Investigation of Mercury-Amino Acid Complexes in the Aqueous Environment

摘要

Mercury is a toxic pollutant which can even at very low levels pose serious environmental problems. Since mercury in solution is known to have a marked chemical affinity for sulfhydryl groups, the authors explored the possibility of mercury entering the biosphere as a mercury-cysteine complex. With the aid of a modified high-pressure-liquid chromatography system, using a fluorescing detection agent, they have established that mercury cysteinate is present in oysters. Most of the mercury was found in the form of mercury cysteinate.