Human Exposure and Health Effects of Inorganic and Elemental Mercury
Chung-Ang University · Purdue University West Lafayette
Abstract
Mercury is a toxic and non-essential metal in the human body. Mercury is ubiquitously distributed in the environment, present in natural products, and exists extensively in items encountered in daily life. There are three forms of mercury, i.e., elemental (or metallic) mercury, inorganic mercury compounds, and organic mercury compounds. This review examines the toxicity of elemental mercury and inorganic mercury compounds. Inorganic mercury compounds are water soluble with a bioavailability of 7% to 15% after ingestion; they are also irritants and cause gastrointestinal symptoms. Upon entering the body, inorganic mercury compounds are accumulated mainly in the kidneys and produce kidney damage. In contrast,…
Citation impact
- FWCI
- 9.99
- Percentile
- 100%
- References
- 43
Authors
2Topics & keywords
- Mercury (programming language)
- Elemental mercury
- Chemistry
- Environmental chemistry
- Bioavailability
- Pharmacology
- Medicine
- Organic chemistry