3/19/2024 0 Comments Mercury poisoning effects![]() ![]() Given the effects of mercury exposure on fetuses, pregnant women and women who are planning pregnancies should make special considerations before eating fish. High levels of methylmercury in the bloodstream of unborn babies and young children have impaired cognitive thinking, memory, attention, language, and fine motor and visual spatial skills. Very young children and fetuses, however, are most susceptible to the effects of mercury. Health RisksĮxposure to high levels of mercury can harm the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and immune system of people of all ages. This is particularly dangerous in warm or poorly-ventilated indoor spaces. When products that contain metallic mercury break mercury vapor inhalation can occur. The most common of these products are mercury fever thermometers and compact florescent light bulbs (CFLs). Less common sources of exposure include household products that contain mercury, such as skin-lightening creams, antiseptic creams, and ointments, and broken products that contained metallic mercury. The levels of methylmercury in fish and shellfish depend on what they eat and how long they live. Microorganisms in the water change this mercury into methylmercury, a highly toxic form of mercury that builds up in fish, shellfish, and animals that eat fish. Mercury in the air then settles into water or onto land where it can be washed into water. Mercury is released into the air by, among other practices, the burning of hazardous material and the mishandling of mercury products. The most common way people are exposed to mercury is by eating fish that contain methylmercury.
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