Mercury
Heavy metalA heavy metal in some instruments, dental amalgam, batteries, and certain industrial processes.
Where it comes from in service
Instrument and electrical repair, dental settings, and some manufacturing and disposal work.
How it harms the body
Mercury — especially its organic and vapor forms — crosses into the brain and kidneys and disrupts nerve-cell function.
It binds selenium and sulfur-containing proteins the body relies on for antioxidant defense.
How long it stays in you
Varies by form; settles in the brain and kidney and can persist for months to years.
Where it goes — tap an organ to go deeper
ATSDR links mercury to nervous-system and kidney effects (tremor, cognitive and mood changes, kidney injury).
Continued exposure can deepen neurological and kidney injury; removing the source is the first step.
What to ask your clinician about
- •Blood and 24-hour urine mercury
- •Neurological evaluation
Bring this to your clinician and your VSO — they decide what testing and care, if any, is right for you. For general, whole-person ways to support your body, see Whole health.
Sources: ATSDR ToxFAQs: Mercury · VA / ATSDR. Drafted from the government's and science's own record — VA presumptive lists (PACT Act, 38 CFR, Camp Lejeune), ATSDR ToxFAQs, IARC, and NTP. Sources are cited on every page, and this library has not yet been reviewed by a named clinician or toxicologist. This is documentation to bring to your clinician and VSO — not a diagnosis, a treatment plan, or a determination of service connection. Veterans Crisis Line: dial 988, then press 1.