

A major route of human exposure to methylmercury is through consumption of contaminated fish and seafood. Mercury bioaccumulates as it moves up the food chain, with larger predatory fish containing the highest concentrations. This process of bioaccumulation means that even small increases in environmental mercury can lead to significant exposure for humans and wildlife at the top of the food chain.

Health Effects of Mercury Exposure

Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that can have wide-ranging effects on human health. The specific health impacts depend on factors like:

• Chemical form of mercury
• Route of exposure
• Dose and duration of exposure
• Age and developmental stage

Some of the key health effects associated with mercury poisoning include:

Neurological Effects

The nervous system is particularly sensitive to mercury toxicity. Exposure can lead to:

• Impaired cognitive function
• Tremors
• Mood changes
• Peripheral neuropathy
• In severe cases, paralysis and death

Developing fetuses and young children are especially vulnerable, as mercury can impair neurological development.

Cardiovascular Effects

Mercury exposure has been linked to increased risk of cardiovascular problems, including:

• Hypertension
• Coronary heart disease
• Myocardial infarction
• Stroke

Renal Effects

The kidneys are a major target organ for mercury toxicity. Effects can include:

• Proteinuria
• Nephrotic syndrome
• Acute renal failure

Immunological Effects

Mercury can disrupt immune system function, potentially leading to:

• Increased susceptibility to infections
• Autoimmune disorders
• Allergic reactions

Environmental Impact of Mercury Pollution

Beyond its direct effects on human health, mercury pollution has far-reaching consequences for ecosystems and wildlife. Some key environmental impacts include:

Aquatic Ecosystem Disruption

Mercury contamination in water bodies can have cascading effects throughout aquatic food webs. Fish and other aquatic organisms may experience:

• Reduced reproductive success
• Impaired growth and development
• Behavioral changes
• Increased mortality

Wildlife Population Declines

Animals that rely on fish as a primary food source, such as certain birds and mammals, can suffer population declines due to mercury accumulation. This can lead to broader ecosystem imbalances.

Soil Contamination

Mercury in soil can persist for long periods, affecting plant growth and soil microorganisms. This can impact terrestrial ecosystems and potentially enter the human food supply through crops and livestock.

Occupational Exposure Risks

Certain professions face higher risks of mercury exposure. Workers in the following industries may be at increased risk:

• Mining and ore processing
• Chloralkali plants
• Thermometer and fluorescent lamp manufacturing
• Dentistry (due to mercury amalgam)
• Waste incineration and recycling

Occupational safety measures and proper protective equipment are crucial in these industries to minimize exposure risks.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Mercury Poisoning

Diagnosing mercury poisoning can be challenging due to the variety of potential symptoms. Healthcare providers may use the following methods:

Diagnostic Approaches

• Blood mercury levels
• Urine mercury levels
• Hair analysis
• Neurological examinations
• Kidney function tests

Treatment Options

Treatment for mercury poisoning typically involves:

• Removal from the source of exposure
• Supportive care for symptoms
• Chelation therapy in severe cases

Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial for improving outcomes and preventing long-term complications.

Regulatory Measures and Global Efforts

Addressing mercury pollution requires coordinated efforts at local, national, and international levels. Some key initiatives include:

Minamata Convention on Mercury

This global treaty aims to protect human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury. It includes measures to:

• Phase out mercury use in certain products
• Reduce emissions from industrial processes
• Regulate artisanal and small-scale gold mining
• Improve management of mercury waste

National Regulations

Many countries have implemented stricter regulations on mercury use and emissions, including:

• Bans on mercury-containing products
• Emissions controls for coal-fired power plants
• Restrictions on mercury use in industrial processes

Fish Consumption Advisories

Public health agencies often issue guidelines on fish consumption to help individuals reduce their mercury exposure while still obtaining the nutritional benefits of fish.

Reducing Mercury Exposure: Individual and Community Actions

While addressing mercury pollution requires large-scale efforts, individuals and communities can take steps to reduce their exposure and environmental impact:

Personal Choices

• Choose low-mercury fish options
• Properly dispose of mercury-containing products
• Use mercury-free alternatives when available
• Be aware of local fish advisories

Community Initiatives

• Support recycling programs for electronics and fluorescent bulbs
• Advocate for stricter emissions controls on local industries
• Participate in citizen science projects to monitor mercury levels in the environment
• Educate others about mercury risks and prevention strategies

Future Directions in Mercury Research and Management

As our understanding of mercury’s impacts grows, several areas of research and policy development are emerging:

Improved Biomonitoring Techniques

Developing more sensitive and accessible methods for detecting mercury exposure in humans and wildlife could improve early intervention and risk assessment.

Novel Remediation Technologies

Research into innovative approaches for cleaning up mercury-contaminated sites, such as phytoremediation or nanotechnology-based solutions, may offer more effective and sustainable options for environmental restoration.

Climate Change Interactions

Understanding how climate change may affect mercury cycling in the environment is crucial for predicting future exposure risks and developing appropriate mitigation strategies.

Alternative Technologies

Continued development of mercury-free alternatives for industrial processes and consumer products will be essential for reducing global mercury use and emissions.

By addressing mercury pollution through a combination of regulatory measures, technological innovations, and individual actions, we can work towards minimizing the health and environmental impacts of this persistent global contaminant. Ongoing research and international cooperation will be crucial in navigating the complex challenges posed by mercury in our environment and safeguarding both human and ecological health for future generations.

Environmental Mercury and Its Toxic Effects

J Prev Med Public Health. 2014 Mar; 47(2): 74–83.

,¹,²,¹,³ and ^1,2,4

Kevin M. Rice

¹Center for Diagnostic Nanosystems, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, USA.

Ernest M. Walker, Jr

²Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Toxicology, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, USA.

Miaozong Wu

¹Center for Diagnostic Nanosystems, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, USA.

Chris Gillette

³Department of Pharmacy Practice, Administration, and Research, School of Pharmacy, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, USA.

Eric R. Blough

¹Center for Diagnostic Nanosystems, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, USA.

²Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Toxicology, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, USA.

⁴Department of Pharmaceutical Science and Research, School of Pharmacy, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, USA.

¹Center for Diagnostic Nanosystems, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, USA.

²Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Toxicology, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, USA.

³Department of Pharmacy Practice, Administration, and Research, School of Pharmacy, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, USA.

⁴Department of Pharmaceutical Science and Research, School of Pharmacy, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, USA.

Corresponding author.Corresponding author: Eric R. Blough, PhD. Room #241 R, 1700, 3rd avenue, Huntington, WV 25755, USA. Tel: +1-304-696-2708, Fax: +1-304-696-5288, ude.llahsram@hguolb

Received 2014 Feb 19; Accepted 2014 Mar 21.

Copyright © 2014 The Korean Society for Preventive MedicineThis is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons. org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.This article has been cited by other articles in PMC.

Abstract

Mercury exists naturally and as a man-made contaminant. The release of processed mercury can lead to a progressive increase in the amount of atmospheric mercury, which enters the atmospheric-soil-water distribution cycles where it can remain in circulation for years. Mercury poisoning is the result of exposure to mercury or mercury compounds resulting in various toxic effects depend on its chemical form and route of exposure. The major route of human exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) is largely through eating contaminated fish, seafood, and wildlife which have been exposed to mercury through ingestion of contaminated lower organisms. MeHg toxicity is associated with nervous system damage in adults and impaired neurological development in infants and children. Ingested mercury may undergo bioaccumulation leading to progressive increases in body burdens. This review addresses the systemic pathophysiology of individual organ systems associated with mercury poisoning. Mercury has profound cellular, cardiovascular, hematological, pulmonary, renal, immunological, neurological, endocrine, reproductive, and embryonic toxicological effects.

Keywords: Mercury, Toxicity, Environment

INTRODUCTION

Mercury is ranked third by the US Government Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry of the most toxic elements or substances on the planet to arsenic and lead that continues to be dumped into our waterways and soil, spilled into our atmosphere, and consumed in our food and water [1,2]. Human activities have nearly tripled the amount of mercury in the atmosphere and the atmospheric burden is increasing 1.5 percent per year [1]. Soil contaminated by mercury or the redistribution of contaminated water has the potential to enter the food chain through plant and livestock [3,4,5]. Once in the food chain mercury can bioaccumulate causing adverse effects to human health [6]. The exact mechanism(s) by which mercury enters the food chain remains largely unknown, and probably varies among ecosystems. presents multiple routes through which humans are exposed to mercury.

Routes of mercury exposure in humans.

Environmental mercury can exist in its elemental form, as inorganic mercury or as organic mercury. In its elemental form mercury exists as liquid metal, which in spite of its low vapor pressure (2 µm Hg), can be converted to a vapor at room temperature due to its low latent heat of evaporation (295 kJ/kg) and its relative absence from ambient air. Current sources of human exposure to elemental mercury included dental amalgam, thermometers, sphygmomanometer, barometers, fossil fuel emissions, incandescent lights, batteries, ritualistic practices using mercury, and the incineration of medical waste [7]. Toxic vapors formed from mercury vaporization or the burning of mercury containing materials can enter the respiratory system and pass readily into the circulation. The average whole body biological half-life of inhaled mercury is approximately 60 days [8]. Because mercury vapor can become lipid soluble once oxidized the potential exist for bioaccumulation in the renal cortex, liver, and especially the brain. It is estimated that the half-life of mercury in the brain can be as long as 20 years [9].

STATES OF MERCURY

Inorganic mercury exists in either the mercurous and mercuric form. Like oxidized elemental mercury, mercuric salts are more water soluble and toxic than elemental mercury. Mercuric salts are also easily absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract [10]. The average whole body half-life of inorganic mercury is about 40 days [11].

The most common form of organic mercury is methylmercury (MeHg), which is the major source of organic mercury found in the ecosystems [12]. MeHg is readily transported by water into the aquatic ecosystems. Because of its low water solubility it is considered to be relatively lipid soluble. MeHg is easily taken up by lower organisms, tends to work its way up the food chain and exhibits a proclivity to bioaccumulate in fish [13]. Fish appear to be the primary source of MeHg poisoning in humans. Through mechanisms which are not yet known, various species of fish tend to have higher rates of MeHg bioaccumulation () [14]. The gastrointestinal tract absorbs approximately ninety five percent of ingested MeHg where it can then enter the red blood cells and the brain by binding covalently to glutathione and cysteine protein groups [15,16]. Because urinary excretion of MeHg is negligible, MeHg is primarily eliminated from the body in an inorganic form through the action of the biliary system at the rate of 1% of the body burden per day. The biological half-life of MeHg is 39 to 70 days depending on body burden. Potential sources of organic mercury included exposure to fossil fuel emissions, the incineration of medical waste, dental amalgam, and various commercial products including skin creams, germicidal soaps, various medications, teething powders, analgesics, diaper treatments, vaccinations, thermometers, sphygmomanometer, barometers, incandescent lights, and batteries [5,7]. Other sources for organic mercury include phenyl mercury compounds and ethyl mercury compounds, which were components of latex paints that were used before 1990s [12] and thimerosal which has been used as a preservative in vaccines [7]. Among the most dangerous mercury compound is dimethylmercury ((CH₃)2Hg) which is toxic enough to cause death if only a few microliters is spilled on the skin, or even latex gloves [17]. Mercury poisoning can result in death, mental retardation, dysarthria, blindness, neurological deficits, loss of hearing, developmental defects, and abnormal muscle tone [7]. presents a helpful mnemonic that practitioners can use when examining possible MeHg toxicity.

Table 1

Mercury content of different seafoods [14]

Table 2

Some characteristics methylmercury toxic signs and symptoms are associated with the following mnemonic: DEADLY METHYLMERCURIALS

SYSTEMIC TOXICOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF MERCURY

Mercury exposure has been associated with the induction of over 250 symptoms which can complicate accurate diagnosis. Differential diagnosis begins with a patient history and physical examination consistent with mercury exposure. Laboratory testing typically includes 1) blood analysis; 2) urinalysis, with a 24-hour urine analysis, and a urine challenge test with a “chelating” agent; 3) hair analysis; and (d) tissue biopsy if warranted [10,18]. Because mercury can be quickly removed from the blood, redistributed and sequestered into different tissues it is important to note that there may not be a direct correlation between blood mercury concentration and the severity of mercury poisoning. Indeed, it is thought that shortly after entering the body that mercury quickly becomes tightly bound in the brain, spinal cord, ganglia, autonomic ganglia, and peripheral motor neurons. Nonetheless although the nervous system is the primary repository for mercury exposure, the transient and residual systemic distribution of mercury has the potential to cause symptoms in a number of different organ systems. In addition reports indicate that individual genetic background may play a role in mercury toxicokinetics [19].

CELLULAR EFFECTS OF MERCURY

At the cellular level mercury exposure is associated with alterations in membrane permeability, changes in macromolecular structure due to its affinity for sulfhydryl and thiol groups, and DNA damage [20,21,22]. Mercury has also been shown to induce oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction [23] which can result in alterations in calcium homeostasis and increased lipid peroxidation [24]. In addition, mercury may also increase radical oxygen species levels because of its ability to act as a catalyst for Fenton-type reactions [24].

CARDIOVASCULAR, HEMATOLOGICAL, AND PULMONARY EFFECTS

Mercury accumulation in the heart is thought to contribute to cardiomyopathy. Indeed, mercury levels in the heart tissue of individuals who died from idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy were found to be on average 22 000 times higher than in individuals who died of other forms of heart disease [25,26]. Mercury poisoning may also cause chest pain or angina, especially in individuals under age 45 [26]. In vitro studies have indicated that MeHg can inhibit the cardioprotective activity of paraoxonase 1 [27]. There is also good evidence linking mercury with anemia including hemolytic anemia and aplastic anemia as mercury is thought to compete with iron for binding to hemoglobin which can result in impaired hemoglobin formation [28]. In addition to anemia, additional data has also suggested that mercury may be a causative factor in mononucleosis and involved in leukemia, and Hodgkin’s disease [29,30,31].

Toxic vapors formed from mercury vaporization or the burning of mercury containing materials can enter the respiratory system and pass readily into the circulation. Case control studies have demonstrated that the chronic inhalation of even low concentrations of mercury (0.7 to 42 µg/m³) can produce tremors, sleep disturbances, and impaired cognitive skills in workers [12,32,33]. Mercury poisoning is associated with several different pulmonary conditions including Young’s syndrome [34], bronchitis and pulmonary fibrosis [35,36].

EFFECTS ON THE DIGESTIVE AND RENAL SYSTEMS

Mercury is absorbed through the epithelial cells when ingested. This absorbed mercury can cause various digestive disturbances as it can inhibit the production of the digestive trypsin, chymotrypsin, and pepsin along with the function of xanthine oxidase and dipeptyl peptidase IV [37]. The effects of mercury on the gastrointestinal system typically present as abdominal pain, indigestion, inflammatory bowel disease, ulcers and bloody diarrhea. Mercury ingestion has also been associated with the destruction of intestinal flora which can increase the amount of undigested food products in the blood stream causing immune mediated reactions and reduced resistance to pathogenic infection [38].

Mercury can cause kidney damage and evidence suggests a linkage between mercury exposure and acute tubular necrosis, glomerulonephritis, chronic renal disease, renal cancer and nephrotic syndrome [35,39,40,41]. Various reports have shown mercury exposure can lead to various kidney injuries including: subacute-onset nephrotic syndrome, tubular dysfunction, secondary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, syncreticatic nephrotic syndrome, nephritic syndrome, nephrotic-range proteinuria, glomerular disease, and membranous glomerulonephritis [42].

EFFECTS ON THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

Klinghardt’s axiom states that “Most, if not all, chronic infectious diseases are not caused by a failure of the immune system, but are a conscious adaptation of the immune system to an otherwise lethal heavy metal environment”. It has been known for many years that mercury impairs immune system function most likely via its deleterious effects on the polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs). Mercury through suppression of adrenocorticosteroids production prevents normal stimulation of PMNs production and also affects PMN function by inhibiting their ability to destroy foreign substances [43]. Mercury-sensitive individuals are more likely to have allergies, asthma, and autoimmune-like symptoms, especially rheumatoid-like ones. Mercury can produce an immune response in the central nervous system, induce alterations in immune cell production and function, and modulate the production of interferon gamma and interleukin-2 [44]. With impairment comes a chronically susceptible to infections, if not chronic sickness.

Interestingly, the ingestion of mercury is oftentimes associated with increased levels of yeasts, bacteria, and molds which are thought to function in a protective manner to absorb excess mercury from the body. Indiscriminant and rapid destruction of the Candida albicans and other pathogens by antibiotics in adults with a significant body burden of toxic metals, including mercury, may cause the sudden release of large amounts of toxic metals contained within them and be potentially very dangerous. Mercury body burden has also been associated with or implicated in a number of immune or autoimmune conditions including allergic disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, arthritis, autoimmune thyroiditis, autism/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, eczema, epilepsy, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, schizophrenia, scleroderma, and systemic lupus erythematosus [45,46,47,48,49,50,51].

EFFECTS ON THE NERVOUS SYSTEM

It is clear that mercury is accumulated in nervous tissues all through the body [52]. The most devastating effect of mercury in the nervous system is interference with the production of energy which can impair cellular detoxification processes causing the cell to either die or live in a state of chronic malnutrition. It is thought that mercury causes neuronal problems through blockage of the P-450 enzymatic process [26]. Mercury is associated with increased tissue oxidative damage, and children with autism had significantly higher urinary levels of lipid peroxidation when compared to controls. In the peripheral nervous system, circulating inorganic mercury can be taken up into the nerve terminals where it can impair the synthesis of tubulin and actin which are important constituents of neuronal cell structure and detoxification processes [53]. Primary sensory neuropathy is a hallmark of MeHg poisoning.

In the central nervous system mercury can damage the blood brain barrier and it facilitates penetration of the brain by other toxic metals and substances. The effects of mercury poisoning effects in the central nervous system include depression, paranoia, extreme irritability, hallucinations, an inability to concentrate, memory loss, tremors of the hands, head, lips, tongue, jaw and eyelids, weight loss, perpetually low body temperature, drowsiness, headaches, insomnia, and fatigue. Along with nervous system effects, mercury has also shown to have various effects on other special sensory systems including blindness, retinopathy, optic neuropathy, hearing loss, a reduced sense of smell, and abnormal touch sensation [54]. Autism is a syndrome characterized by impairments in social relatedness, language and communication, a need for routine and sameness, abnormal movements, and sensory dysfunction [55]. Mercury can cause immune, sensory, neurological, motor, and behavioral dysfunctions similar to traits defining or associated with autism [56] leading some to suggest that many cases of autism may be a form of mercury poisoning [55].

EFFECTS ON THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM

Low exposure levels of mercury may affect the endocrine system in animals and people by disruption of the pituitary, thyroid, adrenal glands and pancreas [57]. It is thought that mercury might impair endocrine function through its ability to reduce hormone-receptor binding or through the inhibition of one or more key enzymes or steps in hormone biosynthesis as is seen in the case of adrenal steroid biosynthesis and the inhibition of 21α-hydroxylase [58]. Hormones that appear to be the most affected by mercury are insulin, estrogen, testosterone, and adrenaline.

Mercury can also inhibit catecholamine degradation through inactivation of S-adenosyl-methionine which can cause the accumulation of epinephrine and hyperhidrosis, tachycardia, ptyalism (hyper salivation) and hypertension [1]. In the adrenal cortex, mercury exposure has been found to be associated with lowered plasma levels of corticosterone [58]. Reduced cortisol production causes a compensatory rise in adrenocorticotropic hormone leading to adrenal hyperplasia. Mercury-induced adrenal hyperplasia may eventually stress the adrenal to a point at which there is adrenal atrophy and may be a causative factor in the development of Addison’s disease [43].

Autopsy studies in 1975 revealed that the thyroid and pituitary retain and accumulate more inorganic mercury than the kidneys [59]. Mercury levels in the pituitary gland ranged from 6.3 to 77 ppb in one study, while another found the mean levels to be 28 ppb, levels found to be neurotoxic and cytotoxic [60]. Low levels of pituitary function are associated with depression and suicidal thoughts, and appear to be a major factor in suicide of teenagers and other vulnerable groups. Because of its effect on the pituitary, mercury is known to cause frequent urination as well as high blood pressure [61].

The thyroid is one of the largest endocrine glands in the body. The thyroid controls how quickly the body burns energy, makes proteins, and how sensitive the body should be to other hormones. Like the pituitary, the thyroid displays an affinity for accumulating mercury. Mercury blocks thyroid hormone production by occupying iodine-binding sites and inhibiting or altering hormone action leading to the impairment of body temperature control, hypothyroidism, thyroid inflammation and depression [43,61].

Like the thyroid, the pancreas is also susceptible to the toxic effects of mercury. Insulin, the molecule involved in diabetes, has three sulfur-binding sites which can be bound by mercury causing the interference with normal biological function and a dysregulation of blood glucose levels [62].

EFFECTS ON THE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

Mercury can precipitate pathophysiological changes along the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal and gonadal axis that may affect reproductive function by altering the circulating of levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), inhibin, estrogen, progesterone, and the androgens [63,64]. Reduced fertility among dental assistants with occupational exposure to mercury has been noted [65,66]. Studies in Hong Kong demonstrated that increased mercury levels were associated with infertility in both men and women [67]. In males, mercury can have adverse effects on spermatogenesis [68], epididymal sperm count, and testicular weight. Evidence also exists linking mercury with erectile dysfunction [64]. In females, mercury has been shown to inhibit the release of FSH and LH from the anterior pituitary which in turn can effect estrogen and progesterone levels leading to ovarial dysfunction, painful or irregular menstruation, premature menopause, and tipped uterus [62]. There is good evidence linking mercury with menstrual disorders including abnormal bleeding, short, long, irregular cycles, and painful periods [63].

FETOTOXICITY

In addition to reproductive issues, mercury is also associated with the fetotoxicity which can present as miscarriage, spontaneous abortions, stillbirth, and low birth weights [69]. In the neonate, mercury exposure during pregnancy has been linked to neural tube defects, craniofacial malformations, delayed growth, and others [69]. Mercury is known to cross the placenta where it can inhibit fetal brain development resulting in cerebral palsy and psychomotor retardation in the latter stages of development [70,71]. In primates maternal MeHg blood levels were moderatelyrelated to increased abortion rates and decreased oregnancy rates [72]. Embryopathic effects of MeHg in humans have also been reported. Fetal autopsies indicated a generalized hypoplasia of the cerebellum, decreased number of nerve cells in the cerebral cortex, marked decrease in total brain weight, abnormal neuron migration, and brain centers and layer deranged organization [73,74,75,76]. MeHg easily enters through the placenta and damages the brain of the fetus. Many exposed feti go on to develop infantile cerebral palsy and there may be a relation with the development of Minamata disease. Babies may be born with a variety of birth defects. A study of 64 children exposed in utero to mercury and showing mercury associated damage included the following signs and symptoms: mental retardation (100%), primitive reflexes (100%), strabismus (77%), cerebellar ataxia (100%), dysarthria (100%), chorea and athetosis (95%), deformed limbs (100%), hyper salivation (95%), epileptic attacks (82%), and growth disorders (100%) [6]. Mercury inhibits the trans membrane transport of nutrients including selenium in the placenta. In animal experiments it has also been shown that there is a much higher accumulation of mercury in the fetal brain tissue than in the maternal brain tissue [77].

CONCLUSION

It is evident by the number of organ systems and cellular functions affected by mercury that exposure to the various form of mercury is detrimental to public health. Evaluation of the epidemiological consequences of mercury toxicity over the years has added greatly to the understanding of mercury toxicity and its human impact. History has left us with a wide array of information regarding the effects of mercury toxicity: the earliest recorded death by mercury of the Qin Shi Huang first emperor to unify China [78], the “Mad Hatter disease” among milliners in the 18th and 19th centuries [79], the mercury spill on board the two British ships the Her Majesty’s ship (HMS) Triumph and HMS Philpps in 1810 [80,81], the apparent death of approximately 60 men during the construction of Saint Isaac’s Cathedral in Russia between 1818 to 1858 from the gold amalgam used for gilding [82], the mysterious death of actress Olive Thomas in 1920 from ingestion of her husband’s mercury pill used at the time to treat syphilis [83,84], the event at the Norwich England seed packing facility in the 1930s where the term “Hunter-Russell syndrome” originates [85], the 1950s industrial spill in Minamata and Niigat Japan where it was defined as “Minamata disease” [4], the rural poisoning in Iraq in 1971 to 1972 from MeHg-based fungicide [86], Karen Wetterhahn’s death at Dartmouth College in 1996 from a drop of dimethymercury of her latex gloves [87], Tony Winneet’s accidental death from using liquid mercury to extract gold from old computer parts [88], the current finding of mercury in 6. 0% of skin-lightening products tested in one study [89] and 47% of products tested in a Somali community contained mercury [90], the long term effects of the California Gold mining impact on mercury redistribution and potential impact on human health [91], and the numerous links to human consumption of mercury laden fish [92,93]. All of these events have left us with an indelible account of the detrimental effects of mercury on human health. In light of these historic events and the toxicological evidence presenting in this review regarding the systemic effects of mercury on cellular, cardiovascular, hematological, pulmonary, renal, immunological, neurological, endocrine, reproductive, and embryonic development, efforts should be made to insure adequate steps are taken in public health and prevention to reduce the occurrence of mercury exposure and raise public awareness.

Footnotes

The authors have no conflicts of interest with the material presented in this paper.

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Mercury poisoning | UF Health, University of Florida Health

Definition

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 your local emergency number (such as 911), or your local poison 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:

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.

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 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
• 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.

References

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.

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Dental Amalgam Side Effects and Reactions

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Mercury Toxicity: Background, Etiology, Epidemiology

4. What health effects could be linked to the form of mercury contained in dental amalgams?

4. What health effects could be linked to the form of mercury contained in dental amalgams?

• 4.1 How toxic are mercury and other metals used in amalgams?
• 4.2 What are the possible negative effects on health of dental amalgams?

4.1 How toxic are mercury and other metals used in amalgams?

Dental workers are more exposed than the general population
© Marcelo Terraza

The way mercury affects the body is highly dependant on how it enters the body and on its chemical form. People can be exposed to mercury released from amalgams by breathing in mercury vapour or by swallowing either elemental mercury leaching from the fillings or small pieces of amalgam that detach from the filling and that can go on to release mercury inside the gut.

Very little of the elemental mercury that comes into contact with the skin or that is swallowed is absorbed into the blood stream. However, a large part of mercury breathed in as vapours is absorbed in the lungs and distributed to the entire body, reaching all organs. The elemental mercury reacts and attaches itself to proteins within the body and is gradually eliminated, mainly through the urine and faeces, reducing its concentration in the body by half every three months in the absence of any additional exposure. The highest concentration of mercury following exposure is usually found in the kidney.

The exposure to mercury vapours from amalgam fillings is fairly low, 5 to 30 times lower than the limits set for workplace exposure, and many orders of magnitude lower than those that can cause long term health effects. In cases of long-term and regular exposure to mercury vapours, for instance in certain work environments considered poor by present standards, the central nervous system is particularly affected. The neurological symptoms can include increased excitability and tremors in fingers, eyelids and lips, which may progress to long term shaking of hands and feet. In addition it can affect the kidneys and cause inflammation of the gums and production of excessive amounts of saliva with a strong metallic taste. Exposure to extremely high doses of mercury – as experienced by some individuals working under poor conditions – may also produce bronchitis and pneumonia.

Dental amalgam can contain silver, zinc, copper, and tin and exposure to excessive doses of these metals can be harmful. The health effects depend on the metal involved and include skin irritation, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. More specifically:

• Silver is widely used in industry and for medicinal purposes, and it is present in our food. At very high concentrations it can cause local irritations and a deposition of silver in tissues, but no other harmful effects are known.
• Copper is an essential micronutrient. Copper deficiencies can for instance cause anaemia but exposure to excessive levels can also lead to anaemia and damage the liver, kidney and the immune system.
• Tin dust and fumes can cause lung problems, and if ingested, inorganic tin can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Excessive doses of tin can affect the way the body process other metals like copper, zinc and iron.
• Zinc is also an essential micronutrient, and zinc deficiency can lead to a series of health problems. Ingesting large doses of zinc can lead to digestive problems, and can lead to copper and iron deficiencies.

However, there is no evidence of any adverse health effects caused by the presence of these metals in amalgam fillings, apart from some people having allergic reactions to the individual elements. More…

4.2 What are the possible negative effects on health of dental amalgams?

The main exposure of patients to mercury from amalgam restorations occurs during placement or removal of the fillings. Therefore, it is more harmful to remove amalgam fillings than to leave them in place, unless the filling is damaged or defective, or the individual has an allergic reaction to one of the components of the amalgam.

Metals in close contact with skin and mucous membranes are well-known causes of allergic skin inflammation and mercury is no exception. Among allergic individuals, reactions to mercury or any of the metals in dental amalgam can result in inflammation of the gums, and in red and painful sores and ulcers in the mouth. The inflammation is not always limited to the mouth and can be observed as rashes in the face or other parts of the body. However, these reactions are rare and removing the filling usually resolves the problem.

There have been claims that amalgams might be involved in many diseases and in some neurological and psychological disorders such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s diseases, depression and anxiety. However, for many of the claims, scientific investigations have generally provided either refutation or found no link. No link has been found between dental amalgams and chronic fatigue syndrome, kidney diseases, autism, fertility, birth defects or coronary heart disease. There is no indication that amalgam affects the human immune system, and there is no evidence of a link between mercury and human mental health problems or psychological conditions.

Among dental workers, there does not seem to be a link between exposure to mercury and health. Although the level of mercury in the blood is higher in dentists than in the rest of the population, the general health of dentists is good and their lifespan is greater than that for control groups. However, because of possible effects on reproductive health it is important to monitor the levels of mercury in dental clinics to ensure these are not above permitted levels. As the number of amalgam restorations being placed and removed is decreasing, the need for such measures will decrease over time.

The current use of dental amalgam does not harm human health, other than causing occasional local effects, such as allergic reactions, in some dental patients.

Whatever the material chosen, direct restorations may fail, primarily through new caries between the tooth and the filling (secondary caries), fracture of the restoration or tooth, marginal deficiencies or wear. The rates at which these failures occur are difficult to compare since they will vary with clinical technique and from patient to patient. Also, the materials used are not comparable to each other since there have been changes in characteristics and improvements in quality over time.

Dental amalgam remains an effective, strong, durable and relatively cheap tooth filling material particularly resistant to secondary caries, possibly through anti-bacterial activity. It will outlast alternative materials under many circumstances. More…

Mercury poisoning from skin lightening products

Minnesota Department of Health tested a random sample of skin lightening products sold in Twin Cities stores in 2011: 11 out of 27 (41%) contained excessive levels of inorganic mercury (ranging from 135-33,000 ppm)

Who is at risk?

• Patients using skin lightening products because of cultural or medical reasons

People use skin lightening products for a variety of reasons including skin bleaching, melasma,age or sun spot reduction, morphea, dysmorphia and other medical/personal reasons.

Skin lightening is commonly practiced around the world, with deep roots in colorism that places
higher value and privilege of light-skinned people over dark-skinned people. It is important to
address the social stigma that comes with darker skin and encourage everyone to love their
skin.

How are people exposed?

• Inhalation of mercury vapors
• Dermal absorption
• Ingestion

Examples of skin lightening products include creams, powders, soaps and similar products. Use of a product containing mercury exposes everyone in the home to mercury vapor in the air. Mercury can also be spread through household items (towels, clothing) that come into contact with the skin lightening products.

Signs and symptoms

• Rash
• Hypertension, edema, uremia (due to tubular and glomerular renal injury)
• Paresthesias, nervousness, irritability, tremors, memory loss, depression, weight loss, fatigue

Recommendations for health care providers

• Ask patients who may be at risk for using skin lightening products because of medical or
  cultural reason about these products and include questions in patient history. Mercury (or
  other chemicals such as hydroquinone or steroids) may be the active ingredient in these
  products.
• Consider inorganic mercury exposure from skin lightening products when conducting
  workup for differential diagnoses of renal, dermatologic and neurological diseases.
• Contact Minnesota Poison Control with any questions about evaluating for mercury
  exposure or whether to obtain urine mercury levels.

Recommendations for patients using skin lightening products

• Stop using the product now. If you have been using a product with mercury in it, your body
  will naturally get rid of the mercury over time.
• Do not throw the product in the trash or dispose of it in the toilet or sink. If it has mercury
  in it, it can harm others if it gets into the environment.
• Take the product to a household hazardous waste site. You can find the nearest site in the
  phone book or on the website of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (search for household hazardous waste).
• If you have concerns about your skin, see a dermatologist.

Testing for inorganic mercury exposure

• Screening for inorganic mercury is completed through urine collection, ideally collected with
  use of a preservative.
• In the general population, normal urine mercury levels should be less than 5 micrograms/liter.
  Anything higher indicates likely exposure to inorganic mercury. At levels greater than 25 mcg/L,
  symptoms may be present though are unlikely, and a toxicologist or environmental
  specialist should be consulted. At levels greater than 100 mcg/L, acute health effects are possible, and a
  toxicologist should be consulted as soon as possible through Minnesota Poison Control.

How should I treat inorganic mercury poisoning?

• Removing the source of exposure is the most effective treatment.
• Some patients may require supportive care.
• Severe mercury poisoning can be treated with chelation after careful assessment of
  risk/benefit. Chelation treatment of asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic patients is
  unlikely to benefit patients, and may be harmful. Consultation with a medical toxicologist at
  Minnesota Poison Control is highly recommended before initiating chelation.

Where can I obtain more information?

Information for Patients About Dental Amalgam Fillings

What Is Dental Amalgam?

Dental amalgam, sometimes called a “silver-filling” due to its appearance, is a mixture of mercury, silver, copper, tin and zinc used to fill cavities in teeth. Dental amalgam is approximately half (50%) mercury, by weight.

Is Dental Amalgam Safe?

Dental amalgam fillings may release small amounts of mercury in the form of a vapor (gas), depending on the number and age of existing fillings, and actions such as tooth grinding and gum chewing. When a new amalgam filling is placed or an old filling is removed, patients and healthcare providers may experience a temporary increase in exposure to mercury vapor. While there are no known health risks associated with ingestion (swallowing) of small particles of dental amalgam, inhaling (breathing in) mercury vapors may be harmful in certain patients.

In general, people with multiple dental amalgam fillings may have slightly higher mercury levels in their blood or urine, however, they usually remain at a level considered safe. Studies on people with dental amalgam do not show conclusive evidence that dental amalgam causes harmful health effects in the general population.

Who Should Be Concerned About Dental Amalgam?

Certain people, including women who are pregnant or who are planning to become pregnant, nursing mothers, children (especially those under the age of six), people with a known allergy to mercury, and people with neurological impairment or kidney dysfunction, may be more susceptible to the effects of exposure to mercury from dental amalgam and may be at greater risk for adverse health effects. Little information is known about the potential health effects of mercury vapor exposure from dental amalgam on these groups of people. As such, if you are a person who is in one of the high-risk populations identified and need a new filling, the FDA recommends you avoid dental amalgam if possible and appropriate. Talk to your dental provider about your health history and other available treatment options for fillings.

• Women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Placement of new amalgam fillings in a pregnant mother may result in high, transient spikes of mercury exposure to the mother and fetus. Some studies have shown a relationship between the number of amalgam fillings a mother has and mercury levels in umbilical cord blood. Results from these studies did not identify any certain associations with harmful health effects; however, the data is very limited.
• Nursing mothers. The amount of mercury in breast milk is typically very low. Some studies have reported a relationship between the number of amalgam fillings a mother has and the amount of mercury in breast milk. The very few, limited studies that have been conducted to evaluate possible harm to infants and children exposed to dental amalgam mercury as a result of breast-feeding did not identify any definite associations with harmful health effects.
• Children, especially those under the age of six. Clinical studies in children ages six and older have not found a definite connection between the use of dental amalgam and harmful health effects. Studies on children under the age of six are very limited. The developing neurological systems of children may be especially sensitive to exposure to mercury vapor.
• People who are more sensitive to mercury or other components of dental amalgam. Some people may have an allergy or sensitivity to mercury or other components (e.g., silver, copper, tin or zinc) of dental amalgam and may report or experience health effects, including allergic reactions and oral ulcers, as well as more generalized symptoms, after placement of an amalgam filling.
• People with neurological impairment or kidney dysfunction. Studies show mercury is localized in certain tissues of the body including the brain and kidneys. Very limited clinical information is available about possible health effects of mercury vapor exposure on individuals who already have kidney and/or neurological impairments.

Although a direct correlation between mercury from amalgam and possible harmful health effects has not been established, and there may be cumulative effects from exposure to mercury from other sources such as the environment or diet, some signs or symptoms of excessive mercury in the body may include:

• Mood disorders (for example, anxiety, depression, irritability)
• Sleep troubles or disturbances
• Fatigue (feeling tired)
• Memory troubles or disturbances
• Tremors (shaking)
• Difficulties with coordination
• Visual changes
• Changes in hearing

Should Dental Amalgam Fillings Be Removed?

If your filling is in good condition and your dentist or health care professional says there is no decay beneath the filling, removal of your amalgam filling is not recommended. This is because removing intact amalgam fillings may result in unnecessary loss of healthy tooth structure and potentially exposes you to a temporary increase in mercury vapor released during the removal process. Intact amalgam fillings in anyone, including those of greater risk such as pregnant or nursing mothers and children, should not be removed for the purpose of preventing any disease or health condition, unless considered medically necessary by a health care professional. If you have a health condition (especially sensitivity or allergy to mercury, or neurological or kidney disease), you should discuss the need for removal and replacement with your dentist or physician.

What Other Materials Can Be Used for My Filling and What Are Their Benefits and Risks?

The use of dental amalgam has been declining through the years, with materials such as resin-based composites and glass ionomers (sometimes called “porcelain”, “resin” or “white fillings”) being more widely used. The durability of these alternative materials has improved since they were first developed, but may not reach that of dental amalgam fillings, especially in areas with higher biting forces or wear and stress from chewing, such as the back teeth (molars). Dental amalgam has advantages over resin-based materials in certain clinical situations, for example:

• when a patient is identified as being at higher risk for tooth decay;
• when there is a need for large fillings in posterior (back) teeth where biting forces are high; and
• where moisture can present a problem for certain placement such as near the gumline.

Although resin-based materials may require more time for placement, they typically require the removal of less healthy tooth structure for placement, compared to dental amalgam. In addition, resin-based materials offer the added benefit in that they are color-matched to tooth structure and do not contain any heavy metals. However, resin-based materials also have risks associated with their use, with primary concerns being potential exposure and hypersensitivity to certain chemicals such as methacrylate and how long they will last (longevity).

If you need a filling, discuss all treatment options with your dental provider, including the benefits and risks of using dental amalgam and other dental restorative materials, to help you make an informed decision. If you are concerned about mercury exposure from dental amalgam, resin-based materials should be strongly considered. The decision about what material to use to fill cavities in teeth is one that should be made between you and your dental provider (and physician if needed).

The durability of any filling or tooth depends on many factors besides dental filling materials. To help your teeth and fillings last as long as possible, you should maintain a healthy diet, proper oral hygiene, and regular dental checkups.

What If I Have Adverse Reactions with a Dental Amalgam Filling?

If you believe you have experienced adverse reactions from treatment with dental amalgam, you should discuss this with your dentist or physician and report it to the FDA’s MedWatch program at 1-800-332-1088 or http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/HowToReport/default.htm.

Deadly metal: how dangerous is mercury and how to avoid poisoning | Healthy life | Health

Why is mercury dangerous?

According to the hazard class, mercury belongs to the first class, that is, it is considered an extremely hazardous chemical substance. The penetration of mercury into the body often occurs by inhalation of its odorless vapors.

Exposure to even small amounts of mercury can cause health problems and severe poisoning. Mercury has toxic effects on the nervous, digestive and immune systems, lungs, kidneys, skin and eyes.

Mercury poisoning is divided into mild (food poisoning), acute (after accidents at enterprises, due to safety violations) and chronic.

Chronic poisoning increases the risk of tuberculosis, atherosclerosis, hypertension. In this case, the consequences of mercury poisoning can appear several years after the termination of contact with it.

Acute mercury poisoning can lead to death. Also, if no treatment is carried out in case of poisoning, then the functions of the central nervous system may be impaired, mental activity is reduced, convulsions, exhaustion appear.Acute stages of mercury poisoning cause loss of vision, complete paralysis, baldness.

Especially mercury and its compounds are dangerous for pregnant women, as they pose a threat to the development of the child.

Until the 1970s, mercury compounds were actively used in medicine, but due to its high toxicity, this metal was almost no longer used for the manufacture of medicines.

Today mercury compounds (merthiolate) are used

– as a preservative for vaccines;

– for medical thermometers – one medical thermometer contains up to 2 g of mercury;

– energy-saving gas-discharge fluorescent lamps contain up to tens of milligrams of mercury.

Mercury is also found in fish and shellfish, so it is recommended to avoid seafood during pregnancy.

Note that heat treatment of food does not destroy the mercury it contains.

Mercury poisoning

Chronic forms of mercury poisoning are called mercurialism, which occurs due to prolonged exposure to small doses of mercury vapor on a person. Mercurialism can cause not only physical, but also mental deviations.

Poisoning symptoms .Acute mercury poisoning manifests itself a couple of hours after the onset of poisoning. Symptoms of acute poisoning: weakness, headache, sore throat, metallic taste in the mouth, salivation, swelling and bleeding of the gums, nausea and vomiting. Often there are severe abdominal pains, diarrhea, chest pains, coughing, severe chills, and the body temperature rises to 38–40 ° C.

Chronic mercury poisoning is indicated by fatigue, drowsiness, general weakness, headache, dizziness, apathy, irritability.

What to do? At the first sign of mercury poisoning, it is important to call a doctor as soon as possible. Before the ambulance arrives, the victim needs to drink milk and then induce vomiting to remove the fluid.

Prevention

In everyday life, mercury thermometers are the main source of possible poisoning. To keep yourself and your children safe, it is worth purchasing thermometers that do not contain mercury.

How to get rid of mercury in a room

Special services are involved in the disposal of mercury, including those that are part of the Russian Emergencies Ministry. On a household call, if you break the thermometer, they usually do not leave. You can get rid of a small amount of mercury yourself.

First, you need to take the children and pets out of the room and open the window to provide fresh air.

Before removing mercury, you should protect yourself as much as possible – wear a respirator or gauze bandage, rubber gloves.

Fragments of the thermometer can be placed in a tight plastic bag and tied tightly. Mercury itself is best placed in an airtight container, for example, in a jar of cold water. During collection, you can use a paper envelope or paper towel. Before you start collecting the mercury, illuminate the space with a lamp – under the rays of light, the balls of mercury will be noticeable, as they begin to shine.

You can collect mercury using:

– brushes made of amalgamating metals;

– pieces of wire, they will help to collect mercury in the cracks;

– adhesive tape – suitable for collecting small balls;

– pipettes with a fine tip.

Place the collected mercury and used items in a previously prepared sealed container.

The room needs to be treated with chemicals. The simplest composition for treating a room is an alcohol solution of 5% iodine. You can also fill the place where the mercury was, with a solution of “potassium permanganate”. The floor must be thoroughly washed the next day.

Do not dispose of mercury in a garbage chute or sewer.After collecting the mercury, call the local emergency department, they are obliged to take it for disposal.

Strongly prohibited:

Sweep mercury with a broom. The rods break the ball of mercury into smaller ones, making them harder to collect.

Collect mercury with a vacuum cleaner, as it heats up during operation and the evaporation of mercury increases. In addition, the mercury will settle inside the vacuum cleaner and have to be thrown away.

Wash clothes in which you removed mercury, as this can lead to contamination of the washing machine with harmful metal.All things that have come into contact with mercury must be thrown away.

See also:

90,000 The effect of mercury on the human body

As you know, at room temperature, mercury is a liquid. As a result, there is a constant and continuous evaporation of atoms from its surface. Mercury in a gaseous state can linger in the atmosphere for months, over time, gradually, it makes a cycle and returns to the soil, falling out with rainwater. Even being in a solid state of aggregation or in alloys with other metals, mercury atoms are constantly escaping into the atmosphere.We will talk about the effect of mercury on the human body in this article.

Mercury is a transition metal, in nature it forms a number of minerals, and at the same time it is found in nature in its native form. It is a rare earth element with an average concentration of 0.08 ppm. Compared to ordinary rocks, mercury ores are in many cases more concentrated, this is due to the fact that mercury poorly enters into chemical compounds with elements that are most abundant in the earth’s crust.The richest in mercury ores contain up to 2.5% mercury. According to the 23rd known mercury deposits in Russia, industrial reserves of mercury are 15.6 thousand tons. Mercury is practically insoluble in water. However, its vapors pass through the layer of water. Mercury interacts with many metals to form amalgams. Mercury is usually stored and transported in steel cylinders or thick-walled glass containers.

Until the 20th century, mercury emissions into the atmosphere and ensured its deposition from the atmosphere in the form of precipitation, amounted to about 4 ng per liter of water at a temperature of zero degrees. About half of all mercury emissions into the atmosphere come from natural sources: volcanoes and fires. The remaining 50% are the consequences of man-made human activities: emissions from thermal power plants as a result of working on various coals make up 65% of the total volume of emissions, smelting of precious and non-ferrous metals – 17.8%, production of building materials, in particular cement – 6.4%, methods used utilization, including waste incineration – 3%, in the production of soda – 3%, production of metals (steel and cast iron) – 1.4%.Mercury is produced by burning mercury sulfide (cinnabar).

MERCURY CONTAINING COMPOUNDS

Mercury and its compounds are used in many sectors of the national economy: engineering, chemical and pharmaceutical industries, in medical practice. The well-known compound calomel, literally translated from Greek as beautiful (καλός) and black (μέλας) Hg2Cl2 is a rare mineral, belongs to the class of halides, is mercury (I) chloride, used in pyrotechnics.

Mercury (II) chloride, called mercuric chloride, is very toxic; it was previously used and used in medicine as a disinfectant and antimicrobial agent: externally in the form of ointment forms for diseases of the cornea of ​​the eye, blennorrhea, and was also used topically for the prevention and treatment of venereal diseases. In some cases, it was used for oral administration as a choleretic agent. Due to toxicity, it has now been replaced in medical practice by more modern drugs.

It must be said that mercury ointment or mercury ointments is the collective name for a number of medicinal products that contain, in one percentage or another, mercury or mercury compounds with other metals. It is because of the very high biological activity of mercury and its compounds – the ability to inactivate sulfhydryl groups of enzymes – that it has been used as a medicine since ancient times. The term antiseptic effect was introduced 265 years ago by the English physician J.Pringle, who described it in quinine. This term implies a series of successive measures that are aimed at destroying the microbial flora in wounds, in foci of inflammation, and the same in the body as a whole using various methods and methods: mechanical and physical, as well as the use of various biological factors and chemicals. Naturally, the ancient doctors did not realize the effect of mercury and its compounds in such a way as a set of measures, but the knowledge accumulated imperially showed the effectiveness of using ointments containing mercury and its compounds.Unfortunately, the doctors of that time could not assess the long-term effects of the toxic effect of mercury on the body due to the lack of methods and methods of such diagnostics.

In ancient Russia, the use of mercury compounds in the treatment of epidemic diseases came from India – “mercury oil” was used in the treatment of skin diseases, as well as one of the effective means of getting rid of skin parasites, the method that has come down to our days is Unguentum Hydrargyri cinereum (mercury ointment gray).The drug is used externally, has an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effect. Indications for use: parasitic diseases (phthiriasis – pediculosis caused by pubic lice). The ointment consists (calculated per 100 g): purified animal fat – 60.0 g, concentrated mercury ointment – 35.7 g, anhydrous lanolin – 4.3 g. You can compare the recipe – a recipe from ancient Indian Vedic texts – the ointment was prepared by grinding sulfur, metallic mercury and animal fat.

Mercury amidochloride is an active ingredient in some cosmetic products used for gradual exfoliation.With this method, ointments or cosmetics containing bodyagu and amidochloric mercury are used.

In veterinary medicine, ointments containing mercury are used as external agents for parasitic skin diseases.

It is used in steel blackening and etching technologies, for the production of calomel electrodes, as a catalyst for organic reactions, for the production of certain types of ink, as well as for the processing of wooden building materials. Mercury chloride, like many other organic compounds of mercury, is used in agriculture, it is used for dressing seeds (sowing material) during storage and are widely used as pesticides.

Mercury nitrate is used in the leather industry, in the production of felt hats and for finishing fur products, in the chemical industry for silvering mirrors and obtaining other mercury compounds. In terms of toxicity, mercury nitrate is comparable to that of mercuric chloride.

In industries where mercury and its compounds are used in the technological cycle, mental disorders were often observed in workers employed in the production cycle.

Today in everyday life we ​​are faced with mercury usually in the following cases:

• inserting dental fillings containing amalgam (Fig 2),

• using vaccines containing merthiolate

• when eating seafood,

• when using devices containing mercury (mercury-containing lamps, thermometers, batteries, etc.)n.)

In dentists, the use of amalgams in our time is due to the fact that until now this compound is one of the most durable and stable filling material and has been used in dentists for more than a century. Over such a long period, the compositions of amalgams have undergone many and significant changes. In modern dentistry, copper and silver amalgam is used to prevent bacterial contamination. Elemental mercury, being gradually released from dental amalgam, is inhaled and absorbed by the lungs, usually in 80% of cases, and accumulates in the body.

Amalgams are alloys of mercury (liquid or solid) with other metals. Such alloys are used in the technology of gilding metal products, in the production of mirrors, for the extraction of certain metals from ores, in cold welding in microelectronics.

During the production of vaccines, at one of the technological stages, thimerosal is added, which in its composition contains 50% methyl mercury. Methylmercury is a white powdery substance with a characteristic sulfur odor and is an organic compound of aromatic mercury.In the production of pharmaceuticals, merthiolate is widely used due to its pronounced antiseptic, bactericidal, and fungicidal properties. It is used as a preservative in vaccines, preparations of immunoglobulins (antibodies), antidotes (antidotes), skin tests for allergies, in some preparations for the eyes and nasal mucosa, as well as in tattoo paints.

Has high toxicity, manifests itself as a carcinogen, mutagen, teratogen. Merthiolate is extremely dangerous if ingested.Routes of entry into the body: inhalation, through the skin or with food. For mice, when administered subcutaneously, the average lethal dose (LD50) is 66 mg / kg and only 21 mg / kg less when administered intravenously – 45 mg / kg.

In the majority of vaccines used in the Russian Federation, merthiolate is contained in an insignificant concentration of 1: 10000. Accordingly, the inoculation dose, which is 0.5 ml of the vaccine, contains an insignificant amount of merthiolate – 0.05 mg

Fish, like many seafood, contains another, but no less dangerous, organic form of mercury, which is the cause of mass poisoning – methylmercury.Commercial fish and shellfish get this form from plankton, which is included in their food chain. Plankton, in turn, synthesizes this compound from inorganic mercury extracted from the sea. This is the etiology of the occurrence of seafood poisoning.

BRAIN DAMAGE BY MERCURY POISONING

According to studies, the degree and severity of damage to the brain and heart with a certain dose of mercury depends on many factors: age, gender, and a person’s genetically determined ability to remove mercury and its compounds from the body.Young children are more susceptible to a certain dose of mercury, since their brains are in the developmental stage, as well as men due to the fact that the male hormone testosterone significantly increases its neurotoxicity. However, the most pronounced factor is that a person has a genetically programmed ability to remove mercury from the body. It has been found that the human brain contains certain enzymes that help remove hazardous substances. There are three types of such enzymes that help remove mercury atoms from the brain: APO-E2 (removes two mercury atoms) APO-E3 (removes one atom), APO-E4 (does not remove mercury atoms).

American researchers placed amalgam fillings containing a radio chip into sheep teeth and, using a scanner, managed to determine the concentration of mercury that escaped. It turned out that the bulk of the mercury atoms evaporated through the nose. When evaporated, they traveled along the olfactory nerve to directly into the hippocampus, the organ that controls memory, and also entered other important areas of the brain.

In other studies, rats received mercury in concentrations that were similar to the inhaled concentration in humans from amalgam fillings.After some time, pathological markers of Alzheimer’s disease were identified in these rats.

According to the observations of genetic scientists, genes received from parents determine two enzymes produced by the body. People who inherited two APO-E4 enzymes (and therefore do not have either the APO-E2 or APO-E3 genes) have an 80 percent chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease. The first symptoms of the disease: people find it difficult to concentrate, as well as memory loss of varying degrees, which further leads to the destruction of the psyche.According to the studies carried out, in the brain of children with autism, the dominance of the AP0-E4 enzymes is observed.

People with Alzheimer’s disease have a 25% reduction in the brain and its structures.Examination revealed pathological signs that are exclusively characteristic of this disease (amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary nodules, and phosphorylated tau proteins). In one of the experiments carried out, brain cells grown in laboratory conditions were exposed to nanomolar doses of mercury (3.6 x 10-10 mol); further research revealed the same three above-mentioned pathological signs characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease. In an independent, other study in the brains of people who had many fillings that included amalgam (Fig.2), the same amount of mercury was detected. It has been established that the main source of mercury in the brain of adults is amalgam from dental fillings. A medium-sized dental amalgam filling contains 750,000 mcg of mercury, with approximately 10 mcg released every day. These are negligible amounts, but as already mentioned, mercury and its compounds can accumulate in the human body.

FEATURES OF ACUTE AND CHRONIC POISONING WITH MERCURY

Acute mercury poisoning occurs when mercury or its compounds enter the human body through the upper respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, as well as penetration through the skin.Morphologically, intoxication manifests itself in the form of multiple, massive necrosis in the stomach, large intestine and acute tubular necrosis of the kidneys – impaired renal function with a sharp decrease in the processes of reabsorption and filtration, which lead to a disorder of water, electrolyte, nitrogen and other types of metabolism. A pronounced swelling appears. So far, no characteristic brain damage from exposure to mercury compounds has been noted or identified.

Chronic mercury intoxication, in contrast to acute, clinically has more characteristic changes. Hypersalivation occurs – profuse salivation, the color of the gums changes, since mercury accumulated at the edges of the gums causes gingivitis with the further development of periodontitis, manifests itself as bleeding, loosening and loss of teeth. Chronic gastritis often develops, accompanied by ulceration of the mucous membrane, and kidney function is impaired.

Metallic mercury (Hg) is found in medical thermometers – 2 g (Fig. In each, in some other medical devices – the Riva-Rocchi apparatus, where the blood pressure indicator was a mercury manometer, mercury-containing electrical elements, dental fillings. Monovalent (Hg +) and bivalent (Hg2 +) mercury is found in many organic and inorganic compounds that are salts and oxides, all three forms, metallic, mono-, and divalent mercury, but to varying degrees.

In nature, the decomposition of organic mercury compounds to inorganic ones occurs slowly. Inorganic mercury compounds can be gradually converted by water and soil microorganisms into an organic compound – methylmercury. Occasionally, these mercury compounds can accumulate in hazardous concentrations in fish, especially in species such as swordfish and tuna

It was the use of a sea of ​​products contaminated with mercury that got into coastal waters from industrial wastes of enterprises that led in 1955 to massive mercury poisoning in the small Japanese coastal city of Minamata.

According to official figures from the Japanese National Institute for the Study of Disease, the cause of the mass poisoning was the consumption of large quantities of fish and shellfish contaminated with methylmercury, which was dumped into Minamata Bay. This disease is not infectious or genetic.Marine organisms, which were not harmed by toxic compounds, were accumulators of lethal doses of mercury compounds and their transmitters. Officially, Minomata disease was established in 1956 and only 12 years later, in 1968, the national government decided to announce that Chisso Co., Ltd. was responsible for these mass poisonings. When it enters the body massively, methylmercury primarily and primarily affects the central nervous system. Symptoms are numbness of the upper and lower extremities and their weakness, tremors of the arms, legs and even the whole body – mercury tremor, rapid and chronic fatigue, headaches, hyperexcitability, ringing in the ears, impaired peripheral (lateral) visual field, i.e.that is, its narrowing to a small island in the central region, a feeling of seeing the world around, through a small-diameter tube, hearing loss, clumsy movements – impaired coordination, dysarthria – slurred speech, unstable pulse, tachycardia. In severe cases of poisoning, some of the victims of Minamata Disease that gripped the city went crazy and died within a month. In the chronic course of the disease, the symptoms of this disease – frequent and almost constant fatigue, decreased performance, headaches, loss and lack of taste and smell, memory impairment and forgetfulness, are not fatal, but extremely complicate and complicate everyday life.

Inorganic mercury compounds.

Such compounds are readily absorbed through the skin and into the gastrointestinal tract. When ingested in significant doses, they damage the intestinal walls, which leads to an even greater intensification of the penetration process. After absorption, decomposition occurs with the formation of metallic and divalent mercury. Due to the structure and chemical characteristics of inorganic compounds, only a small amount of mercury passes through the blood-brain barrier.Basically, it is excreted from the body or accumulates in the kidneys.

Organic compounds of mercury.

These mercury derivatives are highly toxic, especially methylmercury, are volatile and easily pass through the lungs. When mercury vapor is inhaled, symptoms of acute bronchitis and pneumonia are observed. When ingested (for example, with contaminated seafood), they are easily absorbed. Organic compounds are fat-soluble. It is the lipid solubility of methylmercury that determines its high toxicity, even when it enters the human body in small doses.This property provides a fairly easy penetration through biological membranes, to get into the brain and spinal cord, as well as into the peripheral nerves. Such compounds, in pregnant women, cross the placental barrier and accumulate in the fetus. Methylmercury can also pass into breast milk of nursing mothers and build up to dangerous levels in the blood of babies. Methylmercury, getting into the nerve cells of the central nervous system, produces their complete destruction and this process is practically irreversible. An extremely long-term treatment is required in order to at least reduce or reduce the consequences.

HYGIENIC STANDARDS FOR MERCURY CONCENTRATION

Maximum permissible concentration or level of contamination with metallic mercury and its vapors:

– settlements (daily average) – no more than 0.0003 mg / m3;

– living quarters (daily average) – not higher than 0.0003 mg / m3;

– air in the working area (maximum one-time) – not higher than 0.01 mg / m3;

– air in the working area (average shift) – no more than 0.005 mg / m3;

– waste water (industrial, for inorganic compounds) – 0.005 mg / ml;

– water bodies of cultural and drinking water use – not more than 0.0005 mg / l;

– fishery reservoirs – no more than 0.00001 mg / l;

– sea water bodies – not more than 0.0001 mg / l;

– in soil layers – not more than 2.1 mg / kg.

TREATMENT MEASURES FOR POISONING WITH MERCURY

In case of intoxication with mercury or mercury-containing compounds, therapy should be complex and differentiated and take into account the severity and characteristics of the pathological process. In case of acute intoxication, an emergency hospitalization is carried out, in case of chronic intoxication, inpatient treatment is provided in the initial stages, in the future, outpatient or sanatorium treatment is carried out. In case of detection of occupational poisoning, the employee must be transferred to other types of work.

In therapy for mercury poisoning, symptomatic treatment of the main drugs is used: unitiol, taurine, methionine, sodium dimercaptopropanesulfonate, dimercaptosuccinic acid, allithiamine.

In the event of signs of mercury poisoning in the home or at the enterprise, for the provision of qualified assistance, it is necessary to call medical workers. Before the arrival of the medical team, the victim needs to wash the stomach several times with water, after adding activated carbon – 20-30 g.Then they give a liter of milk to drink, after which it is recommended to beat the egg white with water, a few eggs for 0.5 liters and give a laxative. After carrying out first aid measures, while awaiting medical assistance, the victim must be placed in a ventilated room with forced ventilation and ensure complete rest.

In the treatment of mercury intoxication (except for special medical measures and medications), as well as for prevention, a diet with the use of products with a high content of pectins and alginates – plant substances that contribute to the elimination of salts of heavy metals and mercury from the body is recommended.

Demercurization Cleaning of premises and objects from contamination with metallic mercury and sources of mercury vapor is called demercurization (Fig. 5) Demercurization with the help of sulfur and ferric chloride FeCl3 is widely used in everyday life.

Prohibition of the use of mercury-containing products

Since 2020, an international convention named after mass mercury poisoning and signed by many countries has banned the production, export and import of several different types of mercury-containing products used in everyday life, including electric batteries, electrical switches and relays, some types of compact fluorescent lamps (CFL ), cold cathode or external electrode fluorescent lamps, mercury thermometers and pressure measuring instruments.The convention introduces regulation of the use of mercury and limits a number of industrial processes and industries, including mining (especially non-industrial gold mining), cement production.

According to the materials of the press of the magazine “SanEpidem Control”

90,000 Children poisoned with mercury will be monitored by doctors for several years

Another “mercury” emergency happened in one of the schools of the Nevsky district. And again the child brought the dangerous metal to the educational institution.

Cases of mercury vapor poisoning began to be recorded from the beginning of October, and at the moment seven people have already applied for medical help. Supervisory agencies joined the investigation into the circumstances of the incident. Also, inspections began by the district and environmental prosecutor’s offices. Victoria Demina will continue the topic.

The skateboard area – the most popular meeting place for students in School 339 – is closed today. It was here that employees of environmental services a few days ago recorded an excess of the permissible concentration of mercury by 30 times.

“Several children are not feeling well, they are vomiting. We worry about children, there are a lot of children, let’s hope that none of the children will be poisoned anymore. ”

“Now measurements show that the situation is even better than in the operating room. That is, if the norm is 300, our school is somewhere around 30-40 maximum. ”

Four students of the 339th school with a high mercury content in the blood are now at the Filatov City Children’s Hospital.All classmates. In total, with mercury poisoning in the clinic, there are now seven adolescents in the Nevsky District who were admitted at intervals of one or two days. This is the first time in the practice of the clinic’s doctors.

“Poisoning with heavy metals in children is extremely rare.”

It still started at the end of September. A 10-year-old boy found a half-liter bottle either at the entrance or on the street. Brought home. As the experts later found out, before the house of the bank with seven kilograms of mercury, she managed to visit the school.On the skateboard, students played and rolled balls of liquid metal during all breaks. So the particles of the poison spread throughout the school grounds. The boy’s peers have versions where the student could find dangerous metal.

– If you go straight, there is an abandoned factory, there are many thermometers. Across the road along the rails. I initially thought that there he took a rail. I know this boy and saw him many times there. I immediately thought it was there.

Seven kilograms are the contents of seven thousand thermometers.Industrial scale volume. And all this in one school.

Elimination of the consequences is ongoing. Some of the wooden equipment of the skate area has already been taken away for recycling. In the near future, it is possible that work on cleaning the soil will be carried out here. And tomorrow, pediatricians of district polyclinics will check all the children who could come into contact with hazardous metal right at the school.

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90,000 Belarusian doctor dispelled myths about vaccines against COVID-19 and not only

Vaccinations against coronavirus have raised another wave of discussions about vaccines: “not tested”, “what if it will be worse” and so on. On the forums of opponents of vaccination, there is so much: both stories in the spirit of “the mother-in-law of the nephew of the husband’s sister made the vaccine and died”, and arguments that vaccinations are a conspiracy of the secret government.And all would be fine, but some people begin to believe not in the scientific community, but in pseudo-doctors – and can harm both themselves and those around them. Onliner collected the popular arguments of anti-vaccination users and asked the head of the diagnostic department of the Minsk City Clinical Infectious Diseases Hospital Igor Gutsalyuk to comment on them.

“Why vaccinations against tetanus, whooping cough? These are rare diseases, they almost never occur ”

There is an opinion that DPT vaccination (adsorbed pertussis-diphtheria-tetanus vaccine) is not needed: they say, these diseases are almost forgotten, the probability of infection is small – why should children be stuffed with all kinds of chemistry from birth? The doctor explains it this way:

– Only thanks to vaccinations did the same tetanus become a rare disease.Tetanus can be different, and you can meet the pathogen anywhere – for example, in a sandbox where children play.

And, in principle, only vaccines made it possible to forget about many diseases that were previously widespread. Now, says Igor, there are practically no people with diphtheria or tetanus in hospitals. But when such an incident occurs, things take a sharp turn:

– Cope with such diseases can be very difficult. As a rule, these are difficult patients.

“Someone got vaccinated and became disabled / died. Vaccines are dangerous! ”

What they write in the groups against vaccines: and that after the vaccination the child died, and that there was a strong allergic reaction, and that the immune system was destroyed. True, all this is without specific references to such cases.

It is important to understand: any vaccine is an interference with the body, and it reacts in different ways. Actually, an adverse reaction can occur from any medication. If you look at the instructions even for harmless pills, for example, for a sore throat, there will be an impressive list of adverse reactions.

– An adverse or allergic reaction to the vaccine is possible, no one is immune from this. But numerous studies fail to find a causal relationship between vaccines and the emergence of, for example, autism, which is sometimes talked about. A potential allergic component is possible, yes. We do not know how a person will react to the vaccine, therefore, the vaccination should be approached carefully examined, with a doctor’s examination, with tests. For this reason, vaccination is carried out mainly in medical institutions, where help can be quickly provided.All treatment rooms have ampoules in case of a severe allergic reaction. At the same time, no unambiguous connection between vaccines and severe adverse reactions has been identified, – the infectious disease doctor notes.

“Vaccination weakens the immune system”

There is a version that vaccinations relax the body, as a result of which it is not able to independently fight the virus or bacteria. This, to put it mildly, sounds strange: after all, vaccination provides protection against a disease that the body can hardly fight against – for example, from the same tetanus.

– I cannot say that vaccination weakens the immune system. It definitely makes the immune system work, and with vaccines we prevent a severe course of the disease. When a virus enters the body, we do not know how it will affect a specific person: someone may have a mild form, someone may have a severe one, up to a lethal case. The vaccine certainly cannot kill the disease.

Vaccination makes some of the components of our immune system work, producing protective cells, antibodies.Upon subsequent contact with the virus, the body already has these antibodies, and they immediately begin to act.

Thus, there is no period of time that is required to develop protection, because it already exists. Therefore, the disease is easier. Or the person will not get sick at all, – says Igor.

To put it simply, vaccination is training the body in case it has to face a real disease.

“Vaccination is an artificial intervention in evolution.Before, people lived without them “

Apparently, having forgotten about the tens of millions of people who died from the plague in the Middle Ages, modern anti-vaccines are suggesting that vaccines upset the balance and that there should be nothing artificial in the body as a whole. The doctor explains why this is a serious misconception.

– Previously, they probably did not live very well and, for that matter, not very long. There was no such detailed statistics as it is now. Many died of disease. For me, such an opinion is akin to a conspiracy theory: there are apologists for such beliefs, if I may say so.I am an infectious disease doctor, and the main thing for me is that now there are no patients with diseases that can be prevented by vaccines.

In my practice, I once saw a case of diphtheria – a disease that can be prevented by a vaccine. The person was not vaccinated. We saved him, but everything was very difficult, the patient was in intensive care. Why such suffering?

“Vaccinations contain mercury, which causes autism in children”

There is still a grain of truth here: in some vaccinations, you can indeed find traces of mercury.It is needed to disinfect the vaccine. But the fear of being poisoned by mercury when receiving a vaccine is similar to the fear of getting radiation sickness on x-rays. The vaccine contains less mercury than we get this substance every day when we breathe in air. Mercury is also found in food – also in safe quantities.

– Grafting is a chemical substrate that is prepared in certain ways. The concentrations of substances that are used to dissolve and help resorption (resorption.- Approx. Onliner) , are negligible: these are hundredths, thousandths of a gram. This cannot affect the life of a person.

A person consumes much more, for example, when he eats ocean fish. But we are not saying that fish is harmful, and people did not use it less.

Why are vaccinations mandatory for children? My child, and I am responsible for him “

Igor Gutsalyuk says that even today, some parents are negligent about the vaccination calendar: they may not come for vaccination at the right time or miss the vaccination.This raises a logical argument: since parents are responsible for their children, why not give them a choice? In the end, after all, adults decide which kindergarten or school the child goes to, what films he watches and what games he plays. In Belarus, of course, there is no compulsory vaccination, but there may be difficulties with moving abroad.

– Many parents have a peculiar attitude to the vaccination calendar. Increasingly, there are people who skipped certain vaccines for rather far-fetched reasons.As a doctor, I have to show a lot of attention to such people: I need to explain that children may have a forgotten disease. Anything we don’t know is disturbing. Parents have a fear of how to do something, especially since they have a responsibility to the child.

I can say that I am grateful to my parents who gave me Soviet vaccines. I had injuries, and abrasions, and once stood on nails – returning to the question of tetanus. And now the degree of purification of vaccines is improving every year, the effectiveness of vaccinations is increasing.And now the market has a choice.

The vaccine is a manipulation worked out over the years. Their effectiveness has long been proven, and not only in our country. When I worked in a polyclinic, I was approached by people who needed to get simple vaccinations – for example, DPT. Because the family is leaving for permanent residence in the United States: they won the green card. And the country is demanding a vaccine. So if you are anti-vaccine, then go all the way. But no, they apply and get vaccinated.

“Vaccines for COVID-19 appeared too quickly, they are not really tested”

If DPT and other popular vaccines have been tested for years and their safety does not raise questions, then everything is complicated with vaccinations against coronavirus: they appeared less than a year after the start of the pandemic.It seems that this is too short a period in which vaccines cannot be tested properly. But the doctor explains that the current situation is unique.

– We’re not just living in an epidemic – we’re living in a pandemic. Infections are found on almost all continents, and millions of people are sick. In such cases, emergency measures are taken, including the registration and introduction of new drugs and vaccines. You have to understand: there is still no clear cure for COVID-19. Accordingly, the next question is: what can be done about it? Answer: Try to prevent infection or severe illness.

We cannot fully predict the impact of any new medicine on human life and health. For this, clinical trials are carried out. In this case, they were cut.

What I see from the Sputnik V vaccination in our country is that people tolerate it very well. Yes, there are side effects, mostly just a temperature for a day or two, flu-like aches. Lethal cases, fatal adverse reactions have not been reported.

Another important point in the case of “Sputnik V” – they are trying to register the vaccine in Europe.

– It just won’t be possible to hide some side effects. The vaccine will be monitored not only by Russia, but also by Europe. And there no one will hide anything. I can call Sputnik V a quality and effective vaccine – this is what I see now.

The doctor cites Israel as an example of mass vaccination.The country has already vaccinated more than half of its residents; it is planned to vaccinate children against COVID-19. The result is a sharp decline in morbidity, the country is returning to normal life: shops, cafes, beaches are open.

“An acquaintance was vaccinated and contracted coronavirus. So what kind of vaccine is this? ”

Indeed, such cases are known: sometimes people get sick with COVID-19 after receiving one or even two components of the vaccine. Hence, many questions arise regarding the effectiveness of the vaccine: they say, why do it, if you can still get sick? Here is a substitution of concepts: the COVID-19 vaccine does not provide one hundred percent protection against the disease, but it reduces the likelihood of a severe course in case of infection by more than 90%.

– Firstly, masks and sanitizers should be everywhere, this is already like an alphabet for each of us. Secondly, no medicine is 100% effective. And it’s not just Sputnik V: neither Moderna, nor Pfizer, nor AstraZeneca provide full efficiency. Vaccinations prevent severe coronavirus infection.

We’re not talking about not getting sick. Yes, you can get sick. But if you have factors of a severe course of the disease – overweight, diabetes, heart problems – the coronavirus will not lead a person to death in more than 90% of cases.

However, there will still be cases when a vaccinated person will have a difficult disease. This is all individual: for example, I cannot predict how I myself will be ill.

“Nobody knows how these new vaccines will creep out after years”

This thesis overlaps with the previous one: since vaccines are new, their long-term effects on the body have not yet been studied. But this is not a reason to give up vaccines: vaccinations reduce the risk of disease right now, when the world has not yet recovered from a pandemic.As for the long-term consequences, they are simply unknown: too little time has passed.

– From my own practice, I realized: it can be anything. Nobody will answer this question now. We learn this only after a long time – after 5-10 years of observations. Remember the swine flu outbreak? Then we also did not know what to do with the risk groups and who are included in them, how to treat pregnant women. Five years later, unambiguous protocols for the treatment of such patients were issued, it became clear that pregnant women were in the first place in the risk group, and a clear method of treatment appeared.But the recommendations did not appear until years later.

You can see how the virus is changing: new strains appear, and each leads to an increase in the incidence. The virus is becoming faster and easier to spread. Again, a vaccine is good, but don’t forget about masks and sanitizers.

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Russian chemists have created a safe and fast determinant of mercury in cell tissues – RT in Russian

Russian chemists have developed a substance – a universal mercury sensor. The resulting sensor determines the content of this toxic element, regardless of the external environment. The substance luminesces, and in the presence of mercury, the nature of its glow changes. The results of laboratory experiments on cell cultures have shown that it is suitable even for the determination of ultra-low concentrations of mercury.

A team of Russian chemists from the D.I. Mendeleev, INEOS named after A.N. Nesmeyanov RAS, Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov and the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry named after academicians M.M. Shemyakin and Yu.A. Ovchinnikov Russian Academy of Sciences has created a sensor substance for detecting mercury in cellular tissues. This was reported in the Sensors magazine.

Researchers have obtained a luminous substance consisting of two photoactive fragments, which is suitable for the rapid determination of the content of mercury and its derivatives in a variety of biological tissues, regardless of the external environment.

Scientists note that the new sensor is much more accurate than many existing ones, since it does not require readjustment for each individual case. Laboratory experiments on cell cultures have shown that the new substance is suitable for determining ultra-low concentrations of mercury down to tens of nanomoles per liter.

Mercury poisoning is very dangerous. The nervous system is damaged, vision and hearing deteriorate, hallucinations and muscle cramps appear, cognitive functions suffer, and irritability increases.Scientists can now measure mercury levels in food, particularly fish and seafood. The developed mercury sensor, scientists say, has the ability to determine the concentration of substances by a combination of several optical signals (such substances are called ratiometric sensors).

• Images from a confocal fluorescence microscope. (a) – culture of cells treated with a sensor solution without Hg2 + cations. (b) – cell culture treated first with Hg2 + and then with a solution of a sensor compound
• © Sensors / MDPI Creative Commons

A feature of the new sensor is the ability to identify a hazardous element by a combination of several signals, depending on the intensity of the emitted light (luminescence in different wavelengths depending on the level of detected mercury).

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Confirmation of the effectiveness of the new sensor was obtained as a result of a laboratory experiment on living cells.Scientists cultured human lung cancer cell cultures, and then added them to a solution of mercury salts for 15 minutes, after which they were washed and injected with a sensor compound. He was given up to ten minutes to penetrate the cells, after which he was irradiated with light, exciting luminescence. The concentration of mercury was estimated by the intensity of the radiation.

The results of additional experiments showed that the new sensor does not react to the presence of cations of other elements such as copper or lead.It was also found that the new sensor is non-toxic, has high accuracy and fast response time. Such sensitivity, according to scientists, is sufficient to determine the critical content of mercury in biological tissues.

According to the associate professor of the Russian Chemical Technology University and the first author of the work, Pavel Panchenko, scientists will expand the range of such sensors. They plan to create sensory substances that are sensitive to other metals hazardous to human health.

Science: Science and Technology: Lenta.ru

On September 24, 2014, Russia signed the Minamata Convention on Mercury. The agreement provides for the refusal to use this metal. This should happen before 2030, according to the press service of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Russia.

Joining the document will lead to the phase-out of mercury-containing substances and equipment. In particular, the operation and production of mercury medical thermometers, barometers, fluorescent lamps and batteries will be stopped.The restrictions will lead to the discontinuation of the production and sale of certain types of soaps and cosmetics. Experts linked the prohibition of toxic metal to concern for the environment.

“In accordance with the document, by 2018 the production of acetaldehyde using mercury as a catalyst will have to stop, and by 2025 – the production of chlor-alkali, which uses mercury. In special cases, it is allowed to use this metal in medical measuring devices until 2030, ”the Ministry of Natural Resources said.

Earlier, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed an order of the Ministry of Natural Resources on the international Minamata Convention on mercury. On behalf of the Russian side, the agreement was signed by Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Natural Resources Rinat Gizatulin. This happened at the UN headquarters in New York during the 69th session of the UN General Assembly.

Last year, 90 states signed the Minamata Convention on Mercury, which provides for the complete elimination of the use of this metal. The convention is open for signature by all states and regional economic integration organizations until October 9, 2014.

As of September 24, 118 countries signed the document and six ratified it: the United States, Gabon, Guyana, Djibouti, Monaco and Uruguay. In 2014, Russia also decided to join the agreement.

The convention is named after Minamata Bay, where Chisso has been dumping mercury-containing waste into water for many years. Many coastal residents have been diagnosed with Minamata disease. Symptoms include impaired motor skills, impaired vision and hearing, and in severe cases, paralysis and impaired consciousness, resulting in death.

WRONG: Adjuvants in vaccines negatively affect the human body and cause disease

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The network disseminates information that vaccines contain extremely toxic substances, such as aluminum, mercury, formaldehyde and others. Like, they harm the human body and cause serious diseases, such as autism.

Explain what is wrong.

The vaccines contain adjuvants. The use of adjuvants generally allows fewer vaccines and fewer doses to be administered. Adjuvants do not harm the human body and do not cause serious illness.

Let’s consider in detail each of the components and their role in the vaccine.

In vaccines aluminum is used as an adjuvant, a component that increases the immune response to vaccine antigens. An aluminum adjuvant can cause a more pronounced local reaction – redness, swelling and pain at the injection site, or more systemic reactions – fever, chills, body pain than vaccines without an adjuvant in the composition.However, aside from these side effects, aluminum adjuvant vaccines are safe and have been used for over 60 years and have not been proven to be associated with any other side effects or negative effects.

There is no link between aluminum in vaccines and autism.

In addition, the main source of aluminum for humans is food, water and air. The total amount of aluminum in vaccines that babies receive in the first 6 months of life is actually much less than that obtained from food, in particular breast milk and formula.However, the amount of aluminum that comes from both vaccines and food does not exceed the established safe dose of .

Formaldehyde and glutaraldehyde are used to inactivate viruses and to detoxify bacterial toxins so that they do not cause disease. In everyday life, formaldehyde is present in the air and food. For example, a pear contains several times more formaldehyde than a vaccine dose.

Preservatives , such as phenoxyethanol , are also added to vaccines to prevent the growth of bacteria or fungi that may be present in the vaccine. There is no evidence that it is harmful to the human body in vaccines.

Polysorbate 80 acts as an emulsifier – it holds all the components of the vaccine together. But a very small amount of it is used in vaccines, much more polysorbate 80 is contained in food.

Thimerosal (mercury compound) is added to vaccines to stop the growth of bacteria and fungi. Thimerosal does not stay in the body for a long time, so it does not accumulate and does not reach harmful levels. Once in the body, it decomposes into ethyl mercury and thiosalicylate, which are easily eliminated. There is no evidence of harm from thimerosal, other than minor side reactions – redness and swelling at the injection site. Thiomersal is almost completely excreted by the kidneys, and, for example, mercury, which is found in fish, mainly accumulates in our body and is much more difficult to excrete.

The acidity level of viruses and bacteria must be kept constant. In order to provide the necessary balance of acidity in the manufacture of vaccines.For this, potassium and sodium phosphates are used.

Sorbitol is produced in the human body, as well as in fruits and berries. It is often used as a pidslojuwach in drinks and food. A small dose of sorbitol is added to vaccines as a stabilizer. Sorbitol vaccines are safe for humans. However, those who are allergic to sorbitol or fructose intolerance should not be vaccinated with such a drug.

The vaccines do not contain cells from aborted human fetuses. However, some of the viruses that make up the vaccines are grown in the descendant cells of tissues harvested from aborted human fetuses many decades ago. We wrote more about this here.

No monkey blood was added to vaccines. For the manufacture of certain vaccines, in particular for the polio vaccine, viruses were grown in monkey liver cells. This is necessary because a virus cannot live without a cell. However, before being added to vaccines, viruses are cleaned of membrane residues, so foreign cells do not enter the vaccines.

Relative to SV40 virus . Indeed, the SV40 virus was found in polio vaccines from the 1950s and 1960s, which could also be found in monkey liver cells. However, this virus has not been proven to cause cancer in humans. First, SV40 was found in both people who received the polio vaccine and those who did not. Second, people born after 1963, when SV40 was no longer included in the polio vaccine, were also found to have the virus. Third, epidemiological studies have not shown an increased risk of cancer in those who received the vaccine between 1955-1963.Also SV40 has never been found in vaccines since 1963, so there is no evidence that the virus is still being added to them.

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