Mercury is an element that is found in air, water and soil. It has several forms. Metallic mercury is a shiny, silver-white, odorless liquid. If heated, it is a colorless, odorless gas. It also combines with other elements to form powders or crystals. Mercury is in many products. Metallic mercury is used in thermometers, dental fillings and batteries. Mercury salts may be used in skin creams and ointments. It's also used in many industries.
Mercury in the air settles into water. It can pass through the food chain and build up in fish, shellfish and animals that eat fish. The nervous system is sensitive to all forms of mercury. Exposure to high levels can damage the brain and kidneys. Pregnant women can pass the mercury in their bodies to their babies. It is important to protect your family from mercury exposure.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
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Mercury(Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry) - http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts46.html
Also available in Spanish http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/es/toxfaqs/es_tfacts46.html
- Mercury: Basic Information(Environmental Protection Agency) - http://www.epa.gov/mercury/about.htm
- Mercury(Environmental Protection Agency) - http://www.epa.gov/mercury/index.htm
- Mercury Exposure and Your Health(Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry) - http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/mercury/
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Tox Town
(National Library of Medicine) - Requires Flash Player - http://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/espanol/
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What You Need to Know about Mercury in Fish and Shellfish(Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water) - http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish/advice/
Also available in Spanish http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish/advice/aviso.htm
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Amalgam (Silver-Colored) Fillings(American Dental Association) - http://www.ada.org/public/topics/fillings_faq.asp
Also available in Spanish http://www.ada.org/public/espanol/faq/fillings_faq.asp
- Consumer Update: Dental Amalgams(Center for Devices and Radiological Health) - http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/consumer/amalgams.html
- Ground Water and Drinking Water and Mercury(Environmental Protection Agency) - http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwh/c-ioc/mercury.html
- Mercury and Vaccines (Thimerosal) - http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/concerns/thimerosal.htm
- Mercury-Containing Products(Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Solid Waste) - http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/hazard/tsd/mercury/con-prod.htm
- Mercury: Spills, Disposal and Site Cleanup(Environmental Protection Agency) - http://www.epa.gov/mercury/spills/index.htm
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TOXNET Databases(National Library of Medicine) - Databases on toxicology, hazardous chemicals, and related areas - http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Mercury Poisoning(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Mercury+Poisoning%22
- Thimerosal(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/Features/Thimerosal/
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Mercury-induced acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis misdiagnosed as a drug-related case. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18598307&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Development of an anodic stripping voltammetric assay, using a disposable... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18585205&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Mercury exposure from fish consumption within the Japanese and Korean... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18569611&tool=MedlinePlus
- Mercury -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=mercury[majr]+NOT+mercury+poisoning[majr]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Mercury poisoning -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=mercury+poisoning[majr]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Mercury: Where You Live(Environmental Protection Agency) - http://www.apa.org/topics/rights/
- Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Program(Environmental Protection Agency) - http://www.epa.gov/tri/
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Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry - http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/es/es_index.html
- Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Solid Waste - http://www.epa.gov/osw/
- Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water - http://www.epa.gov/watrhome/
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National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://espanol.ninds.nih.gov/
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TOXMAP(National Library of Medicine) - Create maps showing locations of toxic chemical releases - http://toxmap.nlm.nih.gov/toxmap/main/index.jsp
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Mercury (and Pregnancy)(Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction) - http://cerhr.niehs.nih.gov/common/mercury.html
- Mercury Levels in Sushi(American Pregnancy Association) - http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/sushimercury.htm
- Poisoning, Toxicology, Environmental Health - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/poisoningtoxicologyenvironmentalhealth.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Mercury is the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/