The following letter to the editor is reprinted with permission from the June 1996 issue of Environmental Solutions, ©1996 Advanstar Communications Inc.
The author, Jean Brockman, is a hazardous materials specialist with HAZCOM, Inc. in Asheville, North Carolina. Jean writes:
In his article, "Controlling in-plant mercury spills," (ES Focus, January), the author says, "Liquid mercury is not absorbed by the body to any great degree and generally passes through...," which mistakenly conveys no sense of urgency. While his cleanup and almalgam facts are accurate, his health hazard information is misleading and would have, perhaps, better been left out.
According to the mercury material safety data sheet issued by Genium Publishing Corp., "Mercury and its vapor are rapidly absorbed by the membranes lining the respiratory tract, the gastrointestinal tract, and the skin. [Mercury] is a slowly cumulative poison that concentrates in the brain, kidneys and liver... [and] causes physical defects in [human] embryos. Get medical help... for all exposures."
According to 29 CFR 1910.1450, OSHA defines an exposure as an event, such as spill, leak or explosion. If a spill is an exposure, and if mercury is as hazardous as the MSDS states, shouldn't the author's material been more precise regarding health hazards?
The Environmental Solutions editor replies:
Most sources we checked with agreed that the surface tension of liquid mercury is so high that skin penetration would be unlikely. However, with a vapor pressure of 0.0018 torr at 25°C, elemental mercury presents a severe inhalation hazard. In addition, a number of mercury compounds, such as alkyls and aryls, can be absorbed through the skin. Mercury in any form remains a highly toxic substance. ES apologizes for any confusion.
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