EPA IRIS — Mercuric Chloride (HgCl2), CASRN 7487-94-7
Summary
The EPA IRIS chemical assessment summary for mercuric chloride covers the inorganic mercury salt and provides a quantitative oral reference dose anchored on autoimmune kidney effects in animals. The IRIS RfD was last updated 1995-05-01 and remains the operative EPA value for inorganic mercury. The methylmercury IRIS assessment is a separate document covering the more dietary-relevant species.
Provenance notes
The filename EPA_IRIS_ElementalMercury_ToxReview.pdf is misleading: the document content addresses mercuric chloride (HgCl2, an inorganic mercury salt), not elemental mercury (Hg⁰). Elemental mercury is the species relevant to inhalation exposure from dental amalgam and occupational settings; mercuric chloride is the species addressed in this IRIS assessment. Cite key uses the actual chemical species.