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Definition
A heavy, silvery, toxic univalent and bivalent metallic element. Its atomic number is 80, and it is the only metal that is liquid at ordinary temperatures. The oxidized inorganic [Hg(II)] and organic [CH3Hg(II)] forms of Hg interact with thiol-containing metalloproteins, which mediate their toxicity.
Mercury in the Environment
Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant and even the most stringent control of its pollution from man-made (anthropogenic) sources will not eliminate human exposure to potentially toxic quantities. Ocean sediments represent the largest global repository for Hg and are estimated to contain 1017 g of Hg, predominantly in the form of sulfhydryl- sulfur-bound Hg (HgS) (Nriagu 1979). Ocean waters contain approximately 1013 g, soils and freshwater sediments 1013 g, the biosphere 1011 g (mostly in land biota), the atmosphere 108 g, and freshwater in the order of 107g. This Hg budget excludes “unavailable” Hg which is found...
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References
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Acknowledgments
These authors wish to acknowledge funding by Grants from the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) and from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (USA). The FINEP research Grant “Rede Instituto Brasileiro de Neurociência (IBN-Net)” # 01.06.0842-00 and INCT for Excitotoxicity and Neuroprotection-MCT/CNPq are especially appreciated. MA was supported by NIH Grant R01 ES07331.
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Aschner, M., Farina, M., Rocha, J.B.T. (2013). Mercury Neurotoxicity. In: Kretsinger, R.H., Uversky, V.N., Permyakov, E.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Metalloproteins. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1533-6_315
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