mercury paint

[captainQwark]

when it comes to old paint, people are afraid that children will eat or inhale lead paint chips. However, I haven’t heard of concern over mercury paint. From at least the seventies to the early nineties some kinds of paint contained mercury. I believed it was added to paint as a fungicide. Is there a danger in ingesting mercury paint chips?

[Q.E.D]

They still do:

Phenylmercuric acetate is routinely added by some paint manufacturers to interior latex (water-based) paint as a fungicide and bactericide to prolong the paint’s shelf-life. EPA permits interior latex paint to contain less than or equal to 300 ppm elemental mercury and exterior latex paint to contain less than or equal to 2000 ppm. However, neither the presence nor the concentration of mercury in the paint is required to be labeled on the paint can. Mercury may not lawfully be used in oil-based paint.

From here.

[captainQwark]

bump

[Eleusis]

The accepted level of mercury in drinking water is 2 parts per billion. EPA accepted levels in exterior latex paint are therefore only a million times greater.

Don’t let your kids drink it.

[Eleusis]

The accepted level of mercury in drinking water is 2 parts per billion. EPA accepted levels in exterior latex paint are therefore only a million times greater.

So, to fully and completely answer the OP: No, you shouldn’t let your kids drink the stuff.

Mmmmmm mercuryey [/Homer]