Jump to main content.

Mercury, elemental Quickview (CASRN 7439-97-6)

Health assessment information on a chemical substance is included in IRIS only after a comprehensive review of toxicity data by U.S. EPA health scientists from several Program Offices, Regional Offices, and the Office of Research and Development.

Disclaimer: This QuickView represents a snapshot of key information. We suggest that you read the IRIS Summary to put this information into complete context.

For definitions of terms in the IRIS Web site, refer to the IRIS Glossary.

Status of Data for Mercury, elemental

File First On-Line: 09/07/1988; Last Significant Revision: 06/01/1995

Category (section)
Status
Last Revised
Oral RfD Assessment No data
Inhalation RfC Assessment On-line 06/01/1995
Carcinogenicity Assessment On-line 05/01/1995
Synonyms
  • Hydragyrum
  • Mercury, elemental
  • Mercury, metallic
  • Mercury (organo) alkyl compounds
  • Caswell No. 546
  • Colloidal mercury
  • Kwik [Dutch]
  • Liquid silver
  • Mercure [French]
  • more...
Mercury, elemental Source Documents
Revision History
Date Section Description
04/01/1997 III., IV., V. Drinking Water Health Advisories, EPA Regulatory Actions, and Supplementary Data were removed from IRIS on or before April 1997. IRIS users were directed to the appropriate EPA Program Offices for this information.
Chronic Health Hazard Assessments for Noncarcinogenic Effects

Reference Dose for Chronic Oral Exposure (RfD)

Not Assessed under the IRIS Program.

Top of page

Reference Concentration for Chronic Inhalation Exposure (RfC)

Critical Effect
Point of Departure*
 UF MF RfC
Hand tremor; increases in memory disturbances; slight subjective and objective evidence of autonomic dysfunction LOAEL (ADJ): 0.009 mg/m3 30 1 3x10-4 mg/m3

* The Point of Departure listed serves as a basis from which the Inhalation RfC was derived. See Discussion of Conversion Factors and Assumptions for more details.

Top of page

Carcinogenicity Assessment for Lifetime Exposure
  • Weight-of-Evidence Characterization
    • D (Not classifiable as to human carcinogenicity)
  • Weight-of-Evidence Narrative:
    • Based on inadequate human and animal data. Epidemiologic studies failed to show a correlation between exposure to elemental mercury vapor and carcinogenicity; the findings in these studies were confounded by possible or known concurrent exposures to other chemicals, including human carcinogens, as well as lifestyle factors (e.g., smoking). Findings from genotoxicity tests are severely limited and provide equivocal evidence that mercury adversely affects the number or structure of chromosomes in human somatic cells.
    • This may be a synopsis of the full weight-of-evidence narrative. See IRIS Summary.

Quantitative Estimate of Carcinogenic Risk from Oral Exposure

  • Not Assessed under the IRIS Program.

Quantitative Estimate of Carcinogenic Risk from Inhalation Exposure

  • Not Assessed under the IRIS Program.

Top of page


Recent Additions | Advanced Search | IRIS Home | NCEA Home | ORD Home

Local Navigation

Jump to main content.