Mercurous chloride
Agent Name
Mercurous chloride
Alternative Name
Calomel
CAS Number
10112-91-1
Formula
Cl2-Hg2
Major Category
Metals
Synonyms
Calogreen; Calomel; Calotab; Chlorure mercureux [French]; Dimercury dichloride; Mercurous chloride; Mercury subchloride; Mercury(I) chloride; Dimercury dichloride; Mercury chloride (Hg2Cl2); [ChemIDplus] UN3077
Category
Mercury Compounds, Inorganic
Description
White powder or crystals; practically insoluble (0.0002 g/100 ml of water at 25 deg C); [ATSDR ToxProfiles]
Sources/Uses
Has been used therapeutically as a cathartic, diuretic, antiseptic, and antimicrobic (syphilis); Used in agriculture to kill root maggots (cabbage and onions); Also used in dark green Bengal lights, calomel paper, calomel electrodes, fungicides, and with gold to paint on porcelain; [Merck Index]
Comments
A skin, eye, and respiratory tract irritant; Toxic by ingestion; May be absorbed through skin or by inhalation of aerosol; May cause damage to the kidneys and nervous system; [ICSC] See "Mercury, inorganic compounds" and the linked occupational disease.
Restricted
No active registrants for Calomel, Fungchex, Calo-Chlor, or Calocure; [NPIRS]
Biomedical References
Exposure Assessment
Skin Designation (ACGIH)
Yes
TLV (ACGIH)
0.025 mg/m3, as Hg
PEL (OSHA)
0.1 mg/m3, as Hg
MAK
0.02 mg/m3, as Hg, inhalable fraction
IDLH (NIOSH)
10 mg/m3, as Hg
Explanatory Notes
Sublimes at 400-500 deg C; [ATSDR ToxProfiles]
NFPA
will not burn
Adverse Effects
Neurotoxin
Sensorimotor
Nephrotoxin
Yes
Diseases, Processes, and Activities Linked to This Agent
Processes
Industrial Processes with risk of exposure: