Organo mercury compounds
Organic substances with at least one mercury atom
Organic mercury compounds are characterised by covalent bonds between carbon and mercury. In the past they were used for instance as herbicides and fungicides in plant protection (e.g. seed treatment), and as wood preservatives. Nowadays they are still used as disinfectants, e.g., in vaccines.
Organic mercury compounds are very toxic. Many of them are lipophilic and enrich in organisms.
The most common organic mercury compound in the environment is (mono)methylmercury which results mainly from natural methylation of inorganic mercury.
Substances
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Organometallic compound that is naturally formed from inorganic mercury ions
Specimen
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Common mussel species as invasive animal in rivers and lakes with high information level for water pollution
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One of the most important edible mussel species common in the North and Baltic Sea
Sampling area
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Important, old-industrialised conurbation in Germany.
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Main water divide between the North- and Baltic Sea
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Longest river in Germany
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National Park in the largest brackish water (Bodden) habitat of the world.
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National park in the world largest connected sand and mud flats.
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Fourth largest river basin in Central Europe
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Region in the chemical triangle of Central Germany
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Second largest river in Europe
Sampling period
1986 - 2021