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Effects of sea salt anions on the formation and stability of methylmercury

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Conclusions

The sulfate component of sea salts is inocuous. However, if reduced to sulfide in anaerobic sediments, it severely reduces the availability of Hg++ for methylation by methylcobalamin. The bicarbonate component of sea salts noticably slows the methylation of Hg++ under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. In the presence of bicarbonate, other sea salts anions have no significant influence on the methylation of Hg++. In the dark, monomethylmercuric chloride (CH3HgCl) is chemically stable in the presence of all tested seawater anions, including sulfide.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, Cook College-Rutgers University, 08903, New Brunswick, NJ

    Geoffrey Compeau & Richard Bartha

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  1. Geoffrey Compeau
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  2. Richard Bartha
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New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station Publication No. D-01504-1-83 (NJSG-83-112), supported by State Funds and by Sea Grant NOAA NA 81 AA-D-00065, R/E-5.

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Compeau, G., Bartha, R. Effects of sea salt anions on the formation and stability of methylmercury. Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 31, 486–493 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01622282

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