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Article: Mercury spill control 101.(Technical Briefs)
- Article from:
- Journal of Environmental Health
- Article date:
- July 1, 2008
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2008 National Environmental Health Association. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Mercury is liquid at room temperature but vaporizes easily. Once it is an aerosol, this neurotoxin can be inhaled, absorbed into the lungs, and spread throughout a person's body. Even in small amounts, mercury can damage a person's central nervous and renal systems, causing motor and brain dysfunction and developmental delays. Chronic mercury poisoning is more common due to longterm exposure exposure by dust or vapor inhalation.
Since the early 1990s, U.S. environmental regulations have prevented the development of mercury as a new product. Despite these changes targeting mercury use, alternatives have been slow to develop and are not possible in cases such as ...