Mercury, elemental, chronic toxic effect

Category

Metal Poisoning, Occupational

Acute/Chronic

Chronic

Synonyms

Mercury poisoning

Biomedical References

Comments

Inhalation of elemental mercury vapor is the most common exposure leading to occupational mercury poisoning. Mercury can cause peripheral neuropathy and neuropsychiatric disorders after chronic exposure. The key to preventing chronic mercury poisoning is to reduce spills and to clean up ones that occur. [ATSDR Case Studies #17] Other forms of mercury poisoning follow ingestion of inorganic mercury and organic mercury compounds. See the chemicals: "Mercury"; "Mercury, alkyl compounds"; "Mercury, aryl compounds"; and "Mercury, inorganic compounds."

Latency/Incubation

In the occupational setting, neurological symptoms develop over months to years; [Olson, p. 238]

Diagnostic

Background levels of mercury are generally <10 ug/L for whole blood and <20 ug/L for urine. [Goldfrank, p. 1304] See the ACGIH BEI for elemental mercury.

ICD-9 Code

985.0

ICD-10 Code

T56.1

Reference Link

Symptoms/Findings

Symptoms/Findings associated with this disease:

• confusion
• headache
• kidney function test, abnormal
• memory loss
• mood disturbance
• neuropathy
• paresthesia
• proteinuria
• salivation
• stomatitis
• tremor
• weakness
• weight loss

Job Tasks

High risk job tasks associated with this disease:

• Extract mercury ore (cinnabar)
• Fabricate measuring devices containing mercury
• Manufacture and repair mercury fluorescent lights
• Manufacture or use mercury dental amalgams
• Reclaim scrap metal containing lead, cadmium, beryllium, or mercury
• Use mercury to extract gold
• Work in the mercury cell room in a chloralkali plant

Agents

Hazardous agents that cause the occupational disease:

• Mercury