Mercury is a toxic substance that can accumulate in organisms and is easily absorbed by skin, breathing and digestive tract. Oral administration, inhalation or contact can cause brain and liver damage. Mercury can destroy the central nervous system and have adverse effects on oral cavity, mucosa and teeth. Long-term exposure to high mercury can lead to brain damage and death. Although the boiling point of mercury is very high, the saturated mercury vapor at room temperature has reached several times of poisoning measurement.
Metal mercury mainly enters the body through the respiratory tract in the form of steam, which is not easy to be absorbed through the digestive tract; High mercuric chloride has high solubility and is absorbed quickly through digestive tract. Mercury entering the body can be distributed in liver, kidney, brain and hair with blood. Mercury in the body is mainly excreted through urine and feces, and a small amount of mercury is excreted with saliva, sweat and milk. Female workers should not be exposed to mercury during lactation and pregnancy, so as not to affect the health of the next generation.
Symptoms of mercury poisoning
Workers inhale high-concentration mercury vapor for a short time, such as gold plating and manufacturing high-temperature instruments. Can lead to acute mercury poisoning. But it is rare at present. Long-term exposure to mercury vapor will lead to chronic mercury poisoning. Symptoms of neurasthenia such as dizziness, headache, insomnia, memory loss and fatigue, as well as mental changes such as timidity, shyness and irritability may occur in the early stage. In addition, salivation, stomatitis and gingivitis are also early manifestations of chronic mercury poisoning. Muscle tremor is a characteristic symptom of mercury poisoning, which initially manifests as slight tremor of fingers, eyelids and tongue, and can develop to upper and lower limbs in severe cases. To make matters worse, it will lead to death.
Prevention and treatment of mercury poisoning
Mercury poisoning can be treated with drugs, such as sodium dimercaptopronate or sodium dimercaptosuccinate. Mild chronic mercury poisoning can be cured, and patients need not worry. Comprehensive preventive measures should be taken to replace mercury with non-toxic or low-toxic raw materials, such as replacing mercury meters with electronic meters and replacing metal mercury thermometers with alcohol thermometers. When melting or dumping mercury, an exhaust hood or sealing device should be installed to prevent mercury vapor from escaping. Remove and recycle mercury residue on the desktop, floor and wall in time. Regularly measure the mercury concentration in the air of the workshop. Workers exposed to mercury should have a physical examination once a year, so as to find out mercury absorption and early mercury poisoning patients in time for early treatment. Waste gas, waste water and waste residue containing mercury should be treated before discharge.