21.7 HEALTH EFFECTS
21.7.1 Acute and Local Effects
Acute poisoning with mercury vapor may cause a severe airway irritation, chemical
pneumonitis, and, in severe cases, pulmonary edema. Ingestion of inorganic compounds
may cause gastrointestinal corrosion and irritation, such as vomiting, bloody diarrhea, and
stomach pains. Subsequently, shock and acute kidney dysfunction with uremia may ensue.
Local irritation may develop following cutaneous exposure to mercury compounds, which
are among the most common allergens in patients with contact dermatitis.
21.7.2 Chronic and Systemic Effects
Chronic intoxication may develop as early as a few weeks after the onset of a mercury
exposure. More commonly, however, the exposure has lasted for several months or years, yet
early diagnosis is thwarted by the lack of recognition of subtle effects. The symptoms depend
on the degree of exposure and the kind of mercury in question. They mainly involve the oral
cavity, the peripheral and central nervous system, and the kidneys. As the elemental mercury
present in vapor is oxidized to mercuric mercury in the blood, the non-neurotoxic effects of
absorbed mercury vapor and other inorganic mercury compounds will be similar.