Working environment factors
How does Mercury Fulminate affect workers’ health?
Feb
Mercury fulminate (C₂HgN₂O₂) is a dangerous chemical used in manufacturing, posing many risks to the health of workers. Long-term exposure can cause poisoning, nerve damage, and respiratory damage. So what are the specific harms? What should be done to protect one’s health? Let’s find out now!
1. What is Mercury fulminate?
Mercury fulminate, with the chemical formula C₂HgN₂O₂, is a chemical compound known for its highly explosive properties and high sensitivity to friction, heat, and impact. This compound is primarily used as a primary explosive in detonators and blasting caps.
In terms of molecular structure, mercury fulminate consists of a mercury atom bonded to two fulminate groups (–C≡N⁺–O⁻). This structure was determined through X-ray diffraction methods, which show that the molecules are nearly linear and not bent.
Mercury fulminate was first prepared in 1800 by the chemist Edward Charles Howard. The synthesis process involves dissolving mercury in nitric acid, and then adding ethanol to the solution. The resulting product is crystals that range in color from white to grayish-brown, depending on purity.
Due to its highly explosive and sensitive nature, mercury fulminate was widely used in detonators and blasting caps from the 19th to the 20th century. However, due to its high toxicity and instability, it has gradually been replaced by safer and more stable compounds in modern applications.
| No. | Chemical Name in Vietnamese | Chemical Name in English | HS Code | CAS Number | Chemical Formula |
| 1. | Thủy ngân fulminat | Mercury fulminate | 28521090 | 628-86-4 | C2HgN2O2 |
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2. Where does Mercury fulminate originate from in the production process?
During the production process, mercury fulminate is synthesized through the reaction of mercury and nitric acid, followed by the addition of ethanol to the solution. This reaction produces mercury fulminate crystals ranging in color from white to grayish-brown, depending on purity. This process is carried out in a strictly controlled environment due to the compound’s highly explosive and sensitive nature. Exposure to mercury fulminate can occur during stages such as raw material preparation, chemical reaction, crystallization, and final product handling. In particular, stages like grinding, sieving, and packaging can generate dust containing mercury fulminate, increasing the risk of exposure for workers if appropriate protective measures are not in place.
3. Industries that use Mercury fulminate in production
In the defense industry, this compound is used as a primary explosive in detonators and blasting caps due to its high sensitivity to friction, heat, and impact. Additionally, in the mining industry, it is used in blasting devices to break up rock and minerals. However, due to its toxicity and danger, the use of this compound has gradually decreased and has been replaced by safer substances in many modern applications.
4. How does Mercury fulminate affect workers?
Exposure to this compound in the workplace can cause many negative health effects for workers. This compound can be toxic to the respiratory system, leading to symptoms such as shortness of breath, coughing, and chest pain. In addition, it affects the nervous system, causing symptoms like tremors, insomnia, memory loss, and personality changes. Long-term exposure can lead to nephritis, causing kidney damage. In severe cases, poisoning can lead to vomiting blood, general exhaustion, and even death within 24 – 36 hours.
5. Permissible safe concentration of Mercury fulminate for human exposure
Currently, there is no specific information on the permissible safe concentration for exposure to mercury fulminate (C₂HgN₂O₂). However, according to the Vietnam Ministry of Health, the permissible exposure limit for mercury vapor in the workplace is 0.00001 mg/l, and for inorganic mercury salts is 0.0001 mg/l. Furthermore, symptoms of mercury poisoning can appear when a person is exposed to mercury concentrations in the air above 50 μg/m³. Therefore, to ensure safety, exposure to mercury fulminate should be minimized, and regulations regarding exposure limits for mercury compounds in general must be followed.
On a basic level, if working in an industrial environment, adhering to safety standards and limiting exposure to Mercury fulminate is important. Organizations like the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in the United States provide guidelines and safety principles to protect workers from the negative impacts of chemical substances.
6. Measures to minimize the health effects of Mercury fulminate on workers
To minimize the health effects of mercury fulminate on workers, technical and safety management measures must be applied during the production process. First of all, mercury and its compounds should be replaced with less toxic substances whenever possible. Organizing local and general ventilation systems is a basic measure to reduce the concentration of mercury in the workplace air. In addition, mercury should be stored in special containers, covered with a layer of water to prevent evaporation into the surrounding environment. During mining operations, wet drilling techniques should be applied to minimize the dispersion of mercury-containing dust. At the same time, workers must be fully equipped with and correctly use personal protective equipment such as safety glasses, masks, gloves, and protective clothing to prevent direct contact with mercury. Training on occupational safety, recognizing symptoms of poisoning, and conducting regular health check-ups are also very important to ensure the safety of workers.
Occupational safety training: Workers need to be trained and educated on the risks and safety measures when working with this type of chemical. This training should be provided periodically and regularly to ensure understanding and proper compliance with safety rules.
Periodically organize occupational environment monitoring in factories and enterprises, collect and analyze factors harmful to workers, thereby adjusting to reduce the level of hazard to prevent occupational diseases for them.
7. National Occupational Environment Monitoring Center
Nam Viet’s Occupational Environment Monitoring Center is a professional unit for monitoring and measuring the quality of the working environment across all provinces in Vietnam. With a team of experienced monitoring specialists, the center uses modern measuring equipment, ensuring accuracy and reliability.
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In addition to providing monitoring services, the center also assists clients in planning, handling, and tracking occupational environment issues. With the motto “the customer is the center,” the center focuses on customer satisfaction, meets all customer needs, and is committed to providing the best solutions for businesses.
With investment in technology, engineering, and human resources, Nam Viet’s monitoring center has become one of the reputable units in the field of occupational environment monitoring in Ho Chi Minh City with the following objectives:
- We always value our brand reputation and the quality of our products and services.
- We provide our customers with the best and most suitable options possible.
- With a team of experienced Masters and Engineers with a desire to protect the environment and benefit businesses.
- With the Nam Viet Environmental Monitoring team, your company will receive professional service from experts in the monitoring field. You will also get the best cost incentives.
8. Quotation for Occupational Environment Monitoring
To help businesses carry out occupational environment monitoring professionally and effectively, Nam Viet offers our customers a quality and reasonably priced quotation table for occupational environment monitoring services.
- Our quotation table provides detailed information about the prices of the monitoring services we offer. This includes costs related to travel, measurement, analysis, and reporting of results. Customers can be completely assured of the accuracy and reliability of the monitoring result reports we provide.
- We are committed to always offering the most competitive and reasonable prices on the market, and we are also always ready to provide advice and answer any questions about our monitoring services quickly and professionally.
- With Nam Viet’s quotation table, customers can easily choose service packages that suit their needs. We are committed to bringing our customers the highest satisfaction with professional service quality.
