Organomercury Compounds in Environmental Samples: Emission Sources, Toxicity, Environmental Fate, and Determination

摘要

In view of the specific properties of mercury and its capability of forming compounds that can be bioaccumulated and biomagnified at successive levels of the trophic pyramid, it has become necessary to gather detailed information on the sources of emission of this element into the environment and its fate there. Moreover, the increasing awareness of the relationship between the toxicity of mercury and its chemical form has sharpened interest in the identification of its various forms in environmental samples. Investigating the speciation of mercury has therefore become of major importance with respect not only to determining its biogeochemical cycle but also to assessing the scale of this analytical challenge, given the need to design the appropriate analytical methodologies and reference materials that will constitute the tools for obtaining reliable analytical information.