Chemical Properties
Mercury is a silvery, mobile, odorless liquid
Chemical Properties
Silvery, extremely heavy liquid, sometimes found native.
Insoluble in hydrochloric acid; soluble in sulfuric acid upon boiling; readily soluble in nitric
acid; insoluble in water, alcohol, and ether; soluble in lipids;, extremely high surface tension (48
General Description
An odorless, silvery metallic liquid. Insoluble in water. Toxic by ingestion, absorption and inhalation of the fumes. Corrosive to aluminum. Used as a catalyst in instruments, boilers, mirror coatings.
Reactivity Profile
MERCURY(7439-97-6) forms an explosive acelylide when mixed with acetylene. Can form explosive compounds with ammonia (a residue resulting from such a reaction exploded when an attempt was made to clean MERCURY(7439-97-6) off a steel rod [Chem. Eng. News 25:2138. 1947]. Chlorine dioxide (also other oxidants, such as: chlorine, bromine, nitric acid, performic acid), and MERCURY(7439-97-6) explode when mixed [Mellor 2, Supp. 1:381. 1956]. Methyl azide in the presence of MERCURY(7439-97-6) is potentially explosive [Can. J. Chem. 41:1048. 1963]. Ground mixtures of sodium carbide and MERCURY(7439-97-6) can react vigorously [Mellor 5:848. 1946-47]. Ammonia forms explosive compounds with gold, MERCURY(7439-97-6), or silver. (Eggeman, Tim. mmonia Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2001.).
Air & Water Reactions
Insoluble in water.
Hazard
Central nervous system impairment,
peripheral nervous system impairment, and kidney damage. (1) Mercury, metallic: Highly toxic
by skin absorption and inhalation of fume or vapor,
absorbed by respiratory and intestinal tract. FDA
permits zero addition to
Health Hazard
No immediate symptoms. As poisoning becomes established, slight muscular tremor, loss of appetite, nausea, and diarrhea are observed. Psychic, kidney, and cardiovascular disturbances may occur.
Potential Exposure
Mercury is used as a catalyst, in dental
applications; and in pharmaceuticals; as a liquid cathode in
cells for the electrolytic production of caustic and chlorine.
It is used in electrical apparatus (lamps, rectifiers, and batteries) and in control instruments (switches, thermometers,
and barometers)
Fire Hazard
Behavior in Fire: Not flammable
First aid
If this chemical gets into the eyes, remove any
contact lenses at once and irrigate immediately for at least
15 minutes, occasionally lifting upper and lower lids. Seek
medical attention immediately. If this chemical contacts the
skin, remove contaminated clothing and wash immediately
with soap and water. Seek medical attention immediately. If
this chemical has been inhaled, remove from exposure, begin
rescue breathing (using universal precautions, including
resuscitation mask) if breathing has stopped and CPR if heart
action has stopped. Transfer promptly to a medical facility.
When this chemical has been swallowed, get medical attention. Give large quantities of water and do induce vomiting.
Do not make an unconscious person vomit.
Antidotes and Special Procedures for medical personnel:
The drug NAP has been used to treat mercury poisoning,
with mixed success
Shipping
UN2809 Mercury, Hazard class: 8; Labels:
8-Corrosive material, 6.1-Poisonous material
Incompatibilities
Heating mercury causes the formation of
toxic mercury oxide fumes. Reacts violently with alkali
metals; acetylene, azides, ammonia gas; chlorine, chlorine
dioxide; many acids; most metals; ground mixtures of
sodium carbide, and ethylene oxide. Contact with methyl
azide forms shock- and spark-sensitive explosives. Attacks
copper and many other metals, forming amalgams
Description
Elemental mercury, a silver-white metal, is also known
‘quicksilver’ or ‘hydrargyrum.’ Mercury has been discovered in
Egyptian tombs dating as far back as 1500 BC. The chemical
symbol, Hg, is derived from the Greek word hydrargyros,
meaning ‘water silver.’ Mercury was known in antiquity and
used by alchemists. Its neurological effects were recognized
early, and its use in the hat-making trade gave rise to the phrase
‘mad as a hatter.’ Mercury has been used commercially and
medically for centuries. In the past it was a common constituent
of many medications, for example, it was used in the
treatment of syphilis. Use of mercury has been drastically
reduced in recent years. Within the twentieth century, mercury
used to be in every physician’s or pharmacist’s armamentarium,
for example, calomel was commonly used in infant
teething powders in the 1930s and 1940s.
Waste Disposal
Consult with environmental
regulatory agencies for guidance on acceptable disposal
practices. Generators of waste containing this contaminant
(≥100 kg/mo) must conform to EPA regulations governing
storage, transportation, treatment, and waste disposal.
Accumulate for purification and re-use if possible. Mercury
vapors may be adsorbed or treated with sulfide solutions
and then sent to mercury recovery operations
Purification Methods
After air has been bubbled through mercury for several hours to oxidise metallic impurities, it is filtered to remove coarser particles of oxide and dirt, then sprayed through a 4-ft column containing 10% HNO3. It is washed with distilled water, dried with filter paper and distilled under vacuum. [Schenk in Handbook of Preparative Inorganic Chemistry (Ed. Brauer) Academic Press Vol I p8 1963.]
Flammability and Explosibility
Mercury is not combustible.
Carcinogenicity
There is no conclusive evidence from epidemiological
studies that mercury increases
cancer risk in humans.12 In the few studies in
which increases have been reported, concomitant
exposure to other known carcinogens has
confounded the results. The IARC has determined
that there is inadequate evidence in
humans for the carcinogenicity of mercury and
mercury compounds.12 In animals there is inadequate
evidence for carcinogenicity of metallic
mercury and limited evidence for the carcinogenicity
of mercuric chloride.
Environmental Fate
Mercury cycles through various environmental phases by exchange from ground to air and back again. Metallic and dimethylmercury, which are volatile, will be released as mercury vapor that can travel long distances before being redeposited. When found in surface waters and soils it will degas into the surrounding air where natural currents and winds spread the materials until they are deposited back on the surface waters and soils. The majority of mercury returned to the soil or water is by wet partition and accounts for almost all of the mercury found in lakes with no other input source. Inert mercury will deposit bound to particulates in aerosols. Once deposited, mercury must adsorb to soil or sediment particulates or be returned to the atmosphere. This cycle continues with a portion of the mercury revolatilizing into the atmosphere in each cycle.
storage
Precautions should be taken to prevent spills of mercury because
drops of the liquid metal can easily become lodged in floor cracks, behind cabinets, and
equipment, etc., with the result that the mercury vapor concentration in the laboratory may
then exceed the safe and allowable limits. Containers of mercury should be kept tightly sealed
and stored in secondary containers (such as a plastic pan or tray) in a well-ventilated area.
When breakage of instruments or apparatus containing significant quantities of Hg is possible,
the equipment should be placed in a plastic tray or pan that is large enough to contain the
mercury in the event of an accident. Transfers of mercury between containers should be
carried out in a fume hood over a tray or pan to confine any spills.
Toxicity evaluation
Mercury has a great affinity for sulfhydryl moieties and, hence,
binds and inactivates a variety of enzymes. Methylmercury also
initiates lipid peroxidation, which can produce alterations in
cell membranes. Mercury damages the microtubules in the
brain by reacting with the protein tubulin.
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