Mercury (Hg), a heavy silvery-white metal that is found in liquid state at room temperature, is toxic and hazardous. Methyl-mercury is a dangerous compound that is widely found as a pollutant in water bodies and streams. Mercury gets released into environment either by volcanic eruptions or human generated. It may be fatal if inhaled and harmful if absorbed through the skin. Around 80% of the inhaled mercury vapor is absorbed in the blood through the lungs. Mercury can cause both chronic and acute poisoning. It may cause harmful effects to the nervous, digestive, respiratory, immune systems, kidneys, and lung. Adverse health effects from mercury exposure can be tremors, impaired vision and hearing, paralysis, insomnia, emotional instability, developmental deficits during fetal development, and attention deficit and developmental delays during childhood. Studies have shown effects such as tremors, impaired cognitive skills, and sleep disturbance in workers with chronic exposure to mercury vapor even at low concentrations in the range of 0.7 to 42 μg/cu mt.
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