Mercury is an element that is found in air, water and soil. If heated, it is a colorless, odorless gas and combines with other elements to form powders or crystals. Metallic mercury is used in glass thermometers, silver dental fillings, and button batteries. Mercury salts may be used in skin creams and ointments. It can pass through the food chain and build up in fish, shellfish, and animals that eat fish. The nervous system is sensitive to all forms of mercury. Exposure to high levels can damage the brain and kidneys. Pregnant women can pass the mercury in their bodies to their babies.
The central nervous system is a major target of mercury, and both high- and low-dose exposure can produce significant long-term neurological damage.1,2 Neurological symptoms attributed to Mercury intoxication include ataxia, deafness, psychosis and loss of speech3 Although unproven, various clinical effects have been hypothesized to result from low-level Mercury exposure including Autism, tic disorders, and Alzheimer's disease.4 Additionally, the symptoms of an adverse response to Mercury have been known to mimic various conditions including Parkinson's disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS),5 and Schizophrenia.
There is evidence to show that much of the variance in Mercury sensitivity is determined by genetic factors.1. One small study comparing survivors of pink disease (PD; infantile acrodynia) and age- and sex-matched healthy controls, revealed significant differences between groups in genotype frequencies for variants of PON1 and MTHFR A1298C.
Related to:
mercury sensitivity, mthfr, pink disease, paraoxanase 1