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What is Mercurochrome?
Mercurochrome is the trademarked name for merbromin, a commonly used antiseptic. In the United States, it was phased out after the FDA recognized the harmful effects of mercury on the human body. Mercurochrome contains trace amounts of mercury, and can be compared to use of mercury thermometers, which are also now illegal in the United States. Iodine and other antiseptics are now used in place of Mercurochrome. However, the drug is still considered harmless in many other countries and can be found in first aid kits worldwide.
The Effects of Mercury on Human Health
Mercury is a neurotoxin that is absorbed through the skin or mouth. Like lead, mercury was commonly used for much of modern human history for everything from painting to medicine. However, the metal has been linked to poisoning and birth defects in humans. Small children, infants and children still in the womb are most susceptible to mercury poisoning. Mothers with high mercury levels in their blood can give birth to children with birth defects. Symptoms of mercury poisoning include impaired speech and vision, impaired coordination, muscle weakness and loss of sensation in various parts of the body.
Methyl-mercury and Aquatic Ecosystems
Methyl-mercury is the form of mercury most commonly absorbed into the human body. Mercury can find its way into the bloodstream of children and adults through food that is consumed and through the skin. Fish and shellfish are well known to contain high levels of methyl-mercury due to mercury found in the waterways and taken up by aquatic plants. Due to bioaccumulation, a fish may not show signs of mercury poisoning, but many fish may collectively contain enough of the substance to adversely affect humans who eat them.
Mercurochrome and Aquatic Plants
Although it is unlikely for large amounts of Mercurochrome to be found in aquatic ecosystems, the accumulation of mercury in waterways can be affected by even small amounts of the substance poured down the drain or rinsed off a cut. Aquatic plants cannot be poisoned by mercury, and mercury will not kill a plant. It is when algae or other aquatic plants are eaten by fish, and mercury is accumulated in the bodies of fish, that the metal becomes a risk. There is a much higher risk (although still small) of experiencing mercury poisoning by applying Mercurochrome directly to your skin as an antiseptic than there is of being poisoned by the substance through bioaccumulation. However, take care with any product containing mercury, and dispose of those products according to EPA guidelines, to avoid further polluting our waterways and oceans.