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The Service Tree lists all services in "branched" groups, starting with the very general and moving to the very specific. Click on the name of any group name to see the sub-groups available within it. Click on a service code to see its details and the providers who offer that service.

Mercury Exposure

Taxonomy Code: YF-3000.5050

Situations in which an individual has come into contact with (and perhaps been poisoned by) mercury, a naturally occurring metal which takes a number of forms (a shiny, silver-white, odorless liquid in its metallic form, a colorless, odorless gas when heated, and a variety of organic and inorganic compounds when combined with other elements). People can be exposed to mercury by eating fish contaminated with methylmercury (an organic compound that is created when mercury combines with carbon); breathing vapors in air from spills, incinerators and industries that burn mercury-containing fuels; release of mercury from dental work and medical treatments; breathing contaminated workplace air or skin contact during use in the workplace (dental, health services, chemical and other industries that use mercury); and practicing rituals that include mercury. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance, including mercury, depend on the dose, the duration, how the individual was exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present. Exposure to high levels of metallic, inorganic, or organic mercury can permanently damage the brain, kidneys and developing fetus. Effects on brain functioning may result in irritability, shyness, tremors, changes in vision or hearing, and memory problems. Short-term exposure to high levels of metallic mercury vapors may cause effects including lung damage, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, increases in blood pressure or heart rate, skin rashes, and eye irritation. Exposure to very small amounts of mercury does not necessarily pose a health risk.

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