What Are the Dangers of Mercury to Humans?
Some of you may be familiar with mercury compounds. If you hear mercury, you must have crossed the negative effects or dangers caused by this compound. Actually, what is mercury? And what is the danger of mercury to your health?
What is mercury?
Mercury is a type of metal that is found in nature and is spread in rocks, ores, soil, water and air as inorganic and organic compounds. Mercury is also often referred to as mercury (Hg).
Mercury in soil, water and air is relatively low. Meanwhile, various human activities can increase mercury levels to high, for example mining activities that produce mercury as much as 10,000 tons per year.
Workers who come into contact with mercury can suffer from various types of dangerous diseases.
Mercury is also popular as an ingredient in skin whitening products because of its ability to inhibit melanin formation so that skin looks brighter in a short time. In fact, mercury is actually dangerous and you should be aware of these products.
The risk of mercury disturbing health
The use of mercury in cosmetics has now been proven to be dangerous and is prohibited in many countries. Not only for exposed skin, these chemicals will easily be absorbed by the skin and enter the bloodstream.
Mercury is corrosive to skin. This means that applying mercury to the skin will make the skin layer thinner. High exposure to mercury can include damage to the digestive tract, nervous system, and urological system.
In addition, mercury also has the risk of disrupting various organs of the body, such as the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and immune system.
Mercury doesn’t just affect adults. Infants and children are also groups that are also not free from the risk of mercury exposure and its side effects.
When children come into contact with parents who use products made from mercury, there is a possibility that these substances can enter the body when the child sucks their fingers.
In particular, mercury poisoning in children is called infantile acrodynia. It can be recognized by the appearance of pain symptoms and a pink coloration on the hands and feet.
The dangers of mercury by type
Mercury itself has three types of mercury which are equally dangerous to health, namely elemental mercury (Hg), inorganic mercury, and organic mercury. What are the differences and dangers of the three types of mercury? Check out the reviews.
1. Elemental mercury (Hg)
Mercury vapor which is inhaled most often causes poisoning, whereas ingested mercury does not cause toxic effects due to its low absorption.
However, it doesn’t happen if you have fistulas (abnormal tracts in the body) or gastrointestinal inflammatory disease, or if mercury is stored for a long time in the digestive tract.
Mercury that enters the body through blood vessels can cause pulmonary embolism (blockage of pulmonary arteries by freely shedding plaque).
Because it is fat soluble, elemental mercury easily enters through the blood vessels of the brain and placenta. In the brain, mercury will accumulate in the cerebrum cortex (cerebellum) and cerebellum (cerebellum) so that it interferes with enzyme function and cell transport.
Heating metal mercury forms mercuric oxide vapor which is corrosive to the skin, mucous membranes of the eyes, mouth and respiratory tract.
2. Inorganic mercury
Mercury is often absorbed through the digestive tract, lungs, and skin. Short-term exposure to high levels of inorganic mercury can cause kidney failure.
Meanwhile, long-term exposure to low doses can cause proteinuria, nephrotic syndrome, and nephropathy associated with immune system disorders.
3.Organic mercury (methyl mercury)
Especially in the short-chain form of alkyl, methyl mercury can cause neuronal degeneration in the brain and result in numbness in the tips of the hands or feet, ataxia (irregular movements), joint pain, deafness, and narrowing of visibility.
Methyl mercury can easily enter through the placenta and accumulate in the fetus resulting in the death of the baby in the womb and cerebral palsy.
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