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Annex II Entry 221 07/01/2011

Mercury and its compounds, except those special cases included in Annex V

Mercury and its compounds, except those special cases included in Annex V is listed in Annex II as a prohibited substance for cosmetic products placed on the EU market.

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Prohibited substance— Annex II, EU Regulation 1223/2009
Entry: 221

Chemical identity and properties

PubChem 2D chemical structure for CAS 7439-97-6
CAS 7439-97-6PubChem CID 23931

Mercury

Mercurycombines with other elements, such as chlorine, sulfur, or oxygen, to form inorganic mercury compounds or "salts", which are usually white powders or crystals. Mercury also combines with carbon to make organic mercury compounds. The most common one, methylmercury, is produced mainly by microscopic organisms in the water and soil. More mercury in the environment can increase the amounts of methylmercury that these small organisms make.Metallic Mercuryis a dense liquid that vaporizes easily at room temperature. Metallic mercury is not easily absorbed into unbroken skin. However, it vaporizes, even at room temperature. The higher the temperature, the more vapors are released. Mercury vapors are colorless and odorless, though they can be seen with the aid of an ultraviolet light.Metallic mercury is used to produce chlorine gas and caustic soda, and is also used in thermometers, dental fillings, and batteries. Mercury salts are sometimes used in skin lightening creams and as antiseptic creams and ointments. — Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)

IUPAC name
mercury
Molecular formula
Hg
Molecular weight
200.59 g/mol
Exact mass
201.970644 Da
Topological polar surface area
0.0 Ų
Hydrogen-bond donors
0
Hydrogen-bond acceptors
0
Covalent units
1
Defined stereocentres
0

Also known as

QuicksilverHydrargyrumLiquid silverMetallic mercuryQuecksilberMercureMercurioColloidal mercury
16 more reported names
KwikMercurius vivusMercury, elementalMercury metalHgNCI-C60399MERCURY ELEMENTFXS1BY2PGLCHEBI:16170CHEBI:25195Dietary MercuryMercury metal: Colloidal mercuryMercurius 12XMercurius 21XMercurius vivus 8Mercurius vivus 6X
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External database identifiers

Retrieved from NIH PubChem on 2026-09-02 by checksum-valid CAS matching. Chemical properties do not replace the regulatory decision on this page.

Record details

Chemical name

Mercury and its compounds, except those special cases included in Annex V

Regulatory information

Regulation

(EC) 2009/1223

See every entry this act set

Identified ingredients

Key data

CAS
7439-97-6
EC
231-106-7
Annex
II
Entry number
221

Inventory links for Mercury and its compounds, except those special cases included in Annex V

Inventory Restriction reference
Ref 84965

MERCURIC OXIDE

CAS: 21908-53-2
EC: 244-654-7

Direct matches are limited for this record, so nearby entries from Annex II are shown as well.

Annex II 223
Nearby record in the same annex

Metaldehyde

CAS: 9002-91-9
Annex II 225
Nearby record in the same annex

Coumetarol (INN)

CAS: 4366-18-1
EC: 224-455-1

What Annex II means for Mercury and its compounds, except those special cases included in Annex V

Mercury and its compounds, except those special cases included in Annex V is listed as a prohibited substance under Annex II of EU Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009 and must not be intentionally added. Article 17 separately addresses unintended small quantities that are technically unavoidable under good manufacturing practice and compatible with the Article 3 safety requirement.

Formulators must screen their ingredients and raw materials to ensure none contain this substance. Suppliers should provide documentation confirming absence when requested.

This record is linked to 1 CosIng inventory ingredient for name and identifier cross-reference. The page also surfaces 12 related annex records with overlapping identifiers, annex logic or naming patterns.

Compliance checklist

  • Verify this substance is absent from all raw materials and finished formulations.
  • Request absence confirmation or CoA from raw material suppliers.
  • Document the screening result in the Product Information File (PIF).

Frequently asked questions

Yes. Mercury and its compounds, except those special cases included in Annex V is listed in Annex II of EU Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009 and is prohibited as an intentionally added cosmetic ingredient. Article 17 provides a narrow exception for unintended small quantities that are technically unavoidable under good manufacturing practice, provided the product remains safe under Article 3.

CAS 7439-97-6 is the unique numerical identifier assigned to Mercury and its compounds, except those special cases included in Annex V by the Chemical Abstracts Service. In cosmetic compliance work, the CAS number is used to cross-reference the substance across regulatory databases, raw material specifications and safety assessment reports. Multiple EU annex entries may share the same CAS number if the same substance appears under different conditions or in different annexes.

Use the INCI Checker tool on this site to paste your full ingredient list (INCI) and scan it against all Annex II–VI entries. The tool highlights any ingredients that match restricted, prohibited or allergen-flagged records. This is useful for rapid compliance screening of finished product formulas or raw material declarations.
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Source note for Annex II record Mercury and its compounds, except those special cases included in Annex V

This page summarizes one Annex II record for Mercury and its compounds, except those special cases included in Annex V from public European Commission cosmetic materials and adds linked inventory or identifier matches when available.

Use this record page to review Annex II conditions for Mercury and its compounds, except those special cases included in Annex V, but confirm any final regulatory decision against the current official annex wording and source files.

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