• Briefly, what do I need to know about Mercury in an emergency situation?
• Where do you find Mercury?
• What should I know about the composition and purity of Mercury?
• What are some synonyms for Mercury?
• With so many names for Mercury, is there a unique identifier for this chemical?

Briefly, what do I need to know about Mercury in an emergency situation?

Mercury is a silver-white, heavy, mobile, odourless liquid. It will not burn. Mercury is VERY TOXIC and it may be fatal if inhaled and harmful if absorbed through the skin. It may cause harmful effects on the nervous, digestive and respiratory systems, and the kidneys. Mercury may also cause lung injury--effects may be delayed. Mercury is CORROSIVE to some metals. It is a SKIN SENSITIZER--it may cause allergic skin reaction, and it is a REPRODUCTIVE HAZARD - may cause behaviourial effects, based on animal information.

Where do you find Mercury?

Mercury is used mainly for the electrolytic production of chlorine and caustic soda from brine (chlor-alkali industry). It is also used in household batteries; in several types of electric lamps, including fluorescent lamps and high intensity discharge (HID) lamps; in electric light switches and thermostats; in mercury vapour diffusion pumps for producing a high vacuum; in industrial and medical equipment, such as thermometers, monometers, barometers and other pressure-sensing devices, gauges, valves, seals, and navigational devices; in dental amalgams; also mercury compounds are used in pigments; as a catalyst in polymer-forming reactions; in explosives; in pharmaceuticals; and in chemical applications.

The use of mercury compounds as a seed disinfectant, on food crops, as a biocide in paints and in antifouling paint formulations, as a coating for mirrors, for the manufacture of certain types of glass, the treatment of felt and as a fungicide in paper has been discontinued or banned.

Mercury metal is widely distributed in nature, usually in quite low concentrations. The most important mineral of mercury is cinnabar (mercury sulfide), found in rocks near recent volcanic activity, or hot spring areas and in mineral veins or fractures.

What should I know about the composition and purity of Mercury?

This review has addressed the hazards and control measures for elemental mercury only. Elemental mercury is a heavy liquid. Other inorganic mercury compounds are solids and have different absorption and distribution characteristics than elemental mercury. Although many of the target organs and toxic effects are similar for both elemental mercury and inorganic mercury compounds, there are some important differences which are relevant to human health hazard assessment. Mercury is available in a number of grades with a purity of 99.9% and above.

What are some synonyms for Mercury?

Mercury is also known as colloidal mercury, elemental mercury, hydrargyrum, liquid silver, mercury metal, metallic mercury, quick silver, and as Mercure in French.

With so many names for Mercury, is there a unique identifier for this chemical?

Its CAS Registry Number is 7439-97-6. This number is assigned by the Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) in the United States and is used as a unique identifier number world-wide.

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Document last updated on February 19, 1999

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