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Inability of Fish to Methylate Mercuric Chloride In Vivo¹

ABSTRACT

Experiments were designed to establish whether mercuric chloride administered to rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri Rich.) through the gills or by way of the mouth is converted in vivo to methylmercury. The mercury was measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry and methylmercury determinations were performed by extraction and gas chromatography. The experiments show that while mercuric chloride administered by either method increased the total mercury content of kidney, liver, intestine, and muscle tissues, no evidence was found to support the hypothesis that mercuric chloride was methylated in fish to form methylmercury.

Key Words: mercury • methylmercury • methylation • accumulation • trout

¹ Contribution from the Inst. for Water Res., Nat. Res. Counc. of Italy and the Inst. of Zool. of the Univ. of Milan, Milan, Italy.

² The first and third authors are Doctors in Biological Sciences at the Inst. for Water Res. and the second author is Professor of Ecology at the Univ. of Milan.

Received for publication December 4, 1975.