Current approaches of the management of mercury poisoning: need of the hour

Abstract

Mercury poisoning cases have been reported in many parts of the world, resulting in many deaths every year. Mercury compounds are classified in different chemical types such as elemental, inorganic and organic forms. Long term exposure to mercury compounds from different sources e.g. water, food, soil and air lead to toxic effects on cardiovascular, pulmonary, urinary, gastrointestinal, neurological systems and skin. Mercury level can be measured in plasma, urine, feces and hair samples. Urinary concentration is a good indicator of poisoning of elemental and inorganic mercury, but organic mercury (e.g. methyl mercury) can be detected easily in feces. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are a rapid, cheap and sensitive method for detection of thymine bound mercuric ions. Silver nanoparticles are used as a sensitive detector of low concentration Hg2+ ions in homogeneous aqueous solutions. Besides supportive therapy, British anti lewisite, dimercaprol (BAL), 2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA. succimer) and dimercaptopropanesulfoxid acid (DMPS) are currently used as chelating agents in mercury poisoning. Natural biologic scavengers such as algae, azolla and other aquatic plants possess the ability to uptake mercury traces from the environment.

Acute mercury poisoning from occult ritual use

“…Hg° ingestion can produce worse damage, if gastrointestinal lesions are associated [5,11]. Whatever the exposure route is, nephrotoxicity can appear, given the route of elimination [1].…”

“…Mercury exposure is a serious environmental issue that concerns people around the world [1,2]. Some pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, in addition to some old medical instruments represent supplementary exposure sources.…”

Neurological Status Disturbances Caused by Mercury Exposures from Artisanal Gold Mining Area in West Aceh, Aceh Province

“…Methylmercury is primarily responsible for the neurological alteration from mechanisms which related to the toxic increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) [18].…”

“…A structured questionnaires used in this study were modified from [4] and [18]. Before administered to respondents, questionnaires were tested for validity and reliability.…”

Status of rats myocardium under subchronic mercury exposure and its pharmacological correction

“…Annually, more than 9,4 million people worldwide die of these diseases; in Ukraine, statistically, the figure is more than 500,000 people [10]. The state of the cardiovascular system is affected both by lifestyle and environment [13,15]. One of the most dangerous pollutants, according to the WHO classification, is mercury [5,16], and the cardiovascular system is one of the main targets for the toxic effects of mercury and its compounds.…”