Organometallic compounds

Among the microbicidal organometallic compounds, the organomercury and organotin compounds are those which should be mentioned first, for they are the ones that have been used for material protection on a large scale throughout the world. Today, however, there is a strong movement throughout in favour of their substitution in view of their toxicity and especially their ecotoxicity. Organomercury compounds, in particular, have already been largely substituted and are no longer of much importance as microbicides for material protection. In the truest sense of the word they may be termed biocides, since they are effective not only against microbes, but also against all forms of life. Although Hippocrates already knew of the toxicity of mercury compounds he could not anticipate the environmental problems that were to arise through their excessive use — problems rooted in the fact that these compounds are biodegradable only to the stage of methyl- or dimethylmercury, both of which are...