Published: 28 November, 2001

Handle mercury with caution

Is it safe to touch mercury bare handed? Are you going to be poisoned if you touch it?

Mercury, the only common metal that is a liquid at room temperature, has been known and used since ancient times (1500 BC). The simple answer to your question is no, you will not be poisoned if you touch mercury bare handed.

BUT . . ..

Mercury-containing materials are usually extremely toxic. The most toxic forms of mercury are: the vapor created when liquid mercury is heated and most of the compounds formed when mercury combines with other elements. Elemental (liquid) mercury, however, is quite inert; it does not react with many other materials. One possible complication of touching mercury would be that it comes into contact with an open wound, introducing the mercury into the blood stream. This could create severe health problems.

A major source of mercury contamination 'in the wild' results from the use of mercury to remove metallic gold from the ores that contain it. Mercury forms an amalgam with gold (very similar to the mercury-silver amalgams used in dental fillings). This dissolves the gold out of the mixture of rock and soil it is found with in nature. The gold is then removed from the amalgam by boiling away the mercury. The mercury is recovered for reuse when this is done in an enclosed apparatus; in the wild, however, prospectors simply allow the extremely toxic mercury vapors to escape into the atmosphere, poisoning themselves and the surrounding environment.

Two compounds containing mercury, mercurochrome and merthiolate, have long been used as antibacterial agents. I remember my parents applying these medications to my cuts and scratches when I was a child to prevent infections.

Mercury, like most things in nature, is neither all bad nor all good; the bad far outweighs the good for mercury. It is important when working with mercury or any other potentially hazardous material that you understand the hazards involved before handling it. It is also wise to consider both the risks and the benefits of your actions. Although the chances of being poisoned by touching liquid mercury are very low, how would this action benefit you? My recommendation would be to wear thin gloves if you want to get the "feel" of this material.