Mercury Contamination,
Why the Danger?
 
Exposure to high levels of elemental mercury vapor can result in nervous system damage including tingling sensations, muscle weakness, unsteady gait, tunnel vision, slurred speech, hearing loss, abnormal behavior, and personality alterations. Exposure to relatively high levels of inorganic mercury salts can cause kidney damage. Adult exposure to relatively high levels of methylmercury through fish consumption can result in numbness or tingling in the extremities, sensory losses and loss of coordination. Exposure of the developing fetus through maternal intake of contaminated fish can result in neurologic developmental abnormalities in cognitive and motor functions. Whether any of these symptoms actually occur, and the nature and severity of the symptoms, depend on the amount of exposure. The Environmental Protection Agency considers 21 micrograms to be the maximum safe daily dose.

Mercury in the Workplace
 
Mercury in the environment poses significant health risks. Mercury is absorbed into the body through three different routes. The primary route is through inhalation of mercury vapor. The human body retains approximately 75% of the mercury that is inhaled. Small concentrations of mercury in the air concentrate quickly in the human body. Mercury is also absorbed into the body through the skin. The dermal absorption rate is much less than the pulmonary rate.
 
Numerous regulatory agencies have established limits for exposure to mercury. These limits are in place to prevent exposure to dangerous levels of mercury. The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) has established a threshold level value of 0.025 mg/m3 for an eight hour time period. The ACGIH additionally recommends that women of childbearing age should not be exposed to air concentrations of mercury greater than 0.010 mg/m3. Additional regulatory agency guidelines for mercury exposure levels are as follows. The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and the World Health Organization (WHO) have established an exposure limit of 0.050 mg/m3 for an eight-hour time period. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has established a ceiling exposure level of 0.100 mg/m3. Workers are not allowed into areas with this level or higher without protective equipment.

Comprehensive testing and monitoring is the Solution!
 
Portable, precise, reliable, and easy to operate, the Hg253 Portable Mercury Vapor Analyzer from Genesis Laboratory Systems, is the answer to immediate identification of Mercury contamination problems and safety verification after cleanup operations have completed.