The EPA has through a number of regulations spanning several decades all but eliminated the use of mercury in consumer devices with the intent of minimizing its polluting the environment. It’s been a commendable effort that has in large part paid off. Upon entering the soil, metallic mercury is converted into many feared byproducts all of which are bad news for humans and wildlife alike. Principal among these is methylmercury, a chemical with a lengthy list of seriously toxic effects. Your body can rid itself of this toxin only very slowly which means that if exposed to it it will be easy for it to accumulate in your tissues faster than it can be excreted, leading to long-term health problems. This is a particular concern for those living near industrial areas where grazing animals and produce can pick it up from the ground; serving then as the vehicle for this unwelcome visitor into your body. For others it will be fish with the biggest fish having the highest concentrations (one reason it’s not a good idea to eat tuna too often).

Elemental mercury is much less of a problem in terms of its direct danger to people. It is poorly absorbed because it doesn’t interact chemically with anything that it comes across with along the gastrointestinal tract. It used to be used as a laxative, in fact - which to modern senses sounds like a terrible idea - and to this day it’s still used in dental fillings (not that your dentist will likely disclose this without prodding). The scare of its vapors is also overblown. A waterdrop-sized bead of mercury would take literal centuries to evaporate but there’s a grain of truth in the concern: when mercury spatters it tends to make thousands of very small droplets which dramatically increases the overall surface area that is exposed and, if this happens in a poorly ventilated area, then the air inside very well can become unhealthy.

In order to minimize these risks we recommend sticking to ampuled mercury. In addition to being safer by dint of its glass enclosure, it will also stay free from surface tarnish. Oh, and you can shake it this way and that. What fun would it be if you couldn’t?

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