Is it easy to get mercury poisening. Can a person get mercury poisining by touching it w? bare hands.?

Question

If so what should I do.

Sorry for the typo. I meant touching w/ bare hands.

Answer 1

Yes! What the hell are you doing touching liquid mercury with your bare hands. Go to the doctor right away. I mean it.

Answer 2

I wouldn't say it is easy. There is mercury in fillings but most dentists use composite now and that is safer. You can get too much mercury from eating certain fish/ shell fish during certain times of the year. Where would you be touching mercury? It can be absorbed through the skin, or cracks in the skin. You need to contact your doctor if you have been in contact with it. Most doctors do not know what to do with mercury poisoning but a natropathic doctor does. Call your doctor, get some blood work done and if they do not help you, if there is a problem, then find a natropathic doctor, that is well known and of good reputation, and they will help you. One thing you could look up is if eating lots of cilantro every day or taking cilantro capsules will get rid of mercury build up in your liver. But you need to have blood work done to see if there is a problem. Please do not take chances with your life. I hope you are not doing anything silly.

Answer 3

If you broke a thermometer and the elemental mercury inside touched your skin you don't have to do anything, you are in no immediate danger. Mercury poisoning depends on the type of mercury (elemental vs organic), the route of exposure (skin, lungs, GI tract) and the chronicity (single skin contact with elemental vs organic mercury or years of eating contaminated fish)
Elemental mercury is the type that is inside a thermometer and is only slightly toxic. There is only about 0.5g. It can be absorbed thru the skin by contact but having a drop touch your hand briefly would not result in much if any absorption. In fact, swallowing elemental mercury is not toxic as it is not absorbed in the GI tract. It should be cleaned up properly though as it is volatile at room temperature and mercury vapor is inhaled and absorbed thru the lungs.
The organic form methylmercury is highly toxic in very small amounts thru the skin or GI tract. Ingestion comes thru a process of soil contamination leading to ground and runoff water contamination, then to fish contamination and finally to humans thru eating the fish.
The effects of mercury poisoning are cumulative from prolonged repeated exposure as the body has no natural way of getting rid of it.
So, one episode of elemental thermometer mercury skin contact-no problem.
One episode of skin contact with organic methylmercury-big problem.
Brief contact with elemental thermometer mercury skin contact-no problem.
Prolonged repeated inhalation of mercury vapor or eating contaminated fish-problem.
Chelation therapy is the preferred treament for mercury poisoning which I don't think you have. I would not recommend a naturopath to anyone with mercury poisoning.
See the emedicine link for all the details.

Answer 4

Yes and yes. Gold miners in South America are forced to use it part of the mining process. They become ill and some die. If you have been exposed to mercury through the skin, see a Dr.

Answer 5

It is absorbed through the skin. Usually small amounts like from a thermometer are not too dangerous unless it gets in a cut in your skin or you ingest it somehow. Its best not to play with it. Mercury toxicity requires medical treatment.

Answer 6

Mercury is extremely toxic ad should not be handled at all. That said, I played with it when I was a kid, and fortunately suffered no known effects from it.

Answer 7

mercury can be absorbed into the body by touching it--get some common sense

Answer 8

If you do it over a period of time. It is not wise to touch mercury, it can adversely affect your nerves, making you twitch. Stop doing it.

Answer 9

deadly go to er now