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The Journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health
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Lessons to be learned: a case study approach An unusual case of alveloar deposition from swallow ing metallic mercury in an attempt at self-poisoning

H John Southgate, BSc

Department of Chemical Pathology Worthing Hospital Worthing West Sussex

Anne Ward, MB, BS

Accident Department St Thomas' Hospital London

Andrew Taylor, BSc

Department of Clinical Chemistry Royal Surrey County Hospital Guildford Surrey

Patrick Carr, MB, BS

Department of Medicine Worthing Hospital Worthing West Sussex

The authors report a case of deliberate self-poisoning in a drug addict who swallowed ele mental mercury: in so doing he inadvertently acquired a permanent diffuse deposition of mercury particles throughout both lung fields. Swallowed mercury should be relatively harmless in small quantity but the high specific gravity and free flowing properties of ele mental mercury allowed it to overcome the normal swallowing pathways — such that some of it passed into the bronchial tree instead of passing harmlessly through the gut. In that site its significant vapour pressure, together with its potential for oxidation to inorganic mer cury - which may, in turn, be absorbed across the alveolar membrane, gives high potential for mercury poisoning.

Key Words: Drug addiction • elemental mercury • gut • lungs • mercury poisoning

The Journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health, Vol. 118, No. 5, 305-308 (1998)
DOI: 10.1177/146642409811800518
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