Cıva – Hg

On this page cıva ( Hg ) you can find basic information about: physical properties, dangerousness, effects on health, mercury vapor detection and appropriate respiratory protection equipment (gas mask, powered air-purifying respirator, SCBA).

Mercury (Hg) properties

Cıva – CAS number 7439-97-6 – also cıva Also known as , it is a naturally occurring silver-coloured liquid element. Hg occurs naturally in the environment (volcanoes) but its presence is largely due to industrial activities, refining, mining and fossil fuel combustion.

  • CAS
  • 7439-97-6
  • TWA (8 hours)
  • 0,02 mg/m³
  • STEL (15 minutes)
  • –
  • LEL
  • –
  • IP
  • 10,4 eV
  • DENSITY/AIR
  • 6.93
  • FILTER/SCBA
  • CIVA

Mercury has long been used in dental amalgams (fillings), thermometers and pressure measuring instruments, fluorescent bulbs, antiseptics, cosmetics, cells and batteries, gold wash or as a vaccine preservative.

Health effects of mercury

Despite its wide range of applications, mercury is an element that has been gradually abandoned due to its toxicity. Indeed, the WHO (World Health Organization) considers mercury to be one of 10 chemicals of great public health concern.

The danger of mercury , especially its use in industrial processes lies in the possibility of its easy conversion into mercury vapors. These vapors are considered extremely toxic to humans and are classified as neurotoxic, cytotoxic, mutagenic, reproductive toxic and carcinogenic.

to mercury vapors Chronic exposure – inhaling low concentrations of Hg vapor for long periods of time – impairs the nervous system and causes many health effects: fatigue, fever, headache, memory impairment, tremors, kidney failure. Exposure to high concentrations of mercury vapor causes severe acute poisoning, which can lead to encephalitis and death from pulmonary hemorrhage.

mercury detector

Protection of workers breathing mercury vapor requires the use of detection equipment: colorimetric reagent tubes for one-time measurements, SafeAir badges for TWA measurements, or a portable opto-electronic or ultraviolet mercury vapor detector.

Mercury respiratory protection mercury (Hg)

For short-term exposures to low concentrations of mercury vapor, a gas mask with an HgP3 filter provides adequate protection. For longer-term exposures, in the presence of high mercury vapor concentrations, or during emergency response, the use of a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) or supplied-air breathing system is required to isolate the operator from contaminated ambient air.