Study Suggests that Mercury in Fish May be Less Toxic
 (Washington, Reuters Health, 8/28/03)

Due to water pollution, many species of fish are contaminated with the reactive metal, mercury, which is a nerve toxin that can build up in the tissues if ingested. But now scientists say it may be possible that the structure of the mercury found in the fish may make it less toxic to people than previously thought. Graham George, currently of the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, studied the mercury found in fish while he was at the Stanford University Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory in California. When he and his associates used X-ray absorption spectroscopy to examine the tissues of fish, the researchers determined that the mercury atoms were bound to both carbon and sulfur, not carbon and hydrogen as had been assumed. The investigators speculate that, since sulfur forms a tighter bond, the mercury may be less likely to metabolize in the body. The next step is for the scientists to determine what form of mercury accumulates in mammals that eat the contaminated fish.