The astrological symbol with the World turned one of many alchemical symbols for that metallic, and Mercury grew to become an alternate identify with the metallic. Mercury is the only metallic for which the alchemical planetary name survives, as it had been decided it was preferable to quicksilver being a chemical name.[thirty][31]
A large number of prisoners had been used by the Luo Xi mining enterprise to determine new tunnels.[54] Employee health and fitness in performing mines is at large chance.
Elemental mercury is an element which includes not reacted with One more compound. When mercury reacts with another compound, it kinds a compound, like inorganic mercury salts or methylmercury.
[151][152] Tracking liquid mercury absent from the site of a spill is A serious problem in liquid mercury spills; polices emphasize containment from the noticeable mercury as the 1st training course of motion, accompanied by checking of mercury vapors and vapor cleanup. Many items are sold as mercury spill adsorbents, ranging from metallic salts to polymers and zeolites.[153]
The mercury battery is actually a non-rechargeable electrochemical battery, a Most important mobile, that was widespread in the middle of the 20th century. It had been used in numerous types of applications and was accessible in various sizes, significantly button measurements.
Higher quantities of mercury may lead to extensive-expression and often everlasting neurological adjustments. The dangers are Specifically noteworthy in young children who are still creating.
Elemental mercury is extremely dangerous in case you breathe it in and it will get into your lungs. Often, elemental mercury turns into airborne if someone is attempting to wash up a mercury spill having a vacuum.
Aristotle Why is mercury dangerous recounts that Daedalus built a wooden statue of Aphrodite transfer by pouring quicksilver in its interior.[41] In Greek mythology Daedalus gave the appearance of voice in his statues utilizing quicksilver.
Mercury is used in thermometers as it expands and contracts evenly with temperature alterations, which makes it suitable for measuring temperature properly.
Some transit telescopes use a basin of mercury to form a flat and Totally horizontal mirror, beneficial in figuring out an complete vertical or perpendicular reference. Concave horizontal parabolic mirrors may very well be fashioned by rotating liquid mercury over a disk, the parabolic kind of the liquid Hence fashioned reflecting and concentrating incident mild.
Mad hatter sickness can be a kind of Persistent mercury poisoning. It bought its identify mainly because it normally impacted hat makers inside the 18th to twentieth centuries.
Most healthcare suppliers suggest people who find themselves Expecting eat a constrained degree of fish or get rid of fish from their food plan, Specifically swordfish, all through their pregnancy.
The Conference obliges Authorities Parties to take An array of actions, including addressing mercury emissions to air as well as phasing away from specific mercury-that contains items.
Mercury-that contains compounds are of use in the sector of structural biology. Mercuric compounds such as mercury(II) chloride or potassium tetraiodomercurate(II) could be added to protein crystals in order to make heavy atom derivatives which might be used to resolve the stage difficulty in X-ray crystallography by way of isomorphous replacement or anomalous scattering methods.[ninety four]