The Determination of Methylmercury in Real Samples Using Organically Capped Mesoporous Inorganic Materials Capable of Signal Amplification

摘要

Mercury exists in the environment in a variety of compounds, and the toxicity depends on the chemical species. Organo-mercury derivatives, especially methylmercury (CH3Hg~+), are more toxic than inorganic or elemental mercury. Methylmercury is rarely emitted anthropogenically, but usually formed naturally through biomethylation of mercury, often of anthropogenic origin. Methylmercury subsequently bio-accumulates through the food chain, for example in the tissue of fish, in which methylmercury concentrations are frequently found that exceed the maximum levels recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) for human consumption (0.1 and 0.23 μg (kg body weight)~(-1)d~(-1).