Mercury Poisoning Symptoms

Mercury is a highly useful metal that is number 80 on the Periodic Chart of the elements. It is unique in that it is one of only four elements that is a liquid at room temperature. This fact, along with it being a heavy metal has made mercury both useful and deadly. It is surrounded on the Periodic Chart by metals such as gold, silver, cadmium, and lead, and other heavy metals. Of these metals, only gold is denser.

Mercury was known in ancient China and India and was found in Egyptian tombs placed there 3500 years ago. Mercury metal comes from cinnabar, or mercury sulfide. Most of the world's supply comes from California, Texas, Spain, and Italy. It has been used for years in sphygmomanometers, thermometers, and barometers because the column of liquid can be 13 times shorter than if it were water. The problem is that mercury, mercury vapor, and all soluble salts of mercury are extremely poisonous.

This fact has not kept mercury from being used in a wide variety of ways. Street lights that give off a blue light are generally mercury vapor lights. Mercury sulfide, in the form of vermillion, is used as a paint to slow the growth of barnacles on ships. Mercury has also been used in fluorescent lights, and when they are broken indoors, they give off enough poisonous mercury vapor to be a health risk. Mercury is still used in dental amalgams and some cosmetics. When the author was a child, it was common to paint mercurochrome on a wound to keep it from being infected. All this has changed today.

Today we are much more aware of the far reaching negative effects of heavy metals on health. In fact, these metals have no known need in the body. Their presence is nearly always negative. They get into our bodies in a variety of ways. More specific for this article, the abundant use of mercury in the past has now poisoned water, land, and seas. Mercury poisoning in fish, especially tuna and swordfish, is a problem and fish must be monitored continually.

Here are a few products using some form of mercury and potentially poisoning us:

adhesives, antiseptics, broken thermometers, cereals, diuretics, floor waxes, grains, laxatives, medications, pesticides, Preparation H, soft contact lens solution, and tattooing.

The list of the negative effects of mercury poisoning is frightening. Here are a few: adrenal dysfunction, anorexia, brain damage, deafness, discouragement, eczema, joint pain, nerve fiber degeneration, speech disorders, etc. Metals can directly or indirectly damage DNA bringing an increase in cancer.

Symptoms typically include sensory impairment (vision, hearing, speech), disturbed sensation, and a lack of coordination. This does not mean if you suffer from one or more of these that you have heavy metal poisoning. But it does mean you could be poisoned and you should see a doctor to be tested.

The sheer number of products that have used mercury in the past means it is in most every landfill in the country. From there, mercury can leach into the soil and end up in produce or in the water system. Most city water systems will remove it but if you use well water in cooking or drinking, you might be in danger of mercury poisoning.

In light of these facts, we can be glad that great efforts have been undertaken to rid us of the danger of mercury poisoning. Our immediate responsibility is to be sure that we do what we can to protect ourselves and our family from mercury poisoning, especially in our water systems. Most city water systems monitor and filter out any mercury found in the water. However, if you are on a well, or if you simply want to protect yourselves just in case, then a water filter is highly recommended. A good activated charcoal filter promises to remove 95% of any mercury or other heavy metals in the water through adsorption. The investment in such a filter may be well worth the money, just for the peace of mind it brings.