Karl I don't see the panic over heavy Metals so lets get some proportion in this. Mercury it has been used since man found that by heating Cinnabar you could have this wonderful liquid metal Mercury. Even though its toxicity is known vast quantities are still used all over this planet. If you look in to the known toxic effects on people you have to be exposed to Mercury vapours for years and years not just a couple of minutes. I do believe that the Mercury amalgam fillings in my teeth have been giving off Mercury vapours since they where fitted and they are classed as low risk. I could go on further but it is like the attitude to lead oh!the panic when the press get hold of things they have a tendency to blow things out of all proportion.
In the photograph is a Matthaeus Hipp Electric clock invented 1838 and if you look closely the pendulum it contains sixteen pounds of the Devil Mercury next to it is a Fortin Barometer with another five pound of the stuff. Now these two devices have been hanging on my house wall for some fifty five years now. So what I am saying is don't believe all the publicity people still drink Alcohol and smoke Tobacco and more people shuffle of their mortal coils from the after effects of these two, than people suffering from the effects of mercury poisoning. And of course I am looking forward to my seventy first birthday so Mercury has not got me as a victim yet!!!!
