revised final - Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry ...

MERCURY
2. HEALTH EFFECTS
Hunter et al. 1940). These effects may have been secondary to neurological changes and are discussed more
fully in Section 2.2.1.4.
No studies were located regarding musculoskeletal effects in animals after inhalation exposure to organic
mercury.
Hepatic Effects
Metallic Mercury. A case study described the acute poisoning of a young child who was exposed to
mercury vapors that were produced from heating an unknown quantity of mercury (Jaffe et al. 1983).
Hepatocellular effects were characterized by biochemical changes (e.g., elevated serum alanine
aminotransferase [ALT]), ornithine carbamyl transferase, and serum bilirubin levels) and evidence of a
decrease in the synthesis of hepatic coagulation factors. Similarly, hepatomegaly and central lobular
vacuolation were observed in a man who died following acute-duration exposure to high levels of elemental
mercury vapors (Kanluen and Gottlieb 1991; Rowens et al. 1991).
Serious liver effects have been noted in animals at high exposure concentrations. Acute inhalation exposure
of rabbits to metallic mercury vapor concentrations of 28.8 mg/m 3 for 6–30 hours resulted in effects ranging
from moderate pathological changes (unspecified) to severe liver necrosis (Ashe et al. 1953). These effects
were less severe (mild effects to degeneration) at shorter exposure durations and following exposure to
6 mg/m 3 mercury vapors for 7 hours a day, 5 days a week for 1–5 weeks (Ashe et al. 1953). Effects ranging
from moderate pathological changes to marked cellular degeneration and some necrosis were seen at
mercury concentrations of 6 mg/m 3 for 7 hours a day, 5 days a week for 6–11 weeks (Ashe et al. 1953). No
hepatic changes were present in a pathological examination of the livers of rats intermittently exposed to
3 mg/m 3 mercury vapor for only 3 hours a day, 5 days a week for 12–42 weeks (Kishi et al. 1978). The
studies by Ashe et al. (1953) and Kishi et al. (1978) were deficient in quantitative data, and used a small
number of animals. However, available human and animal data suggest that metallic mercury vapors can
cause liver effects following acute exposures.
Organic Mercury. Midzonal necrosis in the liver was observed during the autopsy of a farmer who died
after treating grain with phenylmercuric acetate for several seasons (Brown 1954). No conclusions can be
drawn from this study, however, because other factors may have contributed to the hepatic effects in this
subject.
No studies were located regarding hepatic effects in animals after inhalation exposure to organic mercury.
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