The Uptake of Mercury in the Brains of Mammals Exposed to Mercury Vapor and to Mercuric Salts

Abstract

Rats, rabbits, and monkeys were exposed to mercury vapor (1 mg/cu m) for four hours, and uptake and distribution of mercury in the brain was compared with that of animals injected intravenously with the same dose of mercury as mercuric salts. Vapor-exposed animals showed a brain content about ten times higher than the injected animals. The results indicate that the higher uptake in brain following vapor exposure is a general phenomenon in mammals.