Volatilization of fluorescein mercuric acetate by marine bacterial from Minamata Bay

Journal Article · Mon May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1989 · Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01700404· OSTI ID:6983170

Nakamura, Kunihiko ^[1]

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1. National Institute for Minamata Disease, Minamata City Kumamoto (Japan)

Some bacteria that live in a mercury-polluted environment are resistant to mercury compounds. A majority of these mercury-resistant bacterial have been found to volatilize organic as well as inorganic mercury compounds into elemental mercury vapor by means of their enzymes. One compound, fluorescein mercuric acetate (FMA) has long been in use as a disinfectant in hospitals; yet, there has been little definitive information on bacterial resistance to this compound. Minamata Bay has been heavily polluted by mercury, which has caused methylmercury poisoning in humans, called Minamata disease. Sediments from the Bay still contain high concentrations of mercury. The percentage of mercury-resistant bacteria in the total bacterial count is higher in these sediments than in those of other marine environments. FMA-pollution, however, has not been reported. Research into the mechanism of bacterial resistance to FMA will not only add to our general understanding of the ability of certain bacteria to resist mercury, but will also help in defining the role bacteria play in the mercury cycle of a mercury-polluted environment. The purpose of the present study is to determine the mechanism of resistance to FMA of the FMA-resistant bacteria living in the Bay.

• OSTI ID: 6983170
• Journal Information: Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology; (USA), Vol. 42:5; ISSN 0007-4861
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
BACTERIA
BIOCHEMISTRY
MERCURY COMPOUNDS
VOLATILITY
ACETATES
BIOLOGICAL PATHWAYS
FLUORESCEIN
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
JAPAN
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
SEAWATER
WATER POLLUTION
AROMATICS
ASIA
CARBOXYLIC ACID SALTS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CHEMISTRY
CHROMATOGRAPHY
DYES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXY ACIDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
MICROORGANISMS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHENOLS
POLLUTION
POLYPHENOLS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SPECTROSCOPY
WATER
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology