Mercury is one of the most toxic heavy metals within our environment that does not have any known human physiological role. Three forms of mercury exist in our environment, elemental, organic, and inorganic, and the different forms have different levels of toxicity. Mercury has had many uses throughout human history and was regarded as somewhat safe until we discovered its toxicity around the 1850s. My grandfather used to tell me stories of how he played with mercury in pharmacy school and used it on cuts as an antimicrobial agent; therefore, he believed it was safe. Just like the lead crystal carafes ancient people would drink from were poisoning us, the mercury we are ingesting, exposed to, and the mercury within our mouth are poisoning us today.[1]
What were some uses or sources of exposure to mercury throughout history?[2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]
· As a preservative (thimerosal still used in some flu vaccinations in the United States and phenylmercury nitrate).
· As an antimicrobial agent in the treatment of syphilis and to prevent skin infections. Mercury can still be found within some medications, supplements, herbal formulas, germicidal soaps, and skin creams within countries that have not outlawed its use.
· Cement production.
· Cinnabar (mercury sulfide) was used in ancient history to produce a red dye.
· Coal-burning power plants
· Contaminated water ingestion
· Frequent consumption of fish that contain elevated methyl mercury, mainly larger predatory fish including dolphin, king mackerel, shark, swordfish, tuna, etc.
· Fungicide
· High fructose corn syrup ingestion
· Incineration of solid wastes causing air exposure.
· Mercury-containing dental amalgams (most significant exposure to mercury in the first world, people with mercury dental amalgams have two to twelve-fold amounts of mercury in their tissues per studies)
· Mercury is used in silver and gold purification in mining to form amalgams.
· Occupational exposure (for example, production of items that contain mercury, laboratory accidents, solid waste incinerator worker, farmer)
· Used in the production of some thermometers, barometers, manometers, sphygmomanometers, switches, relays, batteries, and light bulbs (compact fluorescent light bulbs, for example). Biological exposure to mercury occurs if these items are broken.
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