[kmb (OP)]

can any one tell me if there is any way to tell if you were exposed to mercury 30 years ago

[anthony]

I doubt you'll get an authoritative answer to this one, so I'll guess for you. Short of an autopsy probably not, any mercury by this stage will be in bones/liver and is not going to come up in a simple blood test. It will also depend on the dose and whether it was a one-off or prolonged exposure. Although mercury compounds can be quite deadly the metal itself is not easily absorbed. The dangers of the metal are generally exaggerated, it was once used as a cure for constipation.

[Ultima]

After 30 years would it matter? It's not like you are imminently going to die???

wOw the world spins?

[gsmollin]

I was exposed to mercury metal over 30 years ago. I know, because I used to play with it. I had a 1 litre bottle, probably enough to kill thousands of people. But it did not kill me. Maybe some brain damage... that would explain my struggle with relativity and Fourier analysis. Damn, I should have tried that as a school excuse.  Did Bart Simpson ever use mercury poisonong as an excuse from school? OBTW, mercury was also used as a treatment for ghonorhea.

"F = ma, E = mc^2, and you can't push a string."

[David Sparkman]

Current mercury poisoning can be determined by a spectrograqphic exmination of your hair roots, same as lead.

I think most people have some effect of mercury as tooth cavities have been filled with a silver/mercury combination. The filling turns brittle once most of the mercury has been removed by your saliva. Dentists have been in denial about the body getting mercury from fillings for a long time. But believe me, it isn't the silver that is active in that combination. It is the mercury that will preferabily dissolve.

David

[Ylide]

Mercury is still used in the treatment of stomach disorders in some countries.  In liquid form, it's much less harmful to you...it's the vapors that have a pronounced effect.  When they cross over into the bloodstream in the lungs, the mercury molecules are incorporated into metal-catalyzed enzymes as well as other proteins, changing the proteins shape and reactivity.  That's bad.  

For more on mercury toxicity and the variable harmfulness of elemental mercury, mercury vapur, mercury salts, and organic mercury, check out  http://www.emedicine.com/EMERG/topic813.htm




This message brought to you by The Council of People Who Are Sick of Seeing More People

[Simmer]

Absolutely, anyone who ever did any mercury polarography will tell you that the dangers of metallic mercury are greatly exaggerated.  A little excessive salivation, some trouble remembering names and whether underpants go on before or after trousers, silly to make a fuss really.  Pkark! [xx(]

[gsmollin]

I'm terrible with names, and my dentist tells me I salivate a lot,[xx(] as he fills my cavity with mercury/silver.[:0] No underpants problems. []

"F = ma, E = mc^2, and you can't push a string."

[David Sparkman]

Ah the best use for mercury was the cure of herpes and syphilis by dipping the male organ in a solution of Mercury. This was the common cure for such infections 200 years ago as the sailors introduced island populations to European diseases.

As far as side effects, they weren’t noticeable among the already mentally deficient sailors.

[gsmollin]

Hey, does anybody remember Merthiolate and Mercurochrome? They were common household antiseptics for application directly on cuts and bruises. These antiseptics are about 1/3 mercury! So you didn't need to be a syphilitic sailor (good sibilance!) to get the mercury treatment, just a skinned knee. The active ingredient was thimerosol, which Eli Lilly Company made during the latter half of the 20th century. It is still used as a preservative in some vaccines, and there is controversy about its use.

"F = ma, E = mc^2, and you can't push a string."

[dandart]

Hey what is the effects of long term exposure to Merthiolate. I found a bottle in my garage in a first aid kit. For the past 5 years or more I have experieced all the symtoms of exposure to Merthiolate. I have been looking up as much information as I could find on the net. Nothing about long term exposure.

2093337439

[Soul Surfer]

I too was probably exposed to mercury in my teens and had loads of it in a bottle at home and even boiled it once or twice.

I've also got loads of Amalgam fillings in my teeth.

Mercury is a persistent heavy metal poision so the careful analysis of a tissue sample should reveal the amount of mercury in your body but you would probably have to have a bit chopped out of you to analyse!



Learn, create, test and tell
evolution rules in all things
God says so!

[Soul Surfer]

I too was probably exposed to mercury in my teens and had loads of it in a bottle at home and even boiled it once or twice.

I've also got loads of Amalgam fillings in my teeth.

Mercury is a persistent heavy metal poision so the careful analysis of a tissue sample should reveal the amount of mercury in your body but you would probably have to have a bit chopped out of you to analyse!



Learn, create, test and tell
evolution rules in all things
God says so!