1. Lecithin, cephalin, and sphingomyelin prevent the inhibition of bacterial metabolism which is caused by synthetic anionic and cationic detergents. The phospholipids must be added either before or simultaneously with the detergent. Addition after the detergent is without effect. Bacteria still exhibit this phenomenon after they have been exposed to the phospholipid and thoroughly washed. 2. A...

Methylation of tracer and ambient mercury ((200)Hg and (202)Hg, respectively) equilibrated with four different natural organic matter (NOM) isolates was investigated in vivo using the Hg-methylating sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfobulbus propionicus 1pr3. Desulfobulbus cultures grown fermentatively with environmentally representative concentrations of dissolved NOM isolates, Hg[II], and HS(-)...

Nitrogen-doped, PEGylated carbon dots (C-dots) have been synthesized for the detection of mercury ions (Hg(2+)). The detection limit was found to be 6.8 nM. However, upon functionalization with dithiothreitol (DTT), it reached to as low as 18 pM. The C-dots-Hg(2+) system was also able to efficiently detect biothiols.

The issue of mercury in the environment has generated several important reports that reflect the evolution of our understanding of ecotoxicology and environmental science. Beginning in the 1960’s, Swedish scientists played a lead role, partly because the widespread use of mercurial fungicides to protect grain during the long Scandinavian winters had resulted in extensive poisoning of granivorou...

1 This study used an experimental model of a constructed wetland to evaluate the risk of 2 mercury methylation when the soil is amended with sulfate. The model was planted with 3 Schoenoplectus californicus, and the sediments were varied during construction to 4 provide a control and two levels of sulfate treatment. This allowed characterization of 5 sulfate’s effect on mercury bioaccumulation ...

BACKGROUND Evidence of a dose-response relationship between prenatal exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) and neurodevelopmental consequences in terms of IQ reduction, makes it possible to evaluate the economic consequences of MeHg exposures. OBJECTIVE To perform an economic evaluation of annual national benefits of reduction of the prenatal MeHg exposure in France. METHODS We used data on hair...

We reviewed literature reporting both total and methylmercury from biota from Acadia National Park, Maine, USA. Our review of existing data indicates that 1) mercury contamination is widespread throughout the Park's various aquatic ecosystems; 2) mercury pollution likely represents a moderate to high risk to biota inhabiting the Park; and 3) biota at all trophic levels possess elevated concentr...

It is well established that methylmercury (MeHg) and mercury vapor pass the placenta, but little is known about infant exposure via breast milk. We measured MeHg and inorganic mercury (I-Hg) in blood of Swedish mothers (n = 20) and their infants, as well as total mercury (T-Hg) in breast milk up to 13 weeks postpartum. Infant blood MeHg was highly associated with maternal blood MeHg at delivery...

Mercury deposition histories have been scarcely documented in the southern hemisphere. A sediment core was collected from the ecologically important estuarine floodplain of the Berg River (South Africa). We establish the concentration of Hg in this (210)Pb-dated sediment core at <50 ng g(-1) Hg(T) throughout the core, but with 1.3 ng g(-1) methylmercury in surface sediments. The (210)Pb dating ...