Differential toxicities of mercury to bacteria and bacteriophages in sea and in lake water

Abstract

Mixtures of anionic HgCl3−/HgCl42− comhplexes were less toxic to terrestrial bacteria (Erwinia herbicola, Agrobacterium tumefaciens), to marine bacteria (Acinetobacter sp., Aeromonas sp.), and to bacteriophages ([Formula: see text] 11M15 of Staphylococcus aureus and P1 of Escherichia coli) than were equivalent concentrations of Hg as cationic Hg2+. The toxicity of 1 ppm Hg to A. tumefaciens, Aeromonas sp., and ([Formula: see text] 11M15 was less in seawater than in lake water. Inasmuch as the Hg–Cl species are formed in environments of high chloride concentration, it was postulated that the lower toxicity of Hg in seawater was a result of the formation of HgCl3−/HgCl42− complexes.