What Is Organic Mercury?

Mercury (also frequently known as quicksilver) refers to a chemical element present in the periodic table with atomic number 80 and symbol Hg. Organic mercury refers to organic mercury compounds which are the most toxic. They are occasionally called organomercurials, and basically refer to those that contain covalent bonds between both carbon and mercury

It may be noted that organic mercury compounds, just like the metal, are seen to be volatile at room temperature. Methylmercury is a particularly unsafe compound which has been in the news since it is commonly seen as a pollutant in many water bodies and streams. This is threatening in view that fish as well as shellfish are naturally inclined to collect mercury in their bodies.