Chemical Interactions Between Mercurial Species
and Surface Biomolecules from Structural
Components of Some Biological Systems
A.C.A. DA COSTA
1
Introduction
The toxicological properties of the different mercurial compounds depend on the
associated organic or inorganic group; the associated anion is less representative
in this respect markedly affecting, however, the physicochemical properties of
the compound.
From the point of view of toxicity it is reported that mercury can be
assimilated through the digestive and respiratory tracts in human beings, as well
as through skin absorption.
In the same manner in which mercury is assimilated by higher forms of life, it
is widely incorporated by lower forms of life, being thus easily disseminated in
the food chain. This so called biomagnification is the main source of mercury
contamination and is widely reported in the literature. The specific mode of
action of mercury or any mercurial compound on a specific biological material
deserves specific investigation, but it can be considered, at least in the initial
steps of the interaction, that it is a process involving structural components of
the organism; in other words, the surface chemical properties of a certain living
organism will dictate the level and the extent to which this interaction with
mercury will take place. After the initial incorporation, the further steps, either
by involving some sort of metabolic activity or not, will depend on the enzymatic
apparatus of the related cells.
The main contribution of this chapter is to provide basic information on the
surface chemistry of some biological materials, basically microbial cells,
indicating potential binding sites for the interaction with heavy metals. With
this approach, regardless of any further enzymatically driven reactions, it is
possible to obtain an estimation of possible metabolic reactions or simple surface
phenomena, based on the composition of cell walls and external layers of certain
groups of microbial cells.
Environmental Science
Mercury Contaminated Sites (ed. by R. Ebinghaus et al.)
© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1999
and Surface Biomolecules from Structural
Components of Some Biological Systems
A.C.A. DA COSTA
1
Introduction
The toxicological properties of the different mercurial compounds depend on the
associated organic or inorganic group; the associated anion is less representative
in this respect markedly affecting, however, the physicochemical properties of
the compound.
From the point of view of toxicity it is reported that mercury can be
assimilated through the digestive and respiratory tracts in human beings, as well
as through skin absorption.
In the same manner in which mercury is assimilated by higher forms of life, it
is widely incorporated by lower forms of life, being thus easily disseminated in
the food chain. This so called biomagnification is the main source of mercury
contamination and is widely reported in the literature. The specific mode of
action of mercury or any mercurial compound on a specific biological material
deserves specific investigation, but it can be considered, at least in the initial
steps of the interaction, that it is a process involving structural components of
the organism; in other words, the surface chemical properties of a certain living
organism will dictate the level and the extent to which this interaction with
mercury will take place. After the initial incorporation, the further steps, either
by involving some sort of metabolic activity or not, will depend on the enzymatic
apparatus of the related cells.
The main contribution of this chapter is to provide basic information on the
surface chemistry of some biological materials, basically microbial cells,
indicating potential binding sites for the interaction with heavy metals. With
this approach, regardless of any further enzymatically driven reactions, it is
possible to obtain an estimation of possible metabolic reactions or simple surface
phenomena, based on the composition of cell walls and external layers of certain
groups of microbial cells.
Environmental Science
Mercury Contaminated Sites (ed. by R. Ebinghaus et al.)
© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1999