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Mercury

CAS Number: 7439-97-6

SERIOUS
health hazard

MODERATE
health hazard

FEW OR NO
health hazards

0 79
80 89
90 100
45

Sources of exposure:

food

Environmental pollution (soil, water, wildlife), thermometers, electrical products, batteries, dental fillings

Description:

Mercury is a naturally occurring heavy metal found in the environment, with additional releases from coal combustion, mining, and forest fires. Mercury accumulates in waterways and biomagnifies in fish and shellfish. Numerous national and international regulations and bans aim to limit mercury use and environmental contamination.

Health concerns:

Cancer

Known or suspected to increase cancer risk in humans.

Reproductive Toxicity

May alter hormone function and harm reproduction.

Developmental Toxicity

May impact fetal development and birth outcomes.

Organ System Toxicity

May cause organ damage and disease.

Immunotoxicity & Allergens

May impact immune system function or cause allergic reactions.

Ecotoxicity

May be toxic to ecosystems and wildlife.

Banned/restricted lists:

  • Rotterdam Convention Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade - Annex III Government of Canada. List of Ingredients that are Prohibited for Use in Cosmetic Products.

References

  1. US Environmental Protection Agency. Cheminformatics Modules, Computational Toxicology and Exposure Informatics (CompTox).
  2. US National Library of Medicine. PubChem database.

HOW MILLION MARKER SCORES CHEMICALS

Million Marker's Ingredient Hazard Scoring uses multiple chemical databases and a science-backed scoring system to compute hazard scores for thousands of chemicals found in consumer products and listed on ingredient labels.

We identified key chemicals based on a database compiling dozens of authoritative sources, screening tools, and QSAR models.

Hazard scores within 11 different health categories (carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, reproductive toxicants, developmental toxicants, genotoxicity, neurotoxicity, organ system toxicity, immunotoxicity, respiratory toxicity, skin/eye/respiratory irritants, and ecotoxicity).

They are weighted based on several factors, including strength of evidence for adverse impacts in humans, severity, and potential contamination.

For more information on our scoring methodology visit this page.