| Mercury was known by Chinese and in Hindus even 2000 years BC. Cinnabar (HgS), the mercury ore, was easily isolated and widely used in these countries as well as by Greeks and Romans as a pigment (vermilion), remedy and in cosmetics. Dioscorides, the Greek physician of 1st century AD, extracted it from cinnabar distilling it on the iron lid of the vessel. It was called hydrargyros from hydor meaning water, and argyros that is silver, which was borrowed in Latin as hydrargyrum. The original Latin name was argentum vivum - living silver (quicksilver in English). |
| Mercury is a trace element with abundance 7.0x10-6 mass % in Earth's crust, 1.03 mg/m3 in sea water and 2x10-3mg/m3 in atmosphere. It occurs as a native metal and forms more than 30 minerals with cinnabar (HgS) as the most common ore. Mercury minerals as isomorphous additions may be found in quartz, chalcedony, carbonates, micas and lead-zinc ores. Bulks of mercury participate in exchange processes which take place in atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere. It is dispersed in biosphere being accumulated in insignificant quantities in clay and silt, reaching 4x10-5% in clays and micas. Sea water contains 3x10-9% of mercury. Mercury deposits are evaluated as 500 thousand tons as a whole, including 250 in Spain, 100 in Italy, 50 in USA, 15 in Canada, 15 in Mexico, 9 in Turkey, and 8 in Algeria. Significant deposits are located in Japan, Bolivia, Peru, China, and Slovakia. Ores contain from 0.05 to 6-7% of mercury. |