Mercury health effects depend on the type of mercury to which a person is exposed. In general, health impacts include renal toxicity, damage to the immune system, alteration of genetic and enzyme systems and neurological damage, especially in babies exposed in utero. Methyl mercury is the most toxic form of mercury because it is absorbed quickly in the body and expelled much more slowly. Currently there is not enough human exposure data to make links between mercury and cancer. Mercury health effects are difficult to quantify using WHO’s approach because disability weights have not yet been assigned to the types.
