Popular Medical Equipments and Products that Contain Mercury

The primary function of healthcare professionals is to look after the patients. They are the ones that determine what is good and what is bad for the health condition of each individual. When diagnosing a sick patient, doctors always make use of specialized medical equipments that will help determine abnormalities in the body especially in the inner parts of the body.

But sad to say, not all medical equipments being used by medical doctors are safe as some of them contain toxic chemicals like mercury. These medical instruments with mercury content, once broke or damaged, can put the person’s health status at risk. Mercury vapors, when inhaled, can cause serious and permanent damage in the nerve and kidney.

Mercury is not only found in medical equipments. Some of the products used by doctors and laboratory technician also contain the said hazardous chemical. Below are some of the medical equipments and products found to have mercury content.

Mercury Sphygmomanometer – It is a gold standard medical instrument used for monitoring blood pressure. However, of all the mercury-contained medical equipments, this type of blood pressure device also the largest amount of mercury content and that is about 100 grams or more per unit. The said hazardous chemical in sphygmomanometer is the silvery liquid in the glass column that moves upward each time the device is used.

In-glass Fever Thermometer – This medical equipment helps the doctors determine the severity of the fever. Mercury is included in the said thermometer because it expands and contracts consistently within temperature. An in-glass fever thermometer contains about 0.7 to 3.0 grams of mercury. It is the silvery liquid that rises in the glass column of a thermometer.

Esophageal Dilator – Patients having medical conditions like strictures, tumors, acid reflux, or undergo medical treatments like surgery or radiation, often this kind of equipment. As its name suggests, esophageal dilator is used to dilate the narrow opening of an esophagus. The mercury, which amounts to 2 to 3 pounds, is found inside the tube and its main purpose is to add weight so as it will be easier to slipped down the tube.

Gastrointestinal Tube – This is another essential medical instrument used for patient who has difficulties in eating or drinking. The tube is inserted through a small hole in the abdomen into the stomach. The mercury, which is about 2 pounds, is found in the outer part of the tube to add weight. The weight of the mercury is very essential as it guides the tube into place by gravity.

Intraocular Pressure Reducer – In eye surgery, reducing the Intraocular Pressure (IOP) is very important in the treatment of glaucoma. The intraocular pressure reducer is one the medical equipment used by eye specialist to lower the IOP or the pressure exerted by the fluids inside the eyeball. The mercury content, just like in other devices, is used as weights.

Dental Amalgam for Silver Fillings – Cavities caused by tooth decay is usually filled by dentist with dental amalgam so as to prevent further damage. Dental amalgam is a variation of different elements such as liquid mercury and a powdered alloy consisting of silver, tin, and copper. The amount of mercury that the body absorbs from the silvery tooth filling is far below the level that exerts adverse health effect. However, excessive use of the said dental amalgam simply exposes the person to a large volume of mercury vapor.

Fixatives – This is a chemical substance used to preserve or stabilize biological materials prior to microscopy or other examination. An excellent example of this is formaldehyde.

Ammonia – This is another popular solution found to have mercury content. Ammonia is a colorless gas with a characteristic pungent smell and is dissolve in water to give a strongly alkaline solution.

Preservatives in Pharmaceutical – Many preservatives being used in pharmaceutical also contain mercury. An example for this is the Thiomersal. It is a preservative used in some vaccines with a 49.6% of its weight is mercury.

Laboratory Chemicals – There are thousands of laboratory chemicals being used that are positive for mercury content. Among the common mercury compounds are mercury II oxide, mercurous I chloride, mercury iodide, mercury II sulfate, etc.