What year was mercury known to be toxic?

In ancient times mercury was thought to be medicinal (it does have antibiotic properties) but there were reports of consumers dying. The first emperor of the Qin Dynasty, Qin Shi Huang died in 220 BC after consuming mercury which he thought would give him immortality. read more

The vapors were first discovered to be toxic by a surgeon in 1810, and formally declared to be toxic by medical professionals in the year 1823. Two ships, the HMS Triumph and the HMS Phipps salvaged a large load of mercury from a crashed Spanish wreck. read more

In sufficient quantity, mercury is known to be toxic to humans. Even so, scientific evidence, accumulated over decades, supports the view that there is no clinical evidence of mercury poisoning in people who have amalgam fillings in their mouths. read more

Intriguing because of its silver hue and liquid state at room temperature, elemental mercury was known to the ancient Greeks, Romans, Chinese and Hindus. Each civilization had its own legends about mercury, and it was used as everything from a medicine to a talisman. read more

Although mercury's mystique held the promise of power, many of the ancients also knew it to be toxic. It was in the mining of the element where mercury first became associated with human illness beginning as tremors and progressing to severe mental derangement. read more

Mercury poisoning can be prevented or minimized by eliminating or reducing exposure to mercury and mercury compounds. To that end, many governments and private groups have made efforts to heavily regulate the use of mercury, or to issue advisories about its use. read more