<p>Much of the methyl mercury that enters the atmosphere may be <strong>dimethyl mercury</strong>, <span class="math-container">$\text{(CH}_3\text{)}_2\text{Hg}$</span>.  This is a very volatile compound which, if it were pure, would have <a href="https://www.osha.gov/dts/hib/hib_data/hib19980309.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">50 mm mercury or more</a> vapor pressure at 20°C.  Complexes involving more electronegative ligands, such as the chloride <span class="math-container">$\text{CH}_3\text{HgCl}$</span>, are significantly less volatile, but still have more vapor pressure than purely inorganic mercury compounds.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-25T23:44:31.703Z
This sounds quite plausible, thank you!
uhoh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-25T23:41:51.590Z
2020-06-25T23:41:51.590Z
Oscar Lanzi
<p>The Sacramento Bee news article <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/article237937419.html" rel="noreferrer">Toxic fog may be poisoning some of California’s mountain lions, study says</a> says</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Algae in the ocean convert mercury to methylmercury, its most toxic form, <strong>which can be reabsorbed into the atmosphere</strong> and come ashore as marine fog, the release says.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Methylmercury [CH<sub>3</sub>Hg]<sup>+</sup> is an ion with an atomic mass well over 200. I don't think that it would readily evaporate, so how can it be reabsorbed into the atmosphere?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-02T08:13:06.750Z
Related: [Marine fog inputs appear to increase methylmercury bioaccumulation in a coastal terrestrial food web](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-54056-7), [Speciation of Mercury (II) and Methylmercury in Cloud and Fog Water](http://aaqr.org/files/article/1092/7_AAQR-10-08-OA-0067_161-169.pdf) & [Mercury Found in Fog a Threat to the Eco-system](https://permaculturenews.org/2016/01/05/mercury-found-in-fog-a-threat-to-the-eco-system/)
Fred
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-02T09:31:54.700Z
It is strange that the mercury should preferentially pick on mountain lions and then only on some mountain lions. Is it possible that the pollution comes from some other source peculiar to mountain lions? For example, could some of them be feeding on mercury contaminated fish? If I lived in California (my sister lives there),I would be more worried about my family than about mountain lions.
Michael Walsby
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-02T09:36:06.687Z
@MichaelWalsby apex predators accumulate more. From the article "The study says mercury concentration increases 1,000 times for each step on the food chain, meaning mountain lions are at more risk than humans exposed to toxins in the fog." I suppose the "some mountain lions" are the ones eating animals that eat other things that have higher exposure. As long as your sister is not feeding her family on lichens from foggy areas, they may be okay.
uhoh
<atmosphere><oceanography><air-pollution><pollution>
How can methylmercury in the ocean be reabsorbed into the atmosphere?
uhoh
# How can methylmercury in the ocean be reabsorbed into the atmosphere?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-12-02)

The Sacramento Bee news article [Toxic fog may be poisoning some of California’s mountain lions, study says](https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/article237937419.html) says

> Algae in the ocean convert mercury to methylmercury, its most toxic form, **which can be reabsorbed into the atmosphere** and come ashore as marine fog, the release says.

Methylmercury [CH3Hg]+ is an ion with an atomic mass well over 200. I don't think that it would readily evaporate, so how can it be reabsorbed into the atmosphere?

**Tags:** atmosphere, oceanography, air-pollution, pollution

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Related: [Marine fog inputs appear to increase methylmercury bioaccumulation in a coastal terrestrial food web](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-54056-7), [Speciation of Mercury (II) and Methylmercury in Cloud and Fog Water](http://aaqr.org/files/article/1092/7_AAQR-10-08-OA-0067_161-169.pdf) & [Mercury Found in Fog a Threat to the Eco-system](https://permaculturenews.org/2016/01/05/mercury-found-in-fog-a-threat-to-the-eco-system/)  
> **username_2**: It is strange that the mercury should preferentially pick on mountain lions and then only on some mountain lions. Is it possible that the pollution comes from some other source peculiar to mountain lions? For example, could some of them be feeding on mercury contaminated fish? If I lived in California (my sister lives there),I would be more worried about my family than about mountain lions.  
> **username_0**: @username_2 apex predators accumulate more. From the article "The study says mercury concentration increases 1,000 times for each step on the food chain, meaning mountain lions are at more risk than humans exposed to toxins in the fog." I suppose the "some mountain lions" are the ones eating animals that eat other things that have higher exposure. As long as your sister is not feeding her family on lichens from foggy areas, they may be okay.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2020-06-25. Score: 1

Much of the methyl mercury that enters the atmosphere may be **dimethyl mercury**, $\text{(CH}\_3\text{)}\_2\text{Hg}$. This is a very volatile compound which, if it were pure, would have [50 mm mercury or more](https://www.osha.gov/dts/hib/hib_data/hib19980309.html) vapor pressure at 20°C. Complexes involving more electronegative ligands, such as the chloride $\text{CH}\_3\text{HgCl}$, are significantly less volatile, but still have more vapor pressure than purely inorganic mercury compounds.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: This sounds quite plausible, thank you!  

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