Chelation therapy, as discussed in this article, is a series of intravenous infusions containing disodium EDTA and various other substances. It is sometimes done by swallowing EDTA or other agents in pill form. Proponents claim that EDTA chelation therapy is effective against atherosclerosis and many other serious health problems. Its use is widespread because patients have been led to believe ...

The issue of mercury in the environment has generated several important reports that reflect the evolution of our understanding of ecotoxicology and environmental science. Beginning in the 1960’s, Swedish scientists played a lead role, partly because the widespread use of mercurial fungicides to protect grain during the long Scandinavian winters had resulted in extensive poisoning of granivorou...

Studies were conducted to measure the effect of methicillin on the urinary excretion of mercury in rabbits poisoned for three months by mercury vapour. Simultaneously, studies were done to compare the quantity of eliminated mercury after treatment with methicillin or penicillamine (Cuprenil). The results show that the urinary excretion of mercury in animals treated with either drug was clearly ...

After the introduction of mercury into the process of hat making in the seventeenth century it became a notoriously dangerous occupation, especially in France, where mercury was first used. Mercurial poisoning became so common among the hatters in Victorian Britain that it is widely supposed that Lewis Carroll had the condition in mind when he invented the character of the Mad Hatter in Alice's...

In the past, methylmercury compounds were manufactured as fungicides or appeared as unwanted byproducts of the chemical industry, but today the methylation of inorganic mercury in aquatic sediments and soils is the predominant if not the sole source of methylmercury. This form of mercury is bioaccumulated to a high degree in aquatic food chains to attain its highest concentrations in edible tis...

Present study consists the effect of sub lethal levels of heavy metals zinc and mercury on the activities of enzymes like HMG Co A reductase, lactate dehydrogenase and serine hydrolyase in Oreochromis mossambicus. Activities of the enzymes varied depending on the duration of exposure to the toxicants. Feasibility of measuring the enzyme activities in monitoring sub lethal metal poisoning is als...

In recent years, the Coastal Water Research Project has conducted surveys of the distribution of certain trace substances in sediments around the major municipal wastewater outfalls off southern California. Because of high levels of heavy metals found in sediments near Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts outfall system off Whites Point in 1970, detailed surveys of the Palos Verdes shelf wer...

Introduction. Chronic poisoning may result in home setting after mercury (Hg) vapours inhalation from damaged devices. We report a chronic, nonoccupational Hg poisoning due to 10-year indoor exposure to mercury spillage. Case Report. A 72-year-old man with polyneuropathy of suspected toxic origin. At hospitalization, toxicological clinical evaluations confirmed the altered neurological picture ...

Humans have had a long and tumultuous relationship with heavy metals. Their ubiquitous nature and our reliance on them for manufacturing have resulted at times in exposures sufficient to cause systemic toxicity. Their easy acquisition and potent toxicity have also made them popular choices for criminal poisonings. This article examines the clinical manifestation and pathophysiology of poisoning...

BACKGROUND Accidental or intentional subcutaneous and/or intramuscular injection of metallic mercury is an uncommon form of poisoning. Although it does not carry the same risk as mercury vapour inhalation, it may cause destructive early and late reactions. CASE PRESENTATION Herein we present the case of a 29-year-old male patient who developed an obsessive-compulsive disorder causing auto-agg...