Mercury is a widespread
heavy metal with potential severe impacts on human health. Exposure conditions to
mercury and profile of toxicity among humans depend on the chemical forms of the
mercury: elemental or metallic
mercury, inorganic or organic
mercury compounds. This article aims to reviewing and synthesizing the main knowledge of the
mercury toxicity and its organic compounds that clinicians should know. Acute inhalation of metallic or inorganic
mercury vapours mainly induces
pulmonary diseases, whereas chronic inhalation rather induces neurological or renal disorders (
encephalopathy and interstitial or glomerular
nephritis). Methylmercury
poisonings from intoxicated food occurred among some populations resulting in
neurological disorders and developmental troubles for children exposed in utero. Treatment using
chelating agents is recommended in case of symptomatic acute
mercury intoxication; sometimes it improves the clinical effects of chronic
mercury poisoning. Although it is currently rare to encounter situations of severe intoxication, efforts remain necessary to decrease the
mercury concentration in the environment and to reduce risk on human health due to low level exposure (
dental amalgam, fish contamination by organic
mercury compounds…). In case of occupational exposure to
mercury and its compounds, some disorders could be compensated in France. Clinicians should work with toxicologists for the diagnosis and treatment of
mercury intoxication.