Science and technology – don’t repeat this at home. Scientists tell us what happens if you touch mercury with your bare hands

For centuries, people around the world have known that mercury is highly toxic and that exposure can lead to health problems. However, people are also curious, everything is unknown and dangerous, and therefore many are wondering: what would happen if you touched mercury with your bare hands? Scientists have finally clarified the situation, he writes IFLScience.

Despite all its toxicity, mercury can be touched. The fact is that it is not absorbed into the skin, therefore, touching it alone can hardly harm a person. Mercury has a viscosity between that of water and whole milk, but its density is much higher. This mineral is 13 times denser than water, so anyone who decides to take it with their hands will be amazed at the weight of a few drops of mercury in the palm of their hand.

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However, just because it is not absorbed into the skin does not mean that it should be handled lightly. If there are cuts or abrasions on the skin, mercury will enter the bloodstream, which can be very dangerous.

But even that is not all. Another problem is that tiny droplets of mercury disintegrate into vapor. Our skin can absorb mercury vapor, so we must be careful when handling this metal. However, the easiest way for mercury to enter and accumulate in our bodies is through inhalation.

What happens if I swallow mercury?

The good news, researchers say, is that you won’t die. Fortunately, ingesting elemental mercury is not harmful to your body, as our intestines absorb less than 0.01% of elemental mercury.

Mercury poisoning is usually caused by the build-up of the metal through salts or organic compounds. This is why human activities that release mercury into the environment, such as burning coal or prospecting for gold, are risky businesses.

Scientists note that most of the mercury that humans eat comes from fish that have accumulated mercury compounds by eating smaller fish. However, do not rush to give up fish consumption. Previous studies have shown that even with mercury accumulation, the risk to human health is minimal, and eating fish is often beneficial.

How toxic is mercury?

Researchers note that elemental mercury can even be handled with bare hands, but there are also inorganic mercury salts that can be corrosive to human skin, eyes, and the gastrointestinal tract. However, in general, mercury poisoning is extremely rare.

How does mercury affect the human body?

According to researchers, mercury affects the central and peripheral nervous systems, as well as the kidneys. As a result, poisoning with this metal can lead to consequences such as:

• Kidney failure;
• jerk;
• insomnia;
• memory loss;
• Neuromuscular disorders.
• headache;
• Perceptual and motor impairment.

Research also indicates that mercury poisoning is associated with lower intelligence. The main symptoms of mercury poisoning are:

• muscle weakness
• coordination violations
• Numbness in the hands and feet.

Thus, scientists note that we can really touch mercury with our hands, but we must also remember that its vapors and compounds are very dangerous for humans.

previously to focus He wrote that scientists told what would happen if you parachuted through a cloud.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not contain advice that may affect your health. If you have problems, contact a specialist.