Mercury has historically been known to cause health problems due to its toxic nature. But people have always wondered how exactly dangerous things are dangerous and what can be done with them. Mercury is no exception. One of the questions people are most curious about is: Is it dangerous to touch mercury? Let’s give the answer in the simplest way: No; You can safely touch the mercury with your hand.
Mercury is not absorbed by our skin, so there is no harm in touching the skin without being exposed to any bad effects. Although mercury has a viscosity between water and whole milk, it has a much higher density. Since it is 13 times denser than water, a few drops of mercury in the palm of your hand will be surprisingly heavy.
Of course, just because it isn’t absorbed by the skin doesn’t mean that mercury can be handled carelessly. If you have any cuts or wounds on your skin and mercury enters your bloodstream, it is extremely dangerous. Another concern is that the tiny droplets separate and turn into steam. Skin can absorb mercury vapor, but breathing is the easiest way for mercury to enter our bodies and accumulate there.
How does mercury poisoning happen?
Mercury poisoning is usually the result of metal deposition through salts or organic compounds. Human activities that release mercury into the environment are coal burning and gold mining. Most of the mercury ingested comes from eating fish higher up the food chain, which accumulates mercury compounds by eating smaller fish. Still, studies have shown that eating fish is generally beneficial, despite the risk of mercury accumulation.
Mercury poisoning is uncommon overall, but is more common in mining communities as well as people who are heavily dependent on a fish diet.
Mercury and its compounds affect the central and peripheral nervous system, as well as the kidneys. It can cause kidney failure, tremors, insomnia, memory loss, neuromuscular effects, headaches, and cognitive and motor dysfunctions. Mercury poisoning has also been associated with a decrease in intelligence. Symptoms of poisoning include muscle weakness, poor coordination, as well as numbness in the hands and feet.
In short, you can safely hold mercury in your hand. But since many factors can enter, we can easily say that this is not something that is recommended…
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