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methylmercury

American

[meth-uhl-mur-kyuh-ree] / ˌmɛθ əlˈmɜr kyə ri /

noun

Chemistry.

any of several extremely toxic organometallic compounds, Hg(CH3 ) 2 , formed from metallic mercury by the action of microorganisms and capable of entering the food chain: used as seed disinfectants.

Etymology

Origin of methylmercury

First recorded in 1915–20; methyl + mercury

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Exposure studies usually test for methylmercury, a powerful neurotoxin formed when bacteria, in this case in rivers, metabolize inorganic mercury.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 4, 2024

Mercury entering marine ecosystems is converted into methylmercury, the most dangerous form of the chemical.

From BBC • Feb. 21, 2024

Often formed by microbes living in water, methylmercury is the most bioavailable form of mercury that is highly toxic to vertebrates.

From Science Daily • Oct. 30, 2023

Of the 13 metals and two classes of chemicals tested, three contaminants surpassed federal and local standards at varying levels of fish consumption: mercury, or methylmercury; polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs; and dioxins/furans.

From Salon • Nov. 23, 2022

Mercury exists in several forms; the types people are usually exposed to are methylmercury and elemental mercury.

From Textbooks • Sep. 6, 2018

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023