The Toxicology of Mercury and Its Chemical Compounds

Overview

Journal Crit Rev Toxicol

Publisher Informa Healthcare

Specialty Toxicology

Date 2006 Sep 16

PMID 16973445

Citations 473

Authors

Thomas W Clarkson

Laszlo Magos

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

This review covers the toxicology of mercury and its compounds. Special attention is paid to those forms of mercury of current public health concern. Human exposure to the vapor of metallic mercury dates back to antiquity but continues today in occupational settings and from dental amalgam. Health risks from methylmercury in edible tissues of fish have been the subject of several large epidemiological investigations and continue to be the subject of intense debate. Ethylmercury in the form of a preservative, thimerosal, added to certain vaccines, is the most recent form of mercury that has become a public health concern. The review leads to general discussion of evolutionary aspects of mercury, protective and toxic mechanisms, and ends on a note that mercury is still an "element of mystery."

Citing Articles

The Assessment of Mercury Concentrations in Two Species of Edible Forest Mushrooms, and , and Their Impact on Consumers' Health.

Skibniewski M, Skibniewski B, Lasocka I, Skibniewska E Foods. 2025; 14(4).

PMID: 40002075 PMC: 11854184. DOI: 10.3390/foods14040631.

Association between blood heavy metals exposure with uterine fibroids among American women: a cross-sectional analysis from NHANES data.

Yang Y, Pan M, Zhu W, Luo X, Liang X BMC Womens Health. 2025; 25(1):68.

PMID: 39966823 PMC: 11834190. DOI: 10.1186/s12905-025-03596-4.

An Anthracene-Based Hg Fluorescent Probe with Dithioacetal: Simple Synthesis, High Selectivity and Sensitivity, and Dual-Mode Detection Capability.

Ren H, Yan Q Molecules. 2025; 30(3).

PMID: 39942663 PMC: 11820999. DOI: 10.3390/molecules30030561.

Toxic effects of chronic occupational mercury vapor exposure on female workers of childbearing age.

Pan Y, Qu K, Li H, Song Y J Occup Med Toxicol. 2025; 20(1):5.

PMID: 39930517 PMC: 11808966. DOI: 10.1186/s12995-025-00453-w.

Diverse clinical manifestations and prognosis in a couple's mercury poisoning caused by skin-lightening creams: two case reports and literature review.

Ji H, Chen Y, Liu D, Zhou T, Tang Y Front Med (Lausanne). 2025; 11:1511493.

PMID: 39911669 PMC: 11794203. DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1511493.