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ORNL: Toxic methylmercury-producing microbes more widespread than realized

Posted at 12:18 pm September 13, 2013
By Oak Ridge National Laboratory Leave a Comment

Microbes that live in rice paddies, northern peat bogs, and other previously unexpected environments are among the bacteria that can generate highly toxic methylmercury, researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center have learned.

This finding, published in Environmental Science and Technology, explains why deadly methylated mercury is produced in areas where the neurotoxin’s presence has puzzled researchers for decades. Methylmercury—the most dangerous form of mercury—damages the brain and immune system and is especially harmful to developing embryos. Certain bacteria transform inorganic mercury into toxic methylmercury. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Science, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Alex Johs, Allyson Bullock, Andrew Graham, Anil Somenahally, bacteria, Biosciences Division, Cindy Gilmour, Dwayne Elias, Environmental Science and Technology, Grinnell College, Kathryn Bailey, mercury, Mercury methylation by novel microbes from new environments, methlyated mercury, methylmercury, microbes, Mircea Podar, National Science Foundation, neurotoxin, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Office of Science, ORNL, Richard Hurt, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Smithsonian Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, Steven Brown, toxic, U.S. Department of Energy

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