Phenylmercuric acetate is an organomercury compound used as a preservative, disinfectant, and antitranspirant.
Phenylmercuric acetate forms colorless, lustrous crystals, and is soluble in ethanol, benzene, acetic acid, and sparingly in water.[1]
Phenylmercuric acetate has been used as a preservative in eyedrops and paint, disinfectant, former fungicide in agriculture, and a potential fungicide in leather processing.[2] [3] It kills crabgrass, the seedlings of which are especially vulnerable, but leaves most lawn grasses intact.[4] It exhibits anti-fungal activity against a broad range of ocular pathogenic fungi, with the greatest activity against Fusarium spp, and has been investigated as a potential treatment for keratomycosis.
Phenylmercuric acetate was used for disinfecting mucous membranes, but due to toxicological and ecotoxicological reasons, is no longer used.[5] Phenylmercuric acetate was once used commercially as a catalyst in 3M Tartan brand polyurethane flexible floors, a common flooring used in public buildings, especially in school gymnasiums, in the 1950s through the 1970s.[6] In 2006, PMA was discovered to slowly leach from the 3M Tartan flooring in several Idaho public schools and was detectible using analytical methods of air monitoring via NIOSH 6009 Carulite Tubes and the Ohio-Lumex mercury vapor direct-reading analyzer.[6]
Contact with phenylmercuric acetate can cause allergic reactions., such as erythema and contact urticaria syndrome.[7] [8] IgE plays a crucial role in contact urticaria syndrome pathogenesis.
A rare side effect of phenylmercuric acetate in eye drops is mercurialentis, the buildup of pigment on the anterior capsule of the lens. This has been estimated to affect 18 of 500 patients who have used eye drops containing phenylmercuric acetate two to four times a day for more than six years. The pigmentation is not associated with visual impairment nor any ocular abnormalities.