Mercury Exposure and Health Effects: What Do We Really Know?

Mercury is widely used in medicine, agriculture, and industry. Meanwhile, according to the World Health Organization, it has been ranked as one of the ten most hazardous substances in the world, with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry ranking it third. It has no known positive functionality in the human body, and even at low concentrations, it can have harmful long-term health effects, seriously affecting the healthcare system as well as posing a serious public health threat. This review focuses on the health effects of mercury and its major sources in the environment. We highlight its major toxic role in almost every possible aspect. Mercury and its forms, even in the smallest doses, cause…