Symptoms of mercury poisoning

Mercury poisoning is expressed in various forms.

• Acute mercury poisoning causes headache, high fever, diarrhea, vomiting, and a few days later - increased bleeding, the development of stomatitis with the formation of ulcers of the oral cavity. In complicated cases, there may be heart failure, kidney failure. Interstitial pneumonia may develop.

When ingestion of inorganic mercury complexes, intoxication manifests itself as a damaging effect of the salts of this metal on the digestive organs. There is an inflammatory process in the affected mucosa, which is accompanied by attacks of nausea, vomiting (with or without blood), cutting pain in the abdominal cavity with the transition to diarrhea (often with blood). Subsequently, necrosis (necrosis) of the intestinal mucosa can form.

Sharp and massive removal of fluid from the body with severe intoxication can provoke a toxic shock followed by a fatal outcome.

• Chronic mercury poisoning occurs with a gradual increase in symptoms: there is increased salivation, inflammation of the gums and oral mucosa, teeth may fall out.

If the compounds of rattling silver get on the skin, a hypersensitive process may appear, from reddening to flaking with the development of toxic dermatitis.

In addition, chronic mercury poisoning is accompanied by common manifestations: increased nervousness, abnormal hair growth (hypertrichosis), painful intolerance to light (light-phobia), skin rashes, increased sweating (mainly on the palms and feet), edema of the extremities.

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

[1], [2], [3], [4],

How much mercury is needed for poisoning?

This metal has unique properties and is widely used in scientific and technical developments. It is able to stay in the liquid state in the temperature range from -38.87 to + 357.25 °, so it evaporates without problems at normal room air temperature.

The terrestrial atmosphere is constantly replenished with a vaporous form of metal from other layers and earth shells, but most Hydrargyrum comes from the solid and water shells of the Earth. Also, many industrial complexes involved in the processing of mercury raw materials, as well as the production of mercury equipment and mercury-based products, are sources of evaporation into the atmosphere. A small concentration of mercury also contains gas, oil and coal: at their burning, mercury is released, however, in small quantities. As a result of these processes, 1˟10-8 g mercury vapor constantly remains in 1 cubic meter of air mass. However, the concentration of mercury in the air is far from the one that could cause intoxication, since simultaneously with the entry of vapors into the atmosphere, they are periodically also withdrawn from it. Rattlescent silver is absorbed by the hydrosphere, soil, etc.

It follows that the human body, which has never directly contacted mercury compounds, always contains a certain amount of metal. Moreover, this is exactly the amount that not only does not harm the body, but is necessary for the normal course of physiological processes in the body.

The intake of mercury-containing substances in our body should not be above 100: 1 billion. The specialists determined the normal concentration of rattlesnake silver inside the body: its content in the blood should be ˂20 ng / ml, and in urine <10 μg / l.

However, in the diagnosis of mercury poisoning, the confirmed elevated levels are: blood> 35 ng / ml, urine> 150 μg / l.

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

The concentration of mercury vapor, which is capable of provoking the development of chronic intoxication, is in the range of 0.001-0.005 mg / m³.

The acute form of intoxication can develop even at a concentration of 0.13 to 0.8 mg / m³.

Lethal outcome is possible with inhalation of two and a half grams of Hydrargyrum.

A damaged thermometer spreads about 2 to 3 maximum mercury concentrations directly at the site where the damage occurred. By the way, the limiting concentration is determined by an index of 0, 0003 mg / m³. In order to poison the child, it is enough to exceed the permissible concentration by 1.5 times.

How much does mercury poisoning manifest?

Acute poisoning with mercury salts is more likely and differs by a more complex course than intoxication with mercury vapor. For example, the lethal amount of HgCl² is 0.1 to 0.4 g. Sometimes the fatal outcome was observed 2-4 weeks after the poisoning. The impact of high concentrations of mercury salts leads to a fatal case for 24-36 hours.

However, such outcomes refer only to severe poisoning that occurs in accidents at mercury production and other unforeseen situations.

In the case of exposure to a low concentration of mercury on the body, poisoning can go unnoticed, or increase gradually: all depending on the dosage of mercury.

In the vast majority of poisonings, mercury enters the body in a vapor or dusty state, with breathing or through digestion. If the metal has entered the body in an insignificant amount once, it can be excreted without any significant signs: when it enters the bloodstream through the kidneys, and if it gets into the digestive tract, it becomes fecal. The swallowed metal is excreted unchanged during defecation, not absorbed into the tissue. A case is known when, for suicide purposes, a person drank more than 1 liter of rattling silver. As a result, with pains in the abdomen, he was hospitalized, and discharged after 10 days without any signs of intoxication.

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

Mercury poisoning of a child

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

It is enough to drop a mercury thermometer or an energy-saving light bulb (mercury-containing) in the room - and the amount of mercury vapor will be enough to make the child poisoned. The situation may worsen because a small child can independently get to the thermometer and break it, while "hide the traces of the crime," without telling his parents anything.

In recent years, traces of mercury in food have become more common. Rattlescent silver appears in the bread due to the processing of crops by fertilizers and insecticides. Sometimes mercury can be found in fish and seafood.

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

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

In acute forms of mercury poisoning, a child may complain of a change or lack of taste and appetite. When examining the oral cavity, one can detect puffiness and bleeding of the mucous membranes, deterioration of the teeth, and sometimes their darkening. The baby may have vomiting, diarrhea with mucus and blood, accompanied by pain in the abdomen.

When inhaled, mercury vapor in a child may begin to cough, runny nose. The kid falls into an indifferent sleep state, which in some cases can be replaced by tearfulness and capriciousness. The temperature can rise to 39-40 ° C. The salivation increases, the child often asks for a toilet.

In severe and severe intoxication, the kidneys and the pulmonary system are affected.

If mercury-containing substances get into the skin, redness develops, skin peeling, and rashes may appear.

Mercury poisoning of a dog

If the dog is in contact with mercury vapor, or, as happens more often, licked some of the mercury ointment from the surface or ate the herbicide treated feed, then there is a greater risk of developing symptoms of mercury poisoning.

If the metal somehow finds itself in the dog's body, it slowly accumulates in the organs, causing disorganization of the autonomic and central nervous system. Exchange processes are knocked off.

When mercury compounds get inside the digestive tract, the dog develops diarrhea, vomiting, the animal weakens before the eyes, stops eating.

When the nervous system is affected, convulsive seizures are observed, breathing becomes superficial, coordination is upset. With the course of the process, paresis and paralysis appear, the animal is depleted, the body temperature drops.

If the course of intoxication is severe, and there is no help, the dog may die within 1-2 weeks.

Treatment of mercury poisoning in animals is based on immediate washing of the stomach with a solution of ground activated carbon in water. As a washing liquid, water can be used with the addition of raw egg whites. Next, the animal should be given a laxative drug. When poisoning with mercury, you can not feed or water an animal using salt.

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

During the entire treatment period, the animal should consume sparing food with the absolute exception of salt.

The first symptoms of mercury poisoning

The first symptoms of acute mercury poisoning with mild intoxication can resemble ordinary food poisoning: disturbing attacks of nausea, sometimes vomiting, dizziness. The condition of the victim is unsatisfactory. Can join the metallic taste in the mouth, pain when swallowing.

If the reasons for this condition are determined in time, and the diagnosis of mercury poisoning is established on time, then the positive outcome of the pathology is guaranteed.

With a chronic lesion with this metal, there are not such clear symptoms that are expressed in increased fatigue, sleepiness, pain in the head, weakness and inactivity, nervousness. If the dosages of mercury are regular and constant, then there is a tremor in the fingers and limbs, bleeding from the gums, increased urine output, a disorder of the menstrual cycle.

Acute mercury poisoning can be observed with a sharp penetration into the body of a significant concentration of toxic substance. Such intoxication can occur during accidents at industries, due to non-compliance with safety regulations when working with mercury-containing drugs, in case of force majeure, fires and industrial disasters.

Acute intoxication can be accompanied by a metallic taste in the mouth, fever, weakness and fatigue. The person disappears craving for food, there are dyspeptic disorders, swollen and bleeding mouth mucous membranes, teeth fall out. If poisoning is provoked by exposure to vapors, trachea and bronchi are affected, inflammation and swelling of the pulmonary system occur.

The disorder of the nervous system is more typical for the gradually increasing form of intoxication, which is considered to be chronic.

Chronic mercury poisoning can be found more often than acute. Typically, this condition develops with long-term professional activity associated with the regular contact of a person with small concentrations of mercury vapor.

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

Chronic intoxication often occurs with violations of the central nervous system. In this case, among the characteristic symptoms is apathy, sleepiness, pain and circling in the head. Over time, a tremor develops in the fingers, further extending to the area of the eyelids, lips and subsequently to the entire body. The muscular system weakens, sensitivity is lost, perception of taste and smell is broken.

Chronic mercury intoxication can damage subcortical nodes, which is manifested in irritability, sleep disorders. The person becomes inattentive, forgetful, he has phobias. Cases of development of a depressive state are frequent.

In neglected cases of chronic intoxication, a disorder of mental and intellectual functions is formed, the victim begins to rave, falls into a coma and dies.

Symptoms of mercury poisoning in cats

Hydrargyrum containing its substances are toxic not only for humans, but also for animals. For example, cats are able to poison mercury not only when someone smashes a thermometer in the house, but when eating food or fish that contain mercury.

Metal can get into the feed under the following circumstances:

• when ignoring the rules of working with pesticides;
• in the manufacture of feed mixtures with the addition of poisoned grain;
• when transporting fodder in transport, which was previously used to transport herbicides or processed grains of metal-containing substances.

Symptoms of mercury poisoning in cats depend on the dosage and duration of mercury ingestion. The acute form of intoxication is rare and is accompanied by lethargy and complete apathy of the animal, lack of appetite, diarrhea. When you try to press the front abdominal wall, the cat breaks out, as it experiences pain. Over time, vision deteriorates until complete blindness, the urinary system is affected, paralysis appears.

In the absence of emergency care, the symptoms increase for three to seven days, after which a fatal outcome occurs.

With a mild course of intoxication, signs of lesion may appear only after 2-3 weeks, sometimes later.