Mercury (inorganic/elemental) in water and air: safety profile
Moderate riskNot medical or professional safety advice, and not a substitute for a qualified clinician — consult one. Full disclaimer →
Inorganic-Hg salts (mercuric chloride / sulfate) cause acute renal tubular necrosis on ingestion; elemental Hg ingestion is largely passed unabsorbed unless aspirated.
What is mercury (inorganic/elemental)?
The IUPAC name is mercury.
Also known as: mercury, Quicksilver, Hydrargyrum, Liquid silver.
- IUPAC name
- mercury
- CAS number
- 7439-97-6
- Molecular formula
- Hg
- Molecular weight
- 200.59 g/mol
- SMILES
- [Hg]
- PubChem CID
- 23931
Risk for people
Moderate riskInorganic-Hg salts (mercuric chloride / sulfate) cause acute renal tubular necrosis on ingestion; elemental Hg ingestion is largely passed unabsorbed unless aspirated.
Regulatory consensus
12 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Mercury (inorganic/elemental). The classifications differ — that's the data.
| Agency | Year | Classification | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| OSHA | — | Occupational exposure limit | |
| EPA CTX / IRIS | — | D (Not classifiable as to human carcinogenicity) | |
| EPA CTX / IARC | — | Group 3 - Not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans | |
| EPA CTX / Health Canada | — | Group 3: IARC (not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans) Group C: IRIS (possible human carcinogen) | |
| EPA CTX / EPA OPP | — | Group D Not Classifiable as to Human Carcinogenicity | |
| EPA CTX / Skin-Eye | — | Skin Sensitization: Sh (score: high) | |
| EPA CTX / Skin-Eye | — | Eye Irritation: Category 2 (score: high) | |
| EPA CTX / Skin-Eye | — | Skin Sensitization: Category 1 (score: high) | |
| EPA CTX / Skin-Eye | — | Skin Sensitization: Category 6.5B (Category 1) (score: moderate) | |
| WHO | 2024 | major_concern | Top 10 chemicals of major public health concern. |
| EU_REACH | 2024 | restricted | EU Mercury Regulation. Minamata Convention. |
| US_EPA | 2024 | MCLG_0.002 | Drinking water standard: 0.002 mg/L |
Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.
Where you encounter mercury (inorganic/elemental)
- Contaminated Water — Mining site runoff, Industrial discharge areas, Drinking water from old infrastructure
- Soil Contamination — Industrial sites, Smelter areas, Battery recycling facilities
- Food Chain — Fish from contaminated waters, Shellfish from polluted areas, Crops grown in contaminated soil
Safer alternatives
Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Mercury (inorganic/elemental):
-
Process controls to minimize degradant formation
Trade-offs: Additional manufacturing costRelative cost: 1.2-2×
Frequently asked questions
Is mercury (inorganic/elemental) safe for you?
Inorganic-Hg salts (mercuric chloride / sulfate) cause acute renal tubular necrosis on ingestion; elemental Hg ingestion is largely passed unabsorbed unless aspirated.
What products contain mercury (inorganic/elemental)?
Mercury (inorganic/elemental) appears in: Mining site runoff (Contaminated water); Industrial discharge areas (Contaminated water); Industrial sites (Soil contamination); Smelter areas (Soil contamination); Fish from contaminated waters (Food chain).
Why do regulators disagree about mercury (inorganic/elemental)?
Mercury (inorganic/elemental) has been classified by 12 agencies including OSHA, EPA CTX / IRIS, EPA CTX / IARC, EPA CTX / Health Canada, EPA CTX / EPA OPP, with differing conclusions. Regulators apply different standards of evidence (animal data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds), which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. See the regulatory consensus table on this page for the full picture.
See Mercury (inorganic/elemental) in the water app
Look up products containing mercury (inorganic/elemental), compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.
Open in water View raw API dataSources (1)
- IARC Monographs Volume 58: Beryllium, Cadmium, Mercury, and Exposures in the Glass Manufacturing Industry — Methylmercury Compounds Group 2B; Inorganic Mercury Compounds Group 3 (1993) (1993) — regulatory
Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →