Symptoms of mercury poisoning

Mercury poisoning comes in a variety of forms.

• Acute mercury poisoning causes headache, high fever, diarrhea, vomiting, and after a few days - increased bleeding, development of stomatitis with the formation of ulcers in the oral cavity. In complicated cases, cardiac dysfunction and kidney failure are possible. Interstitial pneumonia may develop.

When inorganic mercury complexes are taken orally, intoxication manifests itself through the damaging effect of the salts of this metal on the digestive organs. An inflammatory process occurs in the affected mucous membrane, which is accompanied by bouts of nausea, vomiting (with or without blood), cutting pain in the abdominal cavity, turning into diarrhea (often with blood). Subsequently, necrosis (death) of the intestinal mucous membranes may develop.

A sudden and massive removal of fluid from the body during severe intoxication can provoke toxic shock with subsequent death.

• Chronic mercury poisoning occurs with a gradual increase in symptoms: increased salivation, inflammation of the gums and oral mucosa, and tooth loss.

When silver fulminate compounds come into contact with the skin, a hypersensitive process may occur, from redness to peeling with the development of toxic dermatitis.

In addition, chronic mercury poisoning is accompanied by general symptoms: increased nervousness, abnormal hair growth (hypertrichosis), painful intolerance to light (photophobia), skin rashes, increased sweating (mainly on the palms and feet), and swelling of the extremities.

Acute poisoning with organic mercury complexes demonstrates clinical symptoms identical to chronic intoxication, so it is practically impossible to differentiate such forms.

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How much mercury does it take to cause poisoning?

This metal has unique properties and is widely used in scientific and technical developments. It can remain in a liquid state in the temperature range from -38.87 to +357.25°, due to which it evaporates without problems at normal room temperature.

The Earth's atmosphere is constantly replenished with vaporous metal from other layers and earth shells, but most Hydrargyrum comes from the solid and water shells of the Earth. Numerous industrial complexes engaged in the processing of mercury raw materials, as well as the manufacture of mercury equipment and mercury-based preparations, also serve as sources of evaporation into the atmosphere. Gas, oil and coal also contain a small concentration of mercury: when they burn, mercury is released, however, in insignificant quantities. As a result of these processes, 1 cubic meter of air mass constantly contains 2˟10-8 g of mercury vapor. However, the concentration of mercury in the air is far from that which could cause intoxication, since simultaneously with the vapors entering the atmosphere, they are periodically removed from it. Silver fulminate is absorbed by the hydrosphere, soil, etc.

It follows that the human body, which has never been in direct contact with mercury compounds, always contains a certain amount of the metal. Moreover, this is the amount that not only does not harm the body, but is also necessary for the normal physiological processes in the body.

The amount of mercury-containing substances entering our body should not be higher than 100:1 billion. Experts have determined the normal concentration of silver fulminate inside the body: its content in the blood should be ˂20 ng/ml, and in urine <10 μg/l.

However, when diagnosing mercury poisoning, confirmed elevated levels are considered as follows: blood > 35 ng/ml, urine > 150 μg/l.

Clear signs of mercury poisoning appear with sufficient amounts of Hydrargyrum in the body: blood >500 ng/ml, urine >600 μg/l.

The concentration of mercury vapor that can provoke the development of chronic intoxication is in the range of 0.001-0.005 mg/m³.

Acute intoxication can develop at concentrations of 0.13 to 0.8 mg/m³.

A fatal outcome is possible with the inhalation of two and a half grams of Hydrargyrum.

A damaged thermometer spreads about 2-3 maximum mercury concentrations directly at the site of damage. By the way, the maximum concentration is determined by the indicator 0.0003 mg/m³. In order for a child to be poisoned, it is enough to exceed the permissible concentration by 1.5 times.

How long does it take for mercury poisoning to manifest?

Acute mercury salt poisoning manifests itself more quickly and is more complicated than mercury vapor intoxication. For example, the lethal amount of mercury chloride HgCl² is from 0.1 to 0.4 g. Sometimes death was observed 2-4 weeks after the poisoning. Exposure to high concentrations of mercury salts leads to death within 24-36 hours.

However, such outcomes only apply to severe poisoning that occurs during accidents at mercury production facilities and other unforeseen situations.

In the case of exposure to low concentrations of mercury on the body, poisoning may go unnoticed or increase gradually: everything depends on the dosage of mercury.

In the vast majority of poisonings, mercury enters the body in a vapor or dust state, through breathing or digestion. If the metal has entered the body in a small amount once, it can be excreted without any significant signs: if it enters the bloodstream - through the kidneys, and if it enters the digestive tract - with feces. Swallowed metal is excreted unchanged during defecation, without being absorbed into tissues. There is a known case when a person drank more than 1 liter of fulminate of silver for the purpose of suicide. As a result, he was hospitalized with abdominal pain, and discharged after 10 days without any signs of intoxication.

Often, the signs of poisoning with small concentrations of mercury are so mild that they can be mistaken for other diseases: pathology of the nervous system, digestion or respiratory organs.

Child mercury poisoning

A child can be poisoned by mercury much easier and faster than an adult. Firstly, he does not always understand what is allowed and what is not, and secondly, a child's body is not so protected from harmful toxic substances.

It is enough to drop a mercury thermometer or an energy-saving light bulb (containing mercury) in the room – and the amount of mercury vapor will be enough to poison the child. The situation can be worsened by the fact that a small child can independently reach the thermometer and break it, while “covering up the traces of the crime” without telling the parents.

In recent years, traces of mercury have been found more often in food products. Silver fulminate appears in bread as a result of the treatment of grain crops with fertilizers and insecticides. Mercury can sometimes be found in fish and seafood.

When consuming mercury-containing products, it is difficult to diagnose that the child has mercury poisoning. Most often, in such cases, they begin to treat alimentary poisoning or diseases of the digestive organs.

How to suspect that the baby has been poisoned? To do this, you need to carefully monitor the child and pay attention to all manifestations of the disease.

In acute mercury poisoning, the child may complain of a change or lack of taste and appetite. When examining the oral cavity, swelling and bleeding of the mucous membranes, deterioration of the teeth, and sometimes their darkening may be detected. The child may experience vomiting, diarrhea with mucus and blood, accompanied by abdominal pain.

When inhaling mercury vapor, a child may start coughing and having a runny nose. The baby falls into an indifferent sleepy state, which in some cases may be replaced by tearfulness and capriciousness. The temperature may rise to 39-40° C. Saliva secretion increases, the child asks to go to the toilet more often.

In severe cases and severe intoxication, damage to the kidneys and pulmonary system occurs.

When mercury-containing substances come into contact with the skin, redness, peeling of the skin occurs, and rashes may appear.

Mercury poisoning in dogs

If a dog has been exposed to mercury vapor, or, more commonly, has licked some mercury ointment from a surface or eaten herbicide-treated food, there is a high risk of developing symptoms of mercury poisoning.

If metal somehow gets into the dog's body, it slowly accumulates in the organs, causing a disorder of the autonomic and central nervous system. Metabolic processes are disrupted.

When mercury compounds enter the dog's digestive tract, diarrhea and vomiting occur, the animal becomes weaker before your eyes, and stops eating.

When the nervous system is affected, convulsions are observed, breathing becomes shallow, coordination is upset. As the process progresses, paresis and paralysis appear, the animal becomes exhausted, and the body temperature drops.

If the intoxication is severe and no assistance is provided, the dog may die within 1-2 weeks.

Treatment of mercury poisoning in animals is based on immediate gastric lavage with a solution of ground activated carbon in water. Water with the addition of raw egg whites can be used as a lavage liquid. Then the animal should be given a laxative. In case of mercury poisoning, the animal should not be fed or given water with salt.

The mercury antidote used in veterinary medicine is Unithiol. It is prescribed by a veterinarian depending on the severity of the intoxication and the weight of the animal.

During the entire treatment period, the animal should eat gentle food with the absolute exclusion of salt.

The first symptoms of mercury poisoning

The first symptoms of acute mercury poisoning in mild cases may resemble common food poisoning: nausea attacks, sometimes vomiting, dizziness. The victim's condition is unsatisfactory. A metallic taste in the mouth and pain when swallowing may occur.

If the causes of this condition are identified in a timely manner, and the diagnosis of mercury poisoning is established in a timely manner, then a positive outcome of the pathology is guaranteed.

With chronic damage by this metal, less clear symptoms appear, which are expressed in increased fatigue, drowsiness, headaches, weakness and inactivity, nervousness. If the mercury dosages are regular and constant, then later there is trembling in the fingers and limbs, bleeding from the gums, frequent urination, menstrual irregularities.

Acute mercury poisoning can be observed when a significant concentration of the toxic substance suddenly enters the body. Such intoxication can occur during industrial accidents, due to failure to comply with safety regulations when working with mercury-containing preparations, in force majeure circumstances, fires and industrial cataclysms.

Acute intoxication may be accompanied by a metallic taste in the mouth, fever, weakness and fatigue. A person loses the desire to eat, dyspeptic disorders appear, the mucous membranes of the oral cavity swell and bleed, teeth fall out. If the poisoning is provoked by exposure to vapors, then the trachea, bronchi are affected, an inflammatory process and edema of the pulmonary system occur.

A nervous system disorder is more typical for a gradually increasing form of intoxication, which is classified as chronic.

Chronic mercury poisoning is more common than acute mercury poisoning. Typically, this condition develops during long-term professional activity associated with regular human contact with small concentrations of mercury vapor.

Symptoms of chronic poisoning can also develop when taking medications based on mercury compounds.

Chronic intoxication most often occurs with disorders of the central nervous system. Characteristic symptoms include apathy, drowsiness, pain and dizziness. Over time, tremors in the fingers develop, later spreading to the eyelids, lips and eventually to the entire body. The muscular system weakens, sensitivity is lost, and the perception of taste and smell is impaired.

Chronic mercury intoxication can damage the subcortical nodes, which manifests itself in irritability and sleep disorders. A person becomes inattentive, forgetful, and develops phobias. Cases of developing a depressive state are not uncommon.

In advanced cases of chronic intoxication, a disorder of mental and intellectual functions develops, the victim begins to delirious, falls into a comatose state and dies.

Symptoms of Mercury Poisoning in Cats

Hydrargyrum substances containing it are toxic not only to humans, but also to animals. For example, cats can be poisoned by mercury not only when someone breaks a thermometer in the house, but also when eating food or fish that contain mercury.

Metal may enter feed under the following circumstances:

• when ignoring the rules for working with pesticides;
• in the production of feed mixtures with the addition of poisoned grain;
• when transporting feed in vehicles that were previously used to transport herbicides or grain treated with metal-containing substances.

Symptoms of mercury poisoning in cats depend on the dosage and duration of mercury intake. Acute intoxication is rare and is accompanied by lethargy and complete apathy of the animal, lack of appetite, diarrhea. When trying to press on the anterior abdominal wall, the cat breaks away, as it experiences pain. Over time, vision deteriorates to complete blindness, the urinary system is affected, paralysis appears.

Without emergency care, symptoms worsen over three to seven days, after which death occurs.

In the case of non-acute intoxication, signs of damage may appear only after 2-3 weeks, sometimes even later.