In 1989, an adult was melting dental amalgam in a casting furnace in the basement of his home in an attempt to recover silver from the amalgam.

Less common exposures: On rare occasions, people can suffer serious health consequences after exposures to very high levels of mercury vapor, especially if the exposure has occurred over a prolonged period. Two examples of very high exposures, with serious health effects: Learn more about mercury pollution from artisanal and small-scale gold mining. Miners working tailings in areas where mercury was previously used can also be inadvertently exposed to the residual mercury in these deposits. This process is very dangerous and can lead to significant mercury exposure. The amalgam is then heated, vaporizing the mercury and leaving the gold. Mercury is mixed with gold-containing materials, forming a mercury-gold amalgam.

Gold mining: Metallic mercury is sometimes used in artisanal and small-scale gold mining at locations outside of the United States.Learn more about mercury in dental fillings. Amalgam use is declining because the incidence of dental decay is decreasing, and because well-performing substitute materials are available for restoring teeth. It is made up of approximately 40-50% mercury, 25% silver, and 25-35% blend of copper, zinc and tin. Dental fillings : Mercury is used in dentistry in dental amalgam, also known as 'silver filling.' Dental amalgam is a direct filling material used in restoring teeth.View a list of products that contain mercury.

It is also in some thermometers, barometers, switches, thermostats, and electrical switches. Other consumer products: Metallic mercury is often found in school laboratories.If broken, they can release metallic mercury to the environment. The mercury-containing pendants can come in various shapes such as hearts, bottles, balls, saber teeth, and chili peppers. Novelty jewelry: Some necklaces (historically imported from Mexico) contain a glass pendant that contains mercury.Learn what to do if a mercury thermometer breaks in your home or school (outside of someone's mouth).It is not uncommon for children to break fever thermometers in their mouths. When a thermometer containing mercury breaks in a child's mouth and the child might have swallowed some mercury, be aware that the mercury poses a low risk in comparison to breathing mercury vapor.Sources of common potential exposure to metallic mercury are described below. In other instances, metallic mercury is accidentally swallowed. Note that where metallic mercury generally is contained in glass or metal, it does not pose a risk unless the product is damaged or broken and mercury vapors are released. Poorly ventilated, warm, indoor spaces are of particular concern in cases of airborne mercury vapors. Exposures may occur when people breathe this vapor and inhale it into their lungs. If the mercury is not immediately contained or cleaned up, it can evaporate, becoming an invisible, odorless, toxic vapor. Information about the effects that methylmercury exposures can have on your healthĮxposures to Elemental (Metallic) MercuryĬommon exposures: When most exposures to metallic mercury occur, they occur because mercury is released from a container, or from a product or device that breaks.Guidelines for eating fish that contain methylmercury.More about emissions of mercury into the air.Mothers who are exposed to methylmercury and breast-feed may also expose their infant children through their milk. This presented evidence that the nervous system of a developing infant may be more vulnerable to methylmercury exposures than an adult nervous system. In past outbreaks of methylmercury poisoning, mothers with no symptoms of nervous system damage gave birth to infants with severe disabilities. As a result, they may be exposed to much greater mercury contamination than the general population. Some communities eat significantly more quantities of fish than the general population. Populations Particularly Sensitive to Methylmercury Exposures Fish is a beneficial part of people's diet, and we encourage people to eat fish low in methylmercury. In a given water body, the highest concentrations of methylmercury are generally found in large fish that eat other fish. The levels of methylmercury in fish and shellfish depend on: Microorganisms in waterbodies can change it into methylmercury, where it builds up in fish and shellfish. Once in the air, mercury eventually settles into bodies of water like lakes and streams, or onto land, where it can be washed into water. Mercury gets into the air from a number of sources.

Mercury poisoning