Mercury is a toxic substance and a persistent threat to the environment and to our health. In fact, high concentrations of mercury in humans can cause a variety of ailments such as brain problems and heart disease. Let’s see why mercury is dangerous and what are the 5 main sources of exposure.
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Mercury is a toxic substance and a persistent threat to the environment and to our health. In fact, high concentrations of mercury in humans can cause a variety of ailments such as brain problems and heart disease.
Considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the 10 chemicals of greatest concern for the effects it can produce in the exposed population, mercury is a heavy metal naturally occurring in the environment.
If it is normally contained in rocks, volcanoes and other minerals and does not represent a significant risk, the problem arises because of the human activities, including the use of coal for energy and industrial processes. In fact, large quantities of mercury released into the environment can be easily absorbed by animals, thus entering the human food chain.
Precisely due to human activities, hundreds of thousands of tons have been released into the environment over time and currently the levels of mercury present in the atmosphere exceed natural levels by 500%, while the concentrations in the oceans exceed them by about 200%.
Let’s see in detail why mercury is dangerous for our health and what are the 5 main sources of exposure that should not be underestimated.
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The effects of mercury on our health
As anticipated, mercury is a natural component of the Earth’s surface and exists in nature in different forms:
- metallic mercury
- inorganic mercury (or mercury salts such as mercuric sulfate known as the red-colored cinnabar mineral: widely used commercial paint dye)
- organic mercury (including methylmercury and mercurials, once used as disinfectants)
Specifically, metallic mercury has been used in the past in instruments to measure atmospheric pressure (barometers), ambient or body pressure (thermometers) and that of fluids and gases (manometers). In addition, it has also been used in batteries, in some types of light bulbs and in the material used by dentists (dental amalgam) for the fillings of teeth treated for caries.
However, what determines the severity of the consequences of mercury is its form, quantity, duration and route of exposure (inhalation, ingestion, skin contact), as well as the age of the individual exposed.
Metallic mercury, for example, is poorly absorbed in the intestine, but manages to reach the lungs through breathing and, once absorbed, reach the barrier that protects the brain (blood brain barrier).
In addition, metallic mercury and methylmercury have as main target the central and peripheral nervous systemwhile the inorganic salts of mercury are corrosive to eyes and skin and, if ingested, they affect the gastrointestinal system and can cause damage to kidneys.
I children they are the most vulnerable as methylmercury alters the normal brain developmentcausing learning and thinking processing difficulties, memory disorders, attention disorders, speech disorders, and motor and visual dysfunctions.
Also read: 6 chemicals harm brain development in children
The 5 sources of exposure
Mercury exposure generally occurs through 5 sources:
Diet
The main route of human exposure to mercury is represented by the consumption of fish, crustaceans and molluscs. In fact, the mercury ingested by marine animals tends to remain in their bodies, accumulating over time.
For this, large marine predators (tuna and swordfish) feeding on smaller animals that have already absorbed some of the mercury, they tend to contain higher concentrations of this substance.
Hence, we recommend that you limit the consumption of fish to 2-3 times a weekvarying the species and limiting the consumption of those that could have a higher content of methylmercury such as swordfish and tuna.
You might be interested: Opening a can of tuna can be more harmful than you think: what you need to know about mercury
Environment
Mercury exposure can also occur from the environment. This is due to the release of mercury into air and water coming from manufacturing plants, incinerators, waste from dental clinics or burning coal and wood used for the production of energy and heat.
Accidental breakage of glass or metal products
Also due to an accidental breakage of glass or metal products that contain it, such as for example mercury lamps or thermometerscan lead to excessive exposure.
In this case, the exposure to metallic mercury occurs by evaporation of the spilled mercury, however there is no risk if no contact occurs or until the container breaks.
Dental amalgam
Another source of exposure is that due to the release of mercury from dental amalgam, resulting in exposure of both the person undergoing dental treatment and the dental office staff.
Disinfectant or medicinal products
Finally, the use of disinfectant products, such as mercurochrome, or medicines containing thimerosal, an organic compound of mercury, as a preservative can lead to excessive exposure to mercury.
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