Facts about Silver Mercury

Facts about Silver Mercury

Mercury looks pretty, in its shiny, fast-moving liquid form, but don’t touch! It can be extremely poisonous to humans.

 

The symbol Hg that mercury is known by comes from its Greek name, hydrargyrum, which means “liquid silver” — to reflect its shiny surface. The element is also known as quicksilver for its mobility. Named after the fastest-moving planet in the solar system, mercury has been known to humanity for ages. In fact, evidence of its use has been found in China, India and Egypt, and traces of mercury were found in 3,500-year-old Egyptian tombs.

 

Mercury is a very toxic element. It can enter the body through an open wound or by inhaling or ingesting it. It can then cause damage to nerves, the liver and the kidney, as well as a number of other symptoms.

 

Despite its toxic qualities, mercury can still be useful to us. The element conducts electricity and is used in electrical switches of thermostats and certain types of doze alarm-type alarm clocks, according to the College of Natural Resources at the University of California, Berkeley (CNR) “The place where people probably see it most commonly is in the new light bulbs — the compact fluorescent light bulbs,” where mercury vapor is one of the chemicals used, said Daniel King, an associate professor of chemistry at Drexel University.

 

Due to its high density and compactness, mercury is also used to make thermometers, barometers and other scientific instruments, according to the Jefferson Lab. However, for safety reasons, consumer use of mercury in thermometers has become less common over the years, as digital thermometers have been introduced. In 2008, 13 states introduced laws that limit the manufacture, sale and/or distribution of mercury fever thermometers: California, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Oregon, Washington, the Environmental Protection Agency reports.