11 Jan
2006
11 Jan
'06
3:58 a.m.
On Tue, 10 Jan 2006 08:58:38 +0100, Chuck Guzis <cclist at sydex.com> wrote:
On 1/10/2006 at 1:22 AM C Fernandez wrote:
Back when I studied chemistry, mercury was considered harmful but not very
dangerous. Then, new biology research proved it to be one of the most
hazardous metals because it takse very small amounts of organic mercury
compounds to cause permanent damage. I think much of that resarch started
after the Minemoto disaster in Japan.
Later research has indicated that most of the bad effects attributed to
syphilis 100+ years ago were actually caused by the treatment. The visible
lesions improved, but the brain was harmed. The expression "mad as a
hatter" comes from the fact that mercury was used by hatters, and they had
a tendency to ende up as anything from eccentic or dimwitted to raving
lunatics.
The human body is able to get rid of a certain amount of organic mercury
without lasting damage, but apparently a number of modern pollutants are
using the same quota.
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Our local city high school was closed for about 3 days while a Hazmat
team cleaned up a dropped vile of mercury.
Some kid found it and brought it to school, then dropped it by accident!
I'm
not sure if that
was a massive over reaction, or not. Is mercury
really that much of a
hazzard?
I don't know--it's not the metallic mercury that's terribly reactive, but
vapors aren't awfully safe. There are safe ways to clean up the metallic
mercury--binding to a more active metal is one. Still, it's worthwhile
considering that calomel (mercurous chloride) was used since the 1600's
as
as a purgative and treatment for yellow fever in humans. Mercuric
chloride
(or corrisive sublimate) was long used as an antiseptic. Before arsenic
was used as a treatment for syphilis, mercury was used.