How dangerous is mercury? When I was young I had a bottle with mercury in it. I was fascinated by the?

Question

way it felt. It was a solid/liquid. That was a long time ago. Now I know it can be dangerous. Could that be related to my poor health today? Why is it considered dangerous? Is it dangerous if you played with it or only if you drank it?

Noname:
I am 60. I don't think mercury is still used in thermometers, so you may not have been in contact with it, unless it was an older thermometer.

Answer 1

Now a days its very dangerous. I remember my mom telling me storys about when she was in school they would let the students play with mercury because it was part of the program. Now in school if a mercury thermometer is dropped its a huge deal. It could affect you but chances are probally not. Dont worry about it and let if slide by.


In schools they still use mercury thermometers, unless they had the funding to replace them. at my school we still had them. I wouldnt worry too much about it. Unless you have cancer. That is one of the most common side effects a person can get but that would be by massive amounts.

Answer 2

Many people have played with mercury and lived to tell the tale. With all the concern about mercury in tuna, only two people have ever died from eating mercury laden fish and these were from industrial run-off.
Mercury occurs in deposits throughout the world and it is harmless in an insoluble form, such as mercuric sulfide, but it is poisonous in soluble forms such as mercuric chloride or methylmercury.

Elemental mercury is the main ingredient in dental amalgams. Controversy over the health effects from the use of mercury amalgams began shortly after its introduction into the western world, nearly 200 years ago. In 1845, The American Society of Dental Surgeons, concerned about mercury poisoning, asked its members to sign a pledge that they would not use amalgam. The ASDS disbanded in 1865. The American Dental Association formed three years after and currently takes the position that "amalgam is a valuable, viable and safe choice for dental patients,"[10] In 1993, the United States Public Health Service reported that "amalgam fillings release small amounts of mercury vapor," but in such a small amount that it "has not been shown to cause any … adverse health effects". This position is not shared by all governments and there is an ongoing dental amalgam controversy. A recent review by an FDA-appointed advisory panel rejected, by a margin of 13-7, the current FDA report on amalgam safety[citation needed], stating the report's conclusions were unreasonable given the quantity and quality of information currently available. Panelists said remaining uncertainties about the risk of so-called silver fillings demanded further research; in particular, on the effects of mercury-laden fillings on children and the fetuses of pregnant women with fillings, and the release of mercury vapor on insertion and removal of mercury fillings.

Answer 3

not really. When I was 10 years old my science teacher showed us a mercury termometer and a girl accidently droped it and the mercury went everywhere. Everyone in the class started gathering around touching it and tried to bring some home.

When i was 12 my mom bought a mercury termometer and my brother accidently droped it and I had to clean it with my sister and I did not wash my hands.

BTW I am 16 now and healthy. how old are you?