Mercury Poisoning

Mercury poisoning refers to a toxicity due to consumption of mercury. This condition is largely linked to eating seafood, either due to consumption of certain types of mercury-containing fish or eating too much fish.

Previously, it was possible to develop mercury poisoning if a mercury thermometer broke, which led schools in Singapore to phase it out from the labs.

Mercury poisoning is most notable for its neurological impacts. Anxiety, depression, memory problems and tremors are just a few of the many symptoms that can develop due to this condition. Mercury can also harm the kidneys and thyroid.

Organic mercury compounds are able to reach high levels in the central nervous system, leading to neurotoxicity. Although the exact mechanism of how mercury induces neurological damage is unclear, it is able to disrupt cell cycle progression and induce apoptosis in several tissues.

There is no known cure to mercury poisoning. The best way to treat it is to remove the source of mercury, by removing intake of seafood, or removing the source of mercury in the environment.

Sources:

https://www.healthline.com/health/mercury-poisoning#treatment

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mercury-and-health

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4498341/

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320563

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