LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Mercury (Planet): Metals
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Mercury combines with all the common metals except iron and platinum to form alloys that are called amalgams. In one method of extracting gold and silver from their ores, the metals are combined with mercury to make them dissolve; the mercury is then removed by distillation. This method is no longer commonly used....
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Mercury vapor is acutely hazardous. Chronic mercury poisoning, which occurs when small amounts of the metal or its salts are repeatedly swallowed over time, causes irreversible brain, liver, and kidney damage. Significant quantities of mercury have been found in some species of fish, arousing concern about uncontrolled discharge of the metal into the environment.
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Mercury is acutely hazardous as a vapor and in the form of its water-soluble salts, which corrode membranes of the body. Mercury vapor is a more toxic form than liquid mercury because the fumes easily enter and poison the body through inhalation. The fine gray mercury powder, which is easily produced when liquid mercury is agitated with substances such as grease and chalk, is potentially more dangerous than the liquid metal because it is less readily recognized.
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