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The case against mercury (II) methylation by aquatic environmental methylsiloxanes
Author(s) -
Frye Cecil L.,
Chu HsienKun
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
environmental toxicology and chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1552-8618
pISSN - 0730-7268
DOI - 10.1002/etc.5620070202
Subject(s) - mercury (programming language) , environmental chemistry , aquatic ecosystem , nitrate , chloride , aquatic environment , chemistry , environmental science , ecology , biology , organic chemistry , computer science , programming language
The literature relating to the methylation of mercury salts by methylsilicon species has been reviewed and critically assessed from the standpoint of potential ecological significance. The probability of such reactions occurring under any likely aquatic environmental conditions is shown to be extremely low. This conclusion is strongly reinforced by additional experiments in which water‐soluble analogs of the methylsiloxanes (materials reportedly present as traces in some aquatic sediments) were shown to be completely unaffected by mercuric chloride at ambient laboratory temperatures. Few additional studies with other mercury salts (e.g., acetate or nitrate) or higher temperatures were performed because of their irrelevance to any likely aquatic environmental situation.