What is mercury and how is it used?
Mercury is a metal that occurs naturally in small
amounts in the environment.
Because it remains
liquid at room temperature, it is used in many
consumer products such as:
- Barometers
- Blood pressure instruments
- Thermometers
- Pressure-sensing instruments
- Batteries
containing mercury are used in some small
electronic devices
What health problems are associated with
exposure to mercury?
Health problems caused by mercury depend on the following:
- How
much has entered your body
- How it entered your
body
- How long you have been exposed to it
- How your body responds to the mercury
Mercury is harmful to both animals and humans.
Children are more susceptible to mercury poisoning
than adults.
Exposure to even small amounts of
mercury over a long period may cause negative
health effects including damage to the brain, kidney, lungs and developing fetus.
Brief contact with high
levels of mercury can cause immediate health effects
including:
- Loss of appetite
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Changes in behavior or personality
Depending on
the length or degree of exposure, additional
symptoms may occur, such as:
- Nausea
- Abdominal cramps
- Diarrhea
- Eye irritation
- Weight loss
- Skin rashes
- Muscle tremors
When exposure to mercury stops, most symptoms
usually go away; however, effects on the brain and
nervous system may be permanent.
Once mercury
has entered the body, it can take months before it is
eliminated, mainly through the urine and feces.
Levels of mercury can be measured in blood, urine,
and scalp hair. These tests may help to predict
possible health effects.
How can I be exposed to mercury?
Mercury exposure can occur by:
- Breathing vapors
- Many people are exposed by breathing vapors, which are readily absorbed by the lungs.
- Direct skin contact
- Mercury can enter the body through the skin, especially if it comes in contact with a cut or wound.
- Eating food or drinking
water contaminated with mercury
- If you swallow mercury, very little is absorbed. Most of the mercury is eliminated through the digestive tract.
What should I do if I am accidentally exposed
to mercury?
The Southern Nevada Health District assists in
responding to mercury spills in homes.
The amount
of mercury from a typical broken thermometer
would be considered a small spill. If more mercury
than this is spilled, it would be considered a large
spill.
Some people save mercury from various
sources and store the product in containers. This is
dangerous because mercury may escape from broken
or improperly sealed containers. Individuals may
often be exposed without their knowledge.
The following steps should be taken if a large mercury spill occurs:
- Persons involved in a large mercury spill should
leave the area immediately.
- Contact your physician
for possible treatment and testing.
- Contact the Southern Nevada Health District for information concerning
air testing and cleanup.
These precautions should be taken if a small
mercury spill occurs:
- People not involved in the cleanup should leave
the area.
- Minimize tracking by removing shoes and
clothing.
- Assume that the clothes of a child who
played with mercury are contaminated.
- Place
clothes in a sealed plastic bag and put them
outside in a safe place until the household trash
can be picked up.
- Plastic can be placed on the
floors to minimize tracking.
- Do not use a vacuum cleaner to clean up the
spill.
- A vacuum cleaner will spread the mercury
vapors and tiny droplets will settle throughout
the area, increasing the spread of contamination
and the chance of exposure.
- Windows/doors in the area of the spill should be
opened to ventilate the area.
- Small amounts of mercury can be collected with
adhesive tape or an eye dropper and stored in a
sealed plastic container until disposal.
- After all visible mercury has been collected, use a
mercury cleanup kit, available commercially, to
clean the spill area and work it into the cracks
with a broom or brush.
- Do not add water.
- Materials in the mercury spill kit will rapidly
bind to the remaining mercury and can be swept
up with a broom and dustpan.
- Wash the area
with trisodium phosphate detergent solution, available at home improvement stores, and rinse
with water.
- Contaminated carpeting should be removed and
discarded, starting with the spill room.
- Contaminated materials and mercury collected
from small spills may be discarded along with
household trash, but should be placed outside in
a safe place until the household trash is picked
up.
How can I prevent mercury spills?
Mercury-containing products should be replaced
with safer alternatives. Mercury thermometers and
blood pressure devices are available in electronic form.
Mercury-containing items such as fluorescent
bulbs and old electronic switches should be recycled
instead of thrown into the household trash.
Where can I get more information?
The Southern Nevada Health District Environmental Health Division at
(702) 759-0588.
