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At body temperature and atmospheric pressure, Mercury is a liquid, so if you touched it, it would deform away from the pressure of your finger. A word of caution is in order however. Mercury is known to be able to cross through the skin into the body. It doesn't absorb very fast, so it takes time to absorb very much. You have to handle a lot of mercury to get any significant amount absorbed through the skin. The greater danger is inhaling mercury vapor - which tends to be present in low levels when you have liquid mercury around.

Unfortunately, once it gets into your body, it takes a long time to get back out too. Mercury poisoning can damage nerves of the peripheral nervous system causing tingling, pricking, or numbness of a person's skin as well as burning or itching sensations. At higher doses it can lead to skin discoloration (pink cheeks, fingertips and toes), swelling, and skin shedding. A person suffering from mercury poisoning may experience profuse sweating, tachycardia (persistently faster-than-normal heart beat), increased salivation, and hypertension (high blood pressure). Affected children may show red cheeks, nose and lips, loss of hair, teeth, and nails, transient rashes, muscle weakness, and increased sensitivity to light. Other symptoms may include kidney dysfunction, extreme mood swings (like uncontrollable crying or laughter), memory impairment, or insomnia.

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13y ago

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