Mercury contamination incident

Background The aim of this paper is to describe an incident where elemental mercury led to widespread contamination and the exposure of 225 individual s and confirmed toxicity in 29 individuals. The paper describes the inciden t and difficulties found in trying to assess the risk to individuals and to identify and decontaminate the residences involved. Methods All individuals exposed to elemental mercury in the incident were f ollowed up for 15 months. Results Thirty-seven individuals were found to be 'at risk' and 13 were sym ptomatic of mercury poisoning. Five patients required chelation therapy. Th e incident was closed when the risk of poisoning and re-exposure was minimi zed. Conclusion incident management depends on early effective communication and collaboration between all agencies involved.