Chemical Agents of Opportunity for Terrorism: TICs & TIMs

Chemical Agents of Opportunity for Terrorism
Training Support Package
Participant Guide
Slide 13
Chemical Agents of Opportunity for Terrorism:
TICs & TIMs
Three forms of Mercury
Elemental
(Hg 0 ; quicksilver)
Liquid: essentially nontoxic by ingestion
Vapor: brain and lung toxicity
Inorganic salt
(Hg 2+ )
Organic
(Methyl-Hg)
Typically rapid onset of GI effects when ingested
Aryl (cyclic): behave like inorganic
Alkyl (short -chain): methylmercury , ethylmercury ,
dimethylmercury
Module One - Terrorism by Fear and Uncertainty: Delayed Toxic Syndromes
13
Mercury provides an example of an agent to use to raise fear and concern. Mercury
exists in several forms. The particular physical state of mercury determines its toxicity
and how the body handles it.
Elemental mercury is of minimal toxicity in liquid form, but when inhaled following
volatilization it can produce lung damage and neurotoxicity. Although low level exposure
to a vapor over a long period of time can produce neurotoxicity without pulmonary
abnormalities, this would not be as useful to a terrorist as would organic mercury (see
below).
Mercury salts produce corrosive gastrointestinal effects when ingested. There are no
other realistic routes of poisoning than the oral route for mercury salts. Although this has
been used in individual cases, it would not be effective in a large scale release.
Organic mercury is the most concerning form of mercury, from a terrorism perspective.
The neurotoxicity that it causes is similar to that of inhaled elemental mercury, but the
ability of the short chain organic mercury compounds to be absorbed orally, to be
inhaled, and to cross the dermal barrier raise concerns for its nefarious use.
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