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Bacteria turn inorganic mercury into toxic methylmercury, which builds up in food webs.
| Symbol | Hg |
|---|---|
| Atomic number | 80 |
| Standard atomic weight | 200.59 |
| Group | 12 |
| Period | 6 |
| Block | d-block |
| Category | Transition metal |
| Standard state | Liquid |
| Discovered | Ancient |
Source: PubChem, Mercury (periodic table data, retrieved 2026-10-19). Group and period follow the standard 18-column periodic table.
Parks and colleagues identified two genes, encoding a corrinoid protein and an iron-sulfur protein, that bacteria use to turn inorganic mercury into methylmercury; deleting either reduced methylmercury production without impairing growth.
As reported in: Parks, Johs, Podar et al. (2013). The Genetic Basis for Bacterial Mercury Methylation. Science. doi:10.1126/science.1230667
Abstract only
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