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this post was submitted on 12 Mar 2024
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Science Memes
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Source? I'm not sure who to believe. People on the internet who claim it's safe enough that you can pick it up or people on the internet who claim kills you if you touch it.
I'm not going to go swimming in a mercury pool any time soon either way.
Chemist (and biochemist) here. Organometallic compounds of Mercury are primarily dangerous because Mercury ions bond fairly strongly to soft ligands like sulfhydryl groups found near the active sites of enzymes. This can result in the displacement of the metal ions or otherwise disrupt the structure needed for enzyme functionality. Mercury metal OTOH is considerably less reactive. It is not safe to breathe in for prolonged periods of time but it is no where near as toxic as its organometallic derivatives are. Dimethyl Mercury for example, is extremely dangerous. A single drop has 100+ times the organomercury content needed to kill someone.
I think they are saying it depends what you mean by "mercury" because some compounds are both toxic and readily absorbed through the skin.
Exactly that. Elemental mercury (ie: the liquid metal form) doesn't readily absorb through the skin. It gives off vapors which are harmful with extended or repeated contact, but generally it's not super dangerous to be around.(Not totally safe though)
Organic mercury compounds (eg: methylmercury) are extremely toxic because they can be absorbed through the skin, and can traverse the blood brain barrier
Regular liquid mercury is relatively safe to handle, but I would still wear gloves. It won't get through undamaged skin, but is dangerous if you have even a small skin laceration it can get through.
you can always consult the Material Safety Data Sheet
For comparison, dimethyl mercury
Elemental mercury is not going to kill you if you touch it- wash hands and call a doctor. they'll probably be like, "Take two asprin and call me int he morning so I can bill you twice." you definitely don't want to inhale it, but outside of something like a fire or being heated, adequate ventilation is sufficient; if ventilation isn't possible a respirator is a good idea. Dimethyl on the other hand... is nasty.