[Health damage due to exposure to mercury vapour (Hg)]

The authors present a review of the literature from recent years concerning certain problems of occupational exposure to vapours of metallic mercury. Health damage with pathological symptoms and signs of the involvement of the central nervous system, the kidneys, and the data on the genotoxic, embryotoxic and teratogenic action of mercury vapour are described. Attention is called to the process of methylation of metallic mercury in the organism. Following this transformation methylmercury develops which is much more toxic than the inhaled vapour.