Ecotoxicology

Mercury

H He

Li Be B C N O F Ne

Na Mg Al Si P S Cl Ar

K Ca Sc Ti V Cr Mn Fe Co Ni Cu Zn Ga Ge As Se Br Kr

Rb Sr Y Zr Nb Mo Tc Ru Rh Pd Ag Cd In Sn Sb Te I Xe

Cs Ba La Hf Ta W Re Os Ir Pt Au Hg Ti Pb Bi Po At Rn

Fr Ra Ac Rf Ha

Ce Pr Nd Pm Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy Ho Er Tm Yb Lu

TTh Pa U Np Pu Am Cm Bk Cf Es Fm Md No Lr

Hg in group 2B

Mercury containing geological deposits

Mercury – use and fate

Import 22% Stock 24% Produced 36% Recycling 18%

Total consumption

Paint 12%Agriculture 5%Amalgam 4%Catalysts 2%Other 3%

Chlorine alkaliindustry

33%

Batteries 27%Instruments 11%Laboratories 3%

18%recycling

26% 41%33%

10%

26% 23%26%

Natural sources: ca 60.000 tons/year Anthropogenic sources: ca 100.000 tons/year

CLASS A BORDERLINE CLASS BO seeking S and N seeking

Calsium Zinc CadmiumMagnesium Lead CopperManganese Iron MercuryPotassium Chromium SilverStrontium CobaltSodium Nickel

ArsenicVanadiumVanadium

CLASS A BORDERLINE CLASS BO seeking S and N seeking

Calsium Zinc CadmiumMagnesium Lead CopperManganese Iron MercuryPotassium Chromium SilverStrontium CobaltSodium Nickel

ArsenicVanadiumVanadium

Essential and non-essential metals

States of mercury

mercuri

Hg(II)

Hg (0)R – HG – X

R – Hg – R’

Hg(I)mercuro

Elementarymercury

Organic mercury

R,R’ = alkyl, aryl, sulphur/proteinX = chlorine, acetate, others

Primarily discharged to nature as:

Metallic mercury: Hg0

Mercuri-ion: Hg++

Phenyl mercury: C6H5Hg+

Methyl mercury: CH3Hg+

Hg ++

Hg +

Hg 0

CH3Hg +

(CH3) 2Hg

(C 6H5)2Hg

C6H5Hg +

Hg 0

mikroorg.

CH 4

HgS

H2S

mik

roo

rg.

mik

roor

g.

mikroorg.

Some metabolisms in nature

Exposure

Hg++

CH3Hg+

Hg++ CH3Hg+

Hg0

Uptake

Hg0 : < 0.01%Hg++ : 7-15%CH3Hg+ : 95-100%

Hg0 : 75-85%

The relationship between size andHg-concentration in blue marlin

Biomagnification

Biomagnification

Plankton

10 ng/g

Hg++: 70%MeHg: 30%

Fish

100 ng/g

Hg++: 10%MeHg: 90%

Seal

150 µg/g

Hg++: 2%MeHg: 98%

cys

S

S

cys

cys

S

S

cys

cys

cys

Hg - Rcys

cys

Hg - R

S

S

SH

SH HS

HS

Zn

Hg

SH Hg

Hg

Zn

Mercury alters the structure of proteins

and inactivates enzymes

Mercury and excitable membranes

SH

SH

SH

SH

Ca++

Na/K-pump

ATP ADP

Ca++, Mg++

ATPaseSH

energy

cyclic-AMP

Ca++

S

S

S

S

Ca++

Na/K-pump

ATP ADP

Ca++, Mg++

ATPaseS-Hg

energy

cyclic-AMP

Ca++

Hg+

Hg+

Hg+Hg+

Hg+

Inhibited depolarisation of neuronsin the Roman snail (Helix pomatia)

Katalin and Salánki (1987). Acta Biol. Hung. 38, 31-45

A : controlB-E : 6, 20, 30, 60 min after exposure