← Back to all waters

Heavy Metals
Mercury
A heavy metal element that is toxic to humans. Not used as a food ingredient. Exposure mainly occurs through contaminated fish, occupational hazards, or environmental pollution. Known to cause neurotoxicity and other systemic effects.
Tracked contaminantUpdated Dec 1, 2023
Health score-5.0
-5Very bad5
Water guidelines
- Legal limit
- 0.02 mg/L
- Health guideline
- 0.000002 mg/L
Food and supplement guidelines
- Legal limit
- 1000 mcg
- Health guideline
- 0.7 mcg
Risks
Neurotoxicity, kidney damage, cognitive impairment, developmental toxicity, carcinogenic potential
Benefits
None