Metabolism of Organomercury Compounds

Another type of detoxication involves the production of cysteine conjugates, which are readily excreted. (Again, organomercury compounds show their affinity for -SH groups). Methyl mercuric cysteine is an important biliary metabolite in the rat and is degraded within the gut (presumably by microorganisms) to release inorganic mercury (see IAEA Report 137, 1972). 

The following ranges of half-lives have been reported for vertebrate species, which are presumably related to rates of biotransformation as the original lipophilic compounds show little tendency to be excreted unchanged. 

Organic Pollutants An Ecotoxicological Perspective, Second Edition 

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