Mercury poisoning. How to recognize and treat mercury poisoning

Mercury belongs to heavy metals. Its compounds in the form of salts and oxides are used in production, it is part of some paints and preparations for disinfection. Moreover, salts of this metal are more toxic than oxides.

At home, mercury can be encountered when thermometers, energy-saving light bulbs are damaged. Metal fumes poisoning is unlikely from a single broken light bulb. If the light bulbs are damaged periodically, then chronic poisoning is quite possible to earn. At school, in the lessons of physics and chemistry, reactions with mercury are carried out, so there are also cases of poisoning when safety precautions are violated when working with chemicals.

Input routes for mercury

Mercury vapor poisoning can occur through the skin. In this case, intoxication develops slowly.

A more dangerous situation occurs when metal particles get on the mucous membranes or when it is swallowed. In this case, the liver experiences a toxic blow.

The most severe variant of poisoning occurs after inhalation of vapors or directly when it enters the bloodstream, since the liver practically does not participate in their neutralization.

Toxic dose of mercury

Most often, a person comes into contact with mercury when breaking a thermometer. Is it possible to get poisoned when the thermometer crashed?

“A thermometer contains about two grams of mercury. The ingestion of half of this dose into the human body is fatal.

Much depends on the age, gender, body weight of a person who has been in contact with a dangerous poison. Also important is the size of the room in which the mercury was released.

These factors affect the severity of poisoning. The probability of mercury poisoning itself from a thermometer, if no action is taken, is close to 100%, since its average toxic dose is only 0.4 mg.

What to do if the thermometer breaks? This will be discussed below.

Symptoms of mercury vapor poisoning

Poisoning can occur acutely, for example, by inhalation of vapors, subacute and chronically, when a small amount of mercury enters the body, but for a long time.

Acute course is rare and possibly in an accident at a factory where mercury is used, and in other similar cases. More often there is chronic mercury poisoning from a thermometer, the symptoms of which develop gradually.

Common symptoms of mercury vapor poisoning would be:

It is important to understand that in each case, the set of symptoms is individual and depends on many factors. The classic manifestations of poisoning are one thing, but the cases in practice are quite another.

How to identify mercury poisoning? Symptoms are mostly non-specific and occur in case of poisoning with other heavy metals, as well as in inflammatory diseases of various organs, which also suffer from mercury intoxication. Clear evidence is given by a blood test for the concentration of a toxic substance, which is detected in case of poisoning from 180 μg / l and above.

Symptoms of mercury poisoning during pregnancy

Mercury poisoning during pregnancy is rare but does occur.

The symptoms will be the same as in non-pregnant women. Dangerous intoxication by the threat of fetal death.

What to do in case of mercury poisoning

What to do if the thermometer breaks

Compliance with safety precautions when working with mercury at work, as well as regular medical examinations for the timely detection of heavy metal intoxication reduces the risk of getting sick. At home, preventive measures are to replace all mercury thermometers with electronic ones and be more careful with energy-saving lamps.

What to do if the thermometer breaks?

Treat it responsibly and without panic.
Get everyone out of the room.
Close the door and open the windows.
Children under 18, pregnant women and people with serious chronic diseases should not collect mercury.
It is necessary to isolate mercury in rubber gloves in a sealed glass dish. To protect yourself from inhaling toxic fumes, wear a cotton-gauze or medical mask. Shoe covers must be on the feet.
Collect mercury with sheets of paper and with a plaster - gluing small balls with the sticky surface of the tape.
Everything that had contact with mercury should be placed in a plastic bag.
Call the Ministry of Emergency Situations or ask them for a number where to go to clean the room and dispose of the collected metal.

The most favorable outcome is acute poisoning of mild severity. The greatest damage to organs occurs with prolonged intoxication. In this case, the consequences of mercury poisoning from a thermometer will be the formation of severe chronic diseases of the affected organs, not to mention death. Timely seeking medical help will reduce these consequences to a minimum.

Input routes for mercury

Mercury vapor poisoning can occur through the skin. In this case, intoxication develops slowly.

A more dangerous situation occurs when metal particles get on the mucous membranes or when it is swallowed. In this case, the liver experiences a toxic blow.

The most severe variant of poisoning occurs after inhalation of vapors or directly when it enters the bloodstream, since the liver practically does not participate in their neutralization.

Toxic dose of mercury

Most often, a person comes into contact with mercury when breaking a thermometer. Is it possible to get poisoned when the thermometer crashed?

“A thermometer contains about two grams of mercury. The ingestion of half of this dose into the human body is fatal.

Much depends on the age, gender, body weight of a person who has been in contact with a dangerous poison. Also important is the size of the room in which the mercury was released.

These factors affect the severity of poisoning. The probability of mercury poisoning itself from a thermometer, if no action is taken, is close to 100%, since its average toxic dose is only 0.4 mg.

What to do if the thermometer breaks? This will be discussed below.

Symptoms of mercury vapor poisoning

Poisoning can occur acutely, for example, by inhalation of vapors, subacute and chronically, when a small amount of mercury enters the body, but for a long time.

Common symptoms of mercury vapor poisoning would be:

Symptoms of mercury poisoning during pregnancy

Mercury poisoning during pregnancy is rare but does occur.

The symptoms will be the same as in non-pregnant women. Dangerous intoxication by the threat of fetal death.

What to do in case of mercury poisoning

What to do if the thermometer breaks

What to do if the thermometer breaks?

Treat it responsibly and without panic.
Get everyone out of the room.
Close the door and open the windows.
Children under 18, pregnant women and people with serious chronic diseases should not collect mercury.
It is necessary to isolate mercury in rubber gloves in a sealed glass dish. To protect yourself from inhaling toxic fumes, wear a cotton-gauze or medical mask. Shoe covers must be on the feet.
Collect mercury with sheets of paper and with a plaster - gluing small balls with the sticky surface of the tape.
Everything that had contact with mercury should be placed in a plastic bag.
Call the Ministry of Emergency Situations or ask them for a number where to go to clean the room and dispose of the collected metal.

Mercury is the only metal that is in a liquid state at ordinary temperatures. Also, at room temperature, this metal evaporates, the vapors of which are very toxic to humans. Poisoning occurs only in vapors, since mercury in liquid form is safe for humans. Cases of poisoning usually occur in various industries, the technological process of which is associated with the use of mercury (poisoning occurs in the event of an accident or non-compliance with safety regulations), or in everyday life (in everyday life, this most often happens when the integrity of medical thermometers with mercury is violated).

Liquid mercury has a high mass, so it was previously used to treat intussusception (kinking) of the intestine in children. To do this, they gave it to the child to drink, under the influence of the severity of mercury, the intestines straightened.

What's happening

Mercury vapors have the first class of toxicity. This means that they are very toxic to the human body. When they are inhaled, mercury molecules enter the blood, with the current of which they are carried throughout the body. They accumulate in tissues containing a significant amount of lipids, most of all in the nervous tissue, endocrine glands, and structures of the immune system. Mercury is an enzymatic toxin. It penetrates into cells, binds to a large number of enzymes containing sulfhydryl groups, and disrupts their catalytic activity. As a result, the metabolism (metabolism) of cells is disturbed with a change in their functional state and death. According to the severity of pathological changes, acute (simultaneous intake of a significant amount of mercury into the body) and chronic (systematic intake of a small amount of mercury over a sufficiently long period of time) poisoning are distinguished.

Mercury is contained in medical thermometers, some lighting lamps (fluorescent lamps). It is also found in compounds such as sublimate, calomel. In a small amount, this compound is found in mussels, so they are not recommended to be eaten during pregnancy.

How does it manifest

Acute poisoning with mercury vapor is characterized by rather intense clinical symptoms, which manifest themselves several hours after the ingestion of this compound into the body. It includes headache, general weakness, fever, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, as well as the appearance of discomfort when swallowing, nausea with periodic vomiting, the appearance of a metallic taste in the mouth, blood from the gums. If a significant amount of mercury enters the body, loss of consciousness of the affected person is possible, as well as death against the background of a sharp inhibition of the functional activity of the nervous system. In chronic poisoning, the symptoms of a violation of the functional state of the structures of the nervous system, immunity and skin come to the fore:

The appearance of signs of acute or chronic poisoning with mercury vapor is a reason to visit a doctor, even if the affected person cannot remember obvious contact with this compound.

What to do

If there are signs of acute poisoning with mercury vapor, you should call an ambulance. Before the arrival of medical specialists, it is recommended to perform several simple first aid measures, which include:

Eliminate further entry of mercury into the body (take a person to fresh air, if it is impossible to open windows and doors in the room).
Provide fresh air supply.
Rinse the stomach (the "restaurant method" is used at home - a person drinks 1 liter of water at room temperature, after which vomiting is caused by irritation of the tongue, the procedure is repeated several times) and give an intestinal sorbent (activated charcoal).
If the victim is unconscious, then he should be laid on his side to prevent the ingress of vomit into the respiratory system in case of vomiting.

Further drug therapy is carried out by medical specialists using drugs of various pharmacological groups. If signs of chronic poisoning appear, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible, who, based on the data of the clinical examination, will prescribe the appropriate treatment.

Prevention of poisoning

It is possible to prevent the ingress of mercury vapor into the human body only with a very careful attitude towards objects and devices that may contain this compound (medical thermometer, fluorescent lamps). If the thermometer is broken, then first of all it is necessary to open the windows in the room. Then you should try to collect liquid mercury (it collects at the place where the thermometer fell in the form of small liquid balls) using a copper plate or pieces of steel. It is important to wear gloves and a respirator or cotton-gauze bandage. The place where mercury was spilled must be treated with any chlorine-containing disinfectant. After performing these manipulations, it is important to take a shower, rinse your mouth, and then brush your teeth thoroughly.

Mercury balls tend to roll into cracks, therefore, in order to clean them up as efficiently as possible, it is better to contact the appropriate service (sanitary epidemiological station).

Mercury poisoning is one of the most serious poisonings of the body, which is dangerous for its consequences. Most often, mercury enters the human body in the form of dust or vapor, with breathing or food. If this substance is ingested in a small amount and only once, it will not harm health - mercury will be removed from the body on its own without additional actions. When it enters the blood - through the kidneys along with urine, into the digestive tract - with feces. Such a metal, entering the body, is not absorbed into the tissues and leaves unchanged.

If this substance is ingested in small quantities, signs of poisoning may be mild or completely absent (often resemble other diseases, for example, disorders of the nervous system, digestive or respiratory organs). Death from poisoning with salts or mercury vapor can occur only in case of major accidents at the mercury production.

In order for a child to be poisoned, a much smaller amount of vapor is needed - this is due not only to the fact that a small body is not protected from toxins, but also to the fact that the baby does not always understand what has a beneficial effect on the body and what does not. The situation is further complicated by the fact that a child can break a thermometer and say nothing about it to adults, and the mercury content in the thermometer is enough to poison a small child. In addition, metal particles are often found in food. Quite rarely, mercury intoxication of a baby can be accurately diagnosed. Often this condition is explained by doctors as a common poisoning or pathology of the digestive system.

Etiology

The reasons for mercury poisoning are understandable - the ingestion of a certain amount of liquid metal into the body. It is worth figuring out where, in general, mercury can get in such an amount as to lead to human poisoning. Factors due to which a certain amount of mercury can enter the human body:

production conditions (during the production of galvanic batteries, which are made with the content of liquid metal);
metallurgical industry - when creating various compounds;
aluminum recycling;
chemical industry - as one of the reagents;
agriculture - as an integral part of pesticides for crop treatment;
dentistry - one filling can contain from several milligrams to several hundred milligrams of this element;
fluorescent lamps - they can contain from one to 70 grams of a substance, which is quite enough to poison a child;
a medical thermometer containing less than two grams of the substance;
food, in particular seafood - they can accumulate a large amount of mercury salts. Tellingly, no treatment of such products will reduce the concentration of this metal.

From this it follows that in order to be poisoned by vapors or mercury salts, one will have to try hard in order to find such a large amount of liquid metal. In cases where a medical thermometer or a mercury-containing lamp has broken, it is necessary to follow simple rules for collecting mercury particles. To do this, you need to do the following - moisten several sheets of paper or newspaper in a solution of water and potassium permanganate, which will help to collect even the smallest grains of this substance. But in no case should you use a vacuum cleaner, since this will only spread grains of mercury throughout the room, this can lead to chronic poisoning with this substance.

Varieties

There are several forms in which mercury poisoning can be expressed:

acute form - characterized by a sharp manifestation, including fever, severe headaches, frequent vomiting and diarrhea. Toxic shock can also develop, which, in turn, often causes the death of a person;
chronic mercury poisoning - this variety is characterized by a gradual increase in the intensity of symptoms. The disturbances to which this leads are expressed not only in external manifestations, but also in internal disorders.

Symptoms

Depending on which of the above forms the poisoning occurs, the expressed symptoms may differ. The acute form of intoxication has the following symptoms:

general weakness of the body;
bouts of severe headache;
complete loss of appetite;
discomfort and pain when a person tries to swallow food or liquid;
the appearance of an unpleasant taste of metal in the oral cavity;
increased secretion of saliva;
bleeding and swelling of the gums;
persistent nausea with frequent bouts of vomiting;
impurities of blood and mucus in vomit and feces;
unbearable cramps in the abdomen and chest;
severe cough with phlegm;
shortness of breath and difficulty breathing;
a sharp increase in body temperature;
detection, in the diagnosis, of particles of a given substance in the urine;
severe chills of the patient.

These symptoms are typical for both an adult and a child, but it is worth considering that in a child's body these processes proceed much faster than in an adult.

Symptoms of mercury poisoning in the chronic form:

rapid fatigue of the victim;
constant drowsiness;
severe dizziness;
severe fragility and hair loss;
emotional disorders. The person loses self-confidence, is easily irritable, depressed and shy;
decreased concentration and memory;
development ;
sleep disorders;
with strong excitement, trembling appears in the fingers of the upper and lower extremities;
increased urge to urinate and feces;
loss of smell;
lowering blood pressure;
an increase in the size of the thyroid gland;
violation of the heartbeat.

In a neglected course, or if it is untimely to provide first aid and do not call doctors, pneumonia will begin to develop, which can become a factor in the onset of a coma and death of the victim.

Symptoms of mercury poisoning from a thermometer have similar symptoms with a chronic form of poisoning. It is worth noting that only under certain circumstances can mercury intoxication from a thermometer occur. These circumstances are:

age and weight of the victim. For an adult, the volume of mercury contained in a medical thermometer is not dangerous, but it can lead to poisoning of a small child;
the temperature of the room where the mercury leak occurred - if the room is very hot, the metal will quickly evaporate and take on a gaseous form, in which it can easily enter the body;
room dimensions.

Complications

The consequences of mercury poisoning can occur only in the chronic form of pathology. Young children and pregnant women are most often affected by complications. Thus, the consequences of mercury poisoning will be expressed in:

violations of the functioning of the central nervous system and changes in the emotional state of a person;
disorders of coordination and fine motor skills;
violations of the functioning of the kidneys and organs of the digestive system.

If you do not seek help when the first symptoms of poisoning are detected, a person may die.

The sooner the first aid measures for mercury poisoning are done to the victim and the sooner they are moved to the clinic, the greater the chances of recovery.

Diagnostics

When conducting a diagnosis, the first step is to distinguish this disorder from other diseases of the digestive tract, kidneys, and disorders of blood circulation in the brain. In addition, diagnostic measures include:

and to determine the particles of mercury in them. But it is worth remembering that for two weeks from the moment the metal first enters the body, these analyzes will have normal values. Therefore, if this is done earlier than this period, there is the possibility of establishing an incorrect diagnosis;
examination of the scalp on the head - this method is carried out in a chronic form in order to determine the approximate time for mercury to enter the body. The essence of such an examination is that in an adult and a child every two months, hair grows by about one and a half centimeters. With mercury poisoning, hair growth slows down;
the introduction into the body of a special solution that will show the presence of the metal.

Treatment

In case of poisoning with a large amount of mercury, it is necessary to call an ambulance, and before the arrival of doctors, provide first aid in case of mercury poisoning. To do this, do the following:

remove or remove the victim to fresh air;
try to empty your stomach. If this is not possible, it is necessary to give the victim activated charcoal, in the ratio of one tablet per ten kilograms of body weight, or water with the addition of egg white;
give to drink as much ordinary purified water as possible, not strong tea or milk;
it is necessary to lay the victim, and turn his head to one side, so that the person does not choke on vomit;
if the poisoning occurred at home, it is necessary to give medications containing calcium or glucose. In addition, you need to collect small balls of mercury as quickly as possible;
if possible, take a contrast shower and change clothes.

Upon the arrival of doctors, the patient is taken to a medical facility, where he is prescribed injections of dimercapto compounds and is treated for concomitant pathologies of internal organs.

In most cases, the prognosis for poisoning is favorable - the mortality rate is extremely low.

Prevention

In order to avoid mercury poisoning, you must:

store thermometers with mercury in a protective bottle and away from children;
when breaking a thermometer, get rid of grains of the substance as soon as possible;
securely install mercury lamps;
regularly undergo a medical examination for those people who work in close proximity with a high concentration of this metal.

Mercury poisoning is a particular danger to humans. Intoxication occurs for various reasons, in children it proceeds in a more complex form. What to do in case of an overdose, how to help the injured person?

How poisoning occurs

Mercury is a heavy metal that is liquid at room temperature. The substance itself does not cause a particular toxic effect on the body. Vapors and organic compounds of matter are poisonous.

Mercury is widely used in industry. In everyday life, it is present in thermometers, fluorescent lamps, and may be part of some medicines.

Inhalation of minimal doses of a toxic substance can lead to the development of negative changes in the human body. The resulting toxic compounds are carried throughout the body with the blood stream.

Mercury salts can cause harm by penetrating through the epidermis or stomach. There is an accumulation of toxic compounds in various internal organs.

Organic compounds easily penetrate through the skin, react with hemoglobin and cause oxygen starvation of tissues and poisoning. Mercury intoxication occurs for several reasons.

Causes:

Broken thermometer and incompletely collected mercury,
Violation of the technology of working with a substance in production, emergency situations,
Mercury is present in some medicines, if taken incorrectly, an overdose may develop,
Organic compounds with mercury in the composition are present in seafood. Excess in them leads to a violation of the functionality of the human body.

Thus, poisoning is possible for several different reasons, but in most cases the cause is a lack of care when working.

Mercury from a thermometer is quite difficult to poison an adult. In children, mercury balls can provoke the development of unpleasant symptoms. What to do if the thermometer breaks?

What to do:

Remove people from the premises, it is recommended to close the doors and open the windows.
Mercury balls must be carefully collected with paper and plaster.
Items that have been in contact with a harmful substance are packed in polyethylene.
Call the emergency services.

It is impossible not to report the incident and throw mercury into public garbage chutes and bins.

Signs and symptoms of intoxication

What are the symptoms of intoxication? How does mercury poisoning manifest itself? How to determine an overdose? Allocate acute and chronic forms of poisoning. They show up in different ways.

Symptoms of acute poisoning:

Weakness,
Intense pain in the head
Lack of appetite,
Discomfort when swallowing
Enhanced saliva secretion
Blood inclusions in feces and vomit,
swelling of the gums, bleeding,
Severe spasmodic manifestations in the chest and abdomen,
violation of the respiratory process,
A sharp increase in body temperature,
Feeling chilly.

In children, such processes during poisoning proceed faster and more intensively than in adults. Chronic poisoning with mercury and vapors is characterized by a gradual disruption of many body functions. This is manifested by certain symptoms.

Signs:

Hair loss,
Chronic fatigue,
Persistent headaches, migraines,
Bad mood, depression
impaired concentration, memory,
Sleep problems
Low pressure,
tremor of limbs,
Enlargement of the thyroid gland in size,
smell disorder,
Frequent urination and defecation
Malfunctions of the cardiac system.

Symptoms of mercury poisoning with a broken thermometer are similar to those described above. In the absence of help and timely treatment, the development of pneumonia is possible. The disease can lead to coma and death.

First aid and treatment

When the first signs of poisoning appear, it is necessary to call doctors and provide first aid to the victim.

Actions:

When mercury enters the body through the oral cavity, an urgent need for a large amount of water is required.
It is not recommended to take in case of poisoning, in such a situation, medicines will not help.
If the substance gets on the skin, the damaged area is washed with cool water,
Mercury vapor poisoning requires the victim to be taken to fresh air. It is recommended to open windows, unfasten clothes on it,
To quickly remove mercury compounds, it is allowed to give the victim milk or raw egg whites to drink.

If possible, an antidote, unithiol, is introduced. Further treatment after first aid is provided in the toxicology department.

Inpatient treatment for mercury poisoning

Upon receipt of the victim of poisoning in a medical institution, a thorough diagnosis is carried out. After that, a suitable treatment is selected, which includes a number of medical procedures aimed at restoring the functionality of the body and alleviating the human condition.

Procedures:

If necessary, repeat gastric lavage with a probe,
Administration of an antidote
Use of droppers with medicinal solutions,
Correction of water-salt balance,
Hemodialysis,
Blockade of the spinal cord with intense pain,
The introduction of drugs that normalize the functioning of organs and systems,
The use of diuretics,
If necessary, resuscitation is carried out
Probiotics are prescribed to restore intestinal microflora.

Poisoning, overdose, nausea, vomiting or heartburn?
There is an exit - Monastic tea - gastric This tea helped me a lot, so I recommend it to you.

In the future, dietary nutrition, vitamin therapy, sanatorium treatment are selected.

Prevention and consequences

Mercury intoxication can lead to the development of serious complications and consequences.

What happens:

Disorders of the nervous system,
incoordination,
Exacerbation of chronic diseases
Diseases of the digestive system,
Pathological processes in the kidneys,
Death.

With the observance of preventive measures, poisoning can be avoided.

Measures:

When working with mercury, observe safety precautions,
Keep the thermometer in a special case, out of the reach of children,
Undergo regular medical examinations for people working with this metal.

Mercury poisoning can be fatal if left untreated and treated appropriately.

Mercury poisoning. How to recognize and treat mercury poisoning

Input routes for mercury

Toxic dose of mercury

Symptoms of mercury vapor poisoning

Symptoms of mercury poisoning during pregnancy

What to do in case of mercury poisoning

What to do if the thermometer breaks

Input routes for mercury

Toxic dose of mercury

Symptoms of mercury vapor poisoning

Symptoms of mercury poisoning during pregnancy

What to do in case of mercury poisoning

What to do if the thermometer breaks

What's happening

How does it manifest

What to do

Prevention of poisoning

Etiology

Varieties

Symptoms

Complications

Diagnostics

Treatment

Prevention

How poisoning occurs

Causes:

Signs and symptoms of intoxication

Signs:

First aid and treatment

Inpatient treatment for mercury poisoning

Prevention and consequences

Video - mercury poisoning (Elena Malysheva)