Lecture 3 (Everyday Mercury Poisoning)

Question 1

3 forms of mercury in nature and daily life:

Answer 1

environment, organic, inorganic

Question 2

what is bioaccumulation?

Answer 2

amount of toxicant builds up in animal’s lifetime

Question 3

what is biomagnification?

Answer 3

amount of toxicant builds up through the food web

Question 4

elementary mercury poisoning:

exposure

symptoms

Answer 4

exposure:
- inhaled vapor

symptoms: –> neurological
- tremors
- erethism (memory loss, insomnia, depression, shyness, increased excitability)

Question 5

inorganic mercury:

exposure

symptoms

Answer 5

exposure:
- ingested into kidneys
- does not cross BBB

symptoms:
- renal system –> kidney failure
- decreased urination

Question 6

methy-mercury (organic):

exposure

symptoms

Answer 6

exposure:
- GI tract
- crosses BBB

symptoms:
- neurological

Question 7

ethyl-mercury (organic):

exposure

symptoms

Answer 7

exposure:
- also ingested?

symptoms:
- faster conversion into inorganic
- mostly renal damage
- less brain damage

Question 8

which mercury exposures results in neurological symptoms?

Answer 8

elemental or methyl mercury

Question 9

which mercury exposures results in renal damage?

Answer 9

inorganic or ethyl mercury

Question 10

why is methyl mercury more toxic than ethyl-mercury?

Answer 10

methyl mercury penetrates BBB to have neurological symptoms

ethyl mercury gets metabolized faster into inorganic mercury –> mostly damages kidneys and less in brain