Mercury: A Deadly Liquid Poison

Mercury is a deadly liquid poison that oozes out with a non-transparent, metallic glow. Today, mercury mainly comes from power plants that burn fossil fuel; primarily coal. As early as the 14th century, Mercuric chloride was used as a deliberate poisoning. Archaeologists have found mercury in Egyptian tombs dating all the way back to 1500 BC. The Egyptians and Chinese may have used cinnabar, which is the most commonly used mercury mineral, as a red pigment for centuries before the birth of Christ. Greeks also used mercury for medicinal purposes. When heated at 346.72 Degrees Celsius, mercury oxidizes in the air resulting in mercuric gas. At 500 Degrees Celsius, mercuric gas breaks down into mercury and oxygen, which led to the discovery of oxygen.
This chemical element is derived from the word hydrargyrum, which means “liquid silver” or “quick silver”, also known as quick death. Mercury's atomic number is 80 and it's atomic mass is 200.59, which is 13.6 times the volume of water. Mercury can only be found in trace amounts of igneous rock and polluted waters. Mercury is used by meterologists. It can be found in tools such as therometers, barometers, and manometers. Mercury is used because, like most metals, mercury attracts heat and pressure. Mercury has been one of the most effective yet deadliest liquid poisons since the beginning of the 14th