Mercury poisoning and treatment

Techniques for analysis of different mercury species in biological samples and abiotic materials include atomic absorption, cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry, gas-liquid chromatography with electron capture detection, neutron activation, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Methylmercury concentrations in marine biological tissues are detected at concentrations as low as 10.0 p,g Hg/kg tissue using graphite furnace sample preparation techniques and atomic absorption spectrometry. 

The toxicity of mercury has been recognized since antiquity. No other metal demonstrates 

Metallic or elemental mercury volatilizes to mercury vapor at ambient air temperatures, and most human exposure is by way of inhalation. The saturated vapor pressure at 20.0°C is 13.2mg/m. This value far exceeds the threshold limited value (TLV) of 0.05 mg/m accordingly, mercury intoxication due to inhalation of the vapor readily occurs in various occupational and environmental situations. Mercury vapor readily diffuses across the alveolar membrane and is hpid soluble so that it has an affinity for the central nervous system and red blood cells. Metallic mercury, unlike mercury vapor, is only slowly absorbed by the G1 tract (0.01%) at a rate related to the vaporization of the elemental mercury and is of negligible toxicological significance. 

Inhaled mercury vapor (Hg) is readily oxidized via the catalase-H202 complex and converted to Hg +, mainly in liver and erythrocytes. Although this reaction is rapid, some Hg crosses the blood-brain barrier and accumulates to a greater extent than does Hg + after ionic mercury exposure. Because Hg + is reduced to Hg, there is probably an oxidation-reduction cycle of mercury in the body. 

In typicsJ Hg vapor poisonings, excessive bronchitis and bronchiolitis occur in a few hours after heavy exposure, i.e., direct inhalation of mercury vapor generated from heating metallic mercury. This is followed by pneumonitis and respiratory distress, excitability, and tremors. If the amount inhaled is sufficiently large, renal failure will develop. 

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