Question

I have read extensively about Prof. Wetterhahn and in the Wikipedia Wetterhahn mercury poisoning article it said her blood mercury (I do not know if the test measures mercury or the compound) was 4000 millionths of a gram per liter. I realize all the mercury was not in her blood but this does not sound like a lot of mercury, about a fiftieth of a gram. And the amount spilled was a few drops -- which however are very heavy and maybe those few drops were a few grams which maybe explains a lot?

Naively, I would think that poisons would tend to be bound up with the cells they damage. But perhap dimethyl mercury does damage and yet keeps circulating? Or is it something like in the brain a very small amount of some vital compound(s) is somehow destroyed or can't be made and therefore dimethyl Hg might not work by directly killing neurons?

Answer 1

Prof. Wetterhahn's case of mercury poisoning underscores the high toxicity of dimethyl mercury, which can be lethal even in small amounts due to its ability to disrupt vital cellular processes and pass through protective barriers in the body, causing extensive neurological damage.

Step-by-step explanation:

The experience of Prof. Wetterhahn with mercury poisoning illustrates the dangers of exposure to mercury, especially organic mercury compounds like dimethyl mercury, which are highly toxic even in small amounts. The blood mercury level of 4000 micrograms (millionths of a gram) per liter that you mentioned is indeed significant, considering that mercury at high levels can lead to irreversible neurological damage and sometimes death. In the case of dimethyl mercury, the poison can indeed damage cells and then continue circulating in the body, leading to further damage over time.

Mercury poisoning can manifest through a variety of symptoms depending on exposure levels, duration, and the form of mercury. Prof. Wetterhahn's exposure to a few drops of dimethyl mercury, despite seeming minimal, resulted in a fatal outcome because this compound readily passes through protective barriers in the body, including the blood-brain barrier, causing severe and often irreversible damage to the central nervous system.

Mercury's primary toxic mechanism involves the inhibition of selenoenzymes, which is crucial in preventing and reversing oxidative damage in cells. Even low-dose, long-term exposure to mercury can be unclear but potentially harmful, affecting the brain and leading to diminished cognitive functions, which highlights the severity of mercury as a pollutant and the importance of avoiding contamination in sources such as water and food.