What are the dangers of mercury vapor poisoning? Poisoned by mercury from a thermometer. Symptoms of chronic poisoning

Mercury is a heavy metal. Its compounds in the form of salts and oxides are used in production; it is part of some paints and disinfectants. Moreover, the salts of this metal are more toxic than the oxides.

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

Entry 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 are swallowed. In this case, the liver experiences a toxic shock.

The most severe form of poisoning occurs after inhaling vapors or directly entering the bloodstream, since the liver is practically not involved 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 a thermometer breaks?

“The thermometer contains about two grams of mercury. If half of this dose enters the human body, it is fatal.

Much depends on the age, gender, body weight of the person in contact with dangerous poison. The size of the room in which the mercury was released is also important.

The listed factors influence the severity of poisoning. The probability of mercury poisoning itself from a thermometer, if measures are not taken, is close to 100%, since its average toxic dose 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, when inhaling vapors, subacutely and chronically, when the body does not enter large number mercury, but for a long time.

An acute course is rare and may occur in industrial accidents 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 will be:

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

How to determine mercury poisoning? Symptoms are mostly nonspecific and occur with poisoning by other heavy metals, as well as inflammatory diseases various organs who also suffer from mercury intoxication. Clear evidence is provided by a blood concentration test toxic substance, which is detected in case of poisoning from 180 mcg/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. Intoxication is dangerous due to the threat of fetal death.

What to do if you have mercury poisoning

What to do if the thermometer breaks

Compliance with safety precautions when working with mercury at work, as well as undergoing regular medical examinations for timely detection intoxication heavy metal 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 this responsibly and without panic.
Get everyone out of the room.
Close the door and open the windows.
Children under 18 years of age, pregnant women and people with serious chronic diseases should not collect mercury.
It is necessary to isolate mercury using rubber gloves in a sealed glass container. To protect yourself from inhaling toxic fumes, wear a cotton-gauze or medical mask. Feet must have shoe covers.
Collect mercury with sheets of paper and using adhesive tape - gluing small balls with the sticky surface of the tape.
Place everything that has had contact with mercury in a plastic bag.
Call the Ministry of Emergency Situations or ask them for the number where to go to clean the room and dispose of the collected metal.

Most favorable outcome have acute poisoning mild degree gravity. Greatest defeat organs occurs during 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 request for medical care will reduce these consequences to a minimum.

Mercury poisoning occurs when excess amounts of mercury vapor or compounds enter the body. To determine the presence of such things in the air

Peculiarities

Mercury poisoning begins with the gradual accumulation of mercury in the lungs when inhaled. People who are forced to work near hazardous compounds are at risk. Mercury vapor poisoning occurs more often in children and women. The consequences can be varied and very severe, so it is important to carry out treatment correctly.

In terms of risk of exposure, the first place is inhalation of mercury vapor, the second is ingestion, and the third is touching the surface of the skin.

The severity of poisoning depends on general condition human health. People who have chronic diseases or simply weakened, receive more pronounced poisoning than completely healthy people. Treatment should be started as early as possible because long-term exposure Mercury leads to many diseases.

If for some reason mercury balls scatter in the room, you need to find them all. Otherwise, people in the room will chronically inhale toxic fumes. For collection, you can illuminate the floor with a table lamp.

Signs of poisoning

Symptoms of mercury poisoning differ for acute and chronic processes.

In acute poisoning the following are noted:

headache;
general weakness;
lack of appetite;
metallic taste in the mouth;
pain when swallowing;
Very severe pain in the stomach;
salivation;
nausea and vomiting;
swelling and bleeding of the gums;
mucous or bloody diarrhea.

Other signs of mercury poisoning sometimes occur:

increase in body temperature to 38 - 40 degrees;
shortness of breath and cough;
chest pain;
pneumonia;
catarrh of the upper respiratory tract;
severe chills.

Mercury is found in the urine of a poisoned person. In severe cases, poisoning is fatal.

Chronic mercury poisoning develops when small doses of this substance are regularly introduced into the body. Symptoms of mercury poisoning in this case:

drowsiness;
increased fatigue;
headaches;
apathy;
dizziness;
depression;
irritability;
shyness;
self-doubt;
decreased attention;
weakening of self-control and memory;
decreased mental abilities;
tremor of the fingers and the whole body during excitement;
decreased sense of smell;
frequent urge to urinate and defecate;
cardiac arrhythmias;
decreased skin sensitivity and taste perception;
sweating;
enlarged pancreas;
decrease in blood pressure.

Mercury poisoning from a thermometer

Sources of mercury can be:

household;
medical;
food;
technogenic.

In apartment conditions, the greatest danger is posed by fluorescent lamps and mercury thermometers.

What to do if the thermometer is broken

A broken thermometer usually causes fear and misunderstanding of what actions need to be taken to avoid poisoning. Optimal plan what to do:

do not panic;
ask everyone to leave the premises;
close your nose medical bandage or gauze;
put shoe covers or bags on your feet and rubber gloves on your hands;
take a hermetically sealed glass container, adhesive tape or sheets of paper;
collect all the mercury balls in a jar with a plaster or paper;
tie all items that touched mercury in a plastic bag;
The floor in the room should be washed with soap and soda water (40 g of soap and 30 g of soda per 1 liter of water) or a solution of potassium permanganate;
Find out by the number of the Ministry of Emergency Situations where you can donate mercury and whether any treatment of the premises is required.

After removing mercury, a person should spend more time on fresh air and in a ventilated area. It is important to drink plenty of fluids so that the kidneys can eliminate all mercury compounds.

What to do if mercury gets on your clothes

Clothes on which mercury has fallen can be treated as follows:

30 minutes rinse cold water;
30 minutes of rinsing in a hot solution of fashion and soap;
20 minutes of washing in an alkaline solution;
rinse in cold water.

Children are very attracted to silver balls of mercury, so the jar with the remains of a thermometer should not be in their field of vision. There are cases where a child played with mercury for a long time before it was noticed, but was not poisoned. However, it is better to avoid such situations. Children are among the most severely poisoned people.

Other sources

Previously, dentistry used filling materials that contained mercury compounds. Nowadays such fillings are no longer installed.

Chronic poisoning in most cases occurs among people who work for a long time in the production of mercury-galvanic batteries or are involved in the processing of certain alloys. People of such professions regularly undergo medical examinations. When signs appear chronic poisoning optimal solution is a change of job to a safer one.

Mercury accumulates in many seafood. Its content decreases during heat treatment.

Treatment

If you suspect poisoning, you need to move away from the place where the mercury was. It is advisable to wash exposed areas of the body and face with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or running water.

In case of acute poisoning, call ambulance. There are antidotes to mercury, which doctors will administer to the victim using injections or droppers. Specialists will prescribe appropriate diuretics and blood purification procedures to minimize the effects of poisoning.

To remove poison use:

Unithiol;
Taurine;
Allithiamin;
Methionine;
Succimer.

In some cases, gastric lavage through a tube is recommended, which is problematic to perform at home. The procedure uses a solution of potassium permanganate in cold water. Washing is performed several times a day. After this, sorbent preparations are prescribed, which collect the remains of harmful substances.

Before the ambulance arrives, life-threatening conditions must be eliminated. May be required cardiopulmonary resuscitation and stopping bleeding.

Symptoms may not be noticed mild poisoning, such as headache and general weakness. If you have had contact with mercury, you need to monitor your health especially carefully. Timely treatment helps prevent severe consequences in the future.

The consequences of poisoning can be different, so their treatment is individual.

Mercury in fish and seafood

When choosing fish, you can be guided by information about the mercury content in it.

Low mercury in:

shrimp;
canned tuna;
catfish;
pollock.

Contains a lot of mercury:

swordfish;
shark meat;
king mackerel;
tile

White tuna contains more mercury than canned tuna.

Particular attention should be paid to nutrition for pregnant women. The spinal cord and brain of the unborn child are very sensitive to mercury. It is important to keep contact with people to an absolute minimum. hazardous substances during pregnancy. Mercury can lead to miscarriage or underdevelopment of the baby in the future.

Prevention

Most common cause the appearance of mercury in the house is broken thermometer. To prevent this, you need to:

store the thermometer in a plastic case;
do not allow children to remove the thermometer on their own;
Avoid moving around the house while measuring temperature so that the thermometer does not slip onto the floor.

When choosing seafood, you should give preference to those that are not prone to mercury accumulation.

Mercury-containing lamps, thermometers and other equipment containing mercury should not be disposed of with normal household waste. Such items are disposed of special organizations, which are in all cities. Their number can be found on the Internet, at the help desk or by calling the Ministry of Emergency Situations. If mercury or items containing it are thrown into regular trash, many people could be harmed. It must be stored in an airtight glass container until destroyed.

To be poisoned by mercury, you do not need a large amount of it. Even a small dose of this substance can cause serious health effects.

We recommend:

Pure mercury from a broken thermometer evaporates at room temperature and is very poisonous. In addition, you can be poisoned by mercury from paints or substances intended for disinfection. After mistaken ingestion of these liquids or inhalation of vapors, symptoms of poisoning appear.

Pure mercury, like all its compounds, is very poisonous. For acute or chronic poisoning, a relatively small amount of mercury is sufficient. Household poisoning exposure to mercury occurs, as a rule, by inhaling its vapors formed as a result of damage to a thermometer or barometer, when the metal in the form of small balls is poured onto the floor and begins to evaporate. Chronic poisoning can occur in a person who inhales mercury vapor in a poorly ventilated area, as well as through food. In this case, mercury accumulates in the body and is excreted slowly in the urine.

Symptoms

Irritation of the mucous membrane.
Dry mouth.
Feces mixed with blood.
Dark border of mercury sulphide on the gums.

Symptoms acute poisoning appear immediately. The mucous membranes become irritated, salivation begins, nausea, vomiting, and increasing abdominal pain. Later, the mucous membrane of the thick and small intestine, a person begins to have diarrhea mixed with blood stool. The first symptoms of chronic poisoning are dry mouth, diarrhea, a dark border appears on the gums, and teeth begin to loosen. Later, the central nervous system is affected, convulsions of the face and limbs are possible, and upon contact with a large number toxic substance- the whole body.

Reasons

The causes of mercury poisoning can be very diverse, all of them are related to devices, apparatus or production. IN living conditions The most common cause of poisoning is a broken thermometer or spilled mercury during chemistry and physics lessons in schools.

If treatment is not carried out when the body is damaged by mercury, then after the first symptoms and ailments appear, the functions of the central nervous system(erethismus mercuriales): decreasing mental performance, mental disorders, tremors, convulsions, and general exhaustion are observed. Often as a result of shock or renal failure a person poisoned by mercury dies. With regular intake or inhalation of a small dose of mercury (its vapors), it is possible to develop chronic poisoning, the main symptoms of which are disorders of the central nervous system (fatigue, memory impairment, frequent headaches), damage to the skin and its derivatives. If such symptoms are present, the doctor will definitely do a detailed toxicological analysis of blood, urine and hair. However, the possibility of intoxication with other heavy metals will also be considered, since their symptoms are quite similar.

Treatment

Mercury poisoning is very dangerous. You need to seek medical help immediately.

If you inhale mercury vapor, you must immediately call an ambulance or go to the nearest hospital! Before the ambulance arrives, try to drink as much milk as possible. However, then you need to induce vomiting to remove all the liquid you drink.

In case of acute poisoning, the stomach is washed, followed by the introduction of activated charcoal, a sodium thiosulfate solution is administered intravenously, and additional measures are taken to protect the liver and kidneys. In particularly severe cases of poisoning, the doctor administers a so-called BAL drug. This drug was created by English military doctors to treat poisoning caused by lewisite as a result of the use of chemical weapons, but its use has also been found to be effective in treating poisoning caused by certain heavy metals.

Rules for working with mercury

If a person is in constant contact with mercury compounds (for example, in agriculture, chemical or biological laboratories), certain precautions must be taken:

Never put a pipette in your mouth in an attempt to draw in a solution containing mercury.
Be careful not to touch your mouth with fingers that may contain mercury particles.
If you work with pure mercury, take care to regularly ventilate the work area.
Do not eat in areas where there is mercury.

If you break a mercury thermometer, you need to open the window, try to collect all the metal balls in a container, close it tightly and take it to the pharmacy. After this, it is necessary to ventilate the room well.

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Mercury is a highly toxic compound that can cause complex disorders health, formed when a substance enters the body orally, inhaled or through contact.

What are the first signs? How effective is the first first aid? How does mercury affect the body? You will read about this and much more in our article.

The effect of mercury and its vapors on the body

As modern clinical practice shows, mercury vapor and organic compounds of the substance are most dangerous for the human body - it is these forms of poisoning that cause the most serious consequences and pose a direct threat to the patient's life.

About 90-95 percent of mercury vapor is actively absorbed by the alveoli and enters the systemic blood flow. Possessing good fat-soluble properties, the substance easily overcomes both the placental and blood-brain barriers, after which it is oxidized to simple compounds and binds to protein groups.

In this case, a significant part of mercury in liquid form, ingested orally, is transformed into sulfur structures, which are less hazardous to health, but have a systemic pathological effect at high concentrations.

Organic mercury compounds (so-called methylated structures), regardless of the route of penetration, are well absorbed by both the lungs and the gastrointestinal tract, as well as skin, including intact ones, after which they penetrate the membrane structures of red blood cells and directly bind to hemoglobin in the blood.

The main pathological effect of mercury and compounds is partial destruction of soft tissues, especially mucous membranes. Basic localizations of primary concentrations are in the kidneys, brain, liver and lungs. The half-life of the substance and its derivatives ranges from 40 to 70 days and depends on the predominant form of mercury.

How can you get poisoned?

In the natural biosphere, the content of mercury is very low (relatively large concentrations are possible only in certain geological sections of local areas), therefore the main routes of poisoning with this substance are considered to be technological activities the person himself:

Symptoms of mercury poisoning and its vapors

In its classical presentation, the symptoms of mercury intoxication are correlated with an acute form of intoxication with this substance (one-time or over a short period of time). Let's take a closer look typical symptoms mercury poisoning and what consequences it can lead to, and you will also find out what treatment is possible for intoxication with this element and its vapors.

Characteristic symptoms mercury poisoning:

First aid for poisoning and treatment

First aid for acute forms of poisoning usually includes:

The treatment procedure for severe acute mercury poisoning is carried out in a hospital setting. The patient is admitted to the department intensive care, where standard protocols for poisoning with the above substance apply. Possible actions:

Administration of the antidote. There is no specific selective antagonist against mercury, so clinical practice Mostly universal antitoxic drugs are used - unithiol, EDTA, cuprenil, sodium thiosulfate, methionine, succimer, taurine;
Hardware support. From connection to artificial ventilation lungs before installation artificial drivers heart rhythms;

Replacement-cleansing treatment. Hemodialysis, formed diuresis, direct blood transfusion, sorbents;
Conservative therapy. Wide range medicines By vital signs, as well as for the protection of important organs - from diuretics and hepatoprotectors to corticosteroids and bronchodilators.

Symptoms of chronic intoxication

Signs of chronic mercury poisoning can develop gradually, depending on the regularity of mercury compounds entering the body and their specific concentrations.

Classic signs of mercury and its vapor poisoning in humans:

Increased daily fatigue;
Feeling drowsy and disrupting the circadian rhythm of sleep and wakefulness;
Significant deterioration of olfactory reflexes;
Constant metallic taste in the mouth;
Tremor of limbs– short-term, but regular. In the medium term, the tremors progress to whole body spasms;
Migraine-like headaches medium or low intensity. Formed regardless of physical and mental activity;

Apathy, unmotivated aggression, memory impairment, distortion of perception of the world, shyness, depression, decreased mental activity and basic reactions with reflexes, others mental disorders wide spectrum;
Severe gastrointestinal pathologies– regular dyspeptic disorders, pain in the epigastric region, rapid development of gastritis and peptic ulcer;
Renal and liver failure in the compensation stage. At neglected form Chronic mercury poisoning may result in the development of decompensation mechanisms with partial necrosis of organ tissue;
Bronchopulmonary manifestations. Frequent bronchitis(including obstruction), pneumonia and other problems;
Work pathologies thyroid gland . Usually manifests itself in changes hormonal levels, as well as physical degeneration of the organ;
Cardiovascular problems. Impaired functioning of the heart muscle, changes in blood pressure;
Sexual dysfunction. From decreased libido and potency to involuntary miscarriage and abnormal development fetus in the womb.

What to do in case of chronic mercury poisoning?

As a rule, when chronic forms mercury poisoning does not form quickly acute symptoms, directly threatening the life of the victim. In this case, it is necessary to correctly place the emphasis in order not only to get rid of the manifestations and consequences of the problem, but also to prevent its reappearance in the future.

In case of mercury poisoning, you must:

Consequences of poisoning

Potential complications from mercury poisoning (both acute and chronic forms) are quite varied. The most common consequences include:

Complex toxic damage liver and kidneys, after which their functional failure develops;
Systemic brain lesions with disruption of the central nervous system and the formation of a number of mental and neurological syndromes, sometimes irreversible;
Chronic pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract with partial or complete violations basic functions of the digestive and excretory systems;
Problems of the sexual sphere - from impotence to the inability to conceive and bear a healthy child;
Bronchopulmonary pathologies– from obstructive bronchitis to pneumonia;
Allergic and autoimmune reactions of a wide spectrum;
Other diseases, syndromes and negative conditions associated with both the immediate pathological influence of mercury compounds during the reactive period of poisoning, and “delayed” problems, usually occurring secondaryly and in the background.

Features of intoxication in a child: how to determine and what to do?

According to global medical research, children suffer much more strongly than adults from poisoning with mercury and its compounds. At the same time, they not only exhibit more acute pathological symptoms acute form intoxication, but also more pronounced chronic symptoms problems, and the emerging long-term consequences cause a whole range of serious complications, which primarily affects developing brain, as well as lungs, liver and kidneys.

Signs of acute mercury poisoning in children:

Chronic forms of mercury poisoning in children have the following manifestations:

Neurological and mental disorders;
Chronic problems with the gastrointestinal tract;
Allergic and autoimmune manifestations;
Kidney and liver failure.

It is strictly prohibited to get rid of the problem on your own, since it directly threatens not only the health, but also the life of the child.

Regardless of the severity of the symptoms and the form of poisoning, you must immediately consult a doctor who will refer you little patient on comprehensive examination to a toxicology clinic or, if necessary, immediately to the intensive care unit.

Mercury poisoning occurs due to the ability of the metal to form bonds with the carbon, nitrogen or sulfur groups of proteins that form the cell membrane. Under the influence of such complexes, the cell dies.

Mercury is a metal that solidifies at body temperature. This property allows it to be used in the manufacture of fillings. At higher temperatures, the microelement acquires a liquid state. Treatment is carried out at an early stage to prevent mercury vapor from affecting the cardiovascular, endocrine system. Due to the teratogenic effect on the fetus, pregnancy should be terminated in cases of mercury poisoning. Otherwise, there will be a threat of miscarriage and intrauterine anomalies of the child. The metal has an embryotoxic effect. It is difficult to predict the mechanisms by which mercury affects the fetus. Hemodynamic disorders, death of the renal epithelium, vascular disorders lead to numerous anomalies incompatible with life.

The first signs of the disease

Fatal complications are prevented if treatment is given after the first signs of mercury poisoning are detected. With delayed therapy, adults develop renal-liver failure - an irreversible condition.

The first signs of mercury poisoning:

Bleeding gums;
Dizziness;
Headaches;
Apathy;
Drowsiness;
Weakness.

The symptoms described above are called “mercurial neurasthenia” in medical terms. The condition is not characterized by specific symptoms. To determine it, it is necessary to determine contact with the provoking factor.

Signs of “mercury tremor”:

mild muscle cramps;
Elongation of the body and legs;
Lengthening of the tongue, upper limbs.

Symptoms appear due to malfunction skeletal muscles when mercury vapor accumulates.

Manifestations of mercury erethism:

Shyness;
General depression;
Timidity;
Rapid exhaustion of the nervous system;
Uncertainty;
Irritability.

At night, patients sleep restlessly. During the day there is a weakening of attention and memory. With mercurialism, a violation of secretion is often observed gastric juice, increased salivation, excessive sweating.

An increased heart rate and bright red skin are signs of the effect of mercury on vascular tone.

The first signs of the disease (interval from 8 to 24 hours):

Headache;
Weakness;
Increase in temperature;
Sore throat.

With low levels of mercury, symptoms of intoxication develop over several months. Chronic pathology gradually leads to limb cramps and pneumonia.

If mercury is spilled from a thermometer, it is difficult to decontaminate it due to the ability of the metal to accumulate under putty and be absorbed by paint and varnish coatings.