Mercury Exposure from Interior Latex Paint

MERCURY, in both its organic and inorganic forms, can be toxic to humans. Exposure to organic mercury during the late 1950s in Minamata, Japan, caused 41 deaths and at least 30 cases of infantile cerebral palsy. 1 In the 1940s, inorganic mercury added to teething powders caused numerous cases of acrodynia, a form of childhood mercury poisoning. 2 Despite its known toxicity, mercury is still used in many household products, such as latex (water-based) paint. Because of their fungicidal and bactericidal properties, mercury compounds have often been added to latex paint to prolong shelf life. Up to now, approximately one third of . . .