Natural incorporation of mercury in bone.

Mercury (Hg) is a highly toxic element that causes bone defects and malformations. Structure and surface analyses using quantitative x-ray diffraction using the Rietveld method, High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy and nanodiffraction analyses, and Fourier-Transformed Infrared spectroscopy showed that bone enriched naturally with Hg (≤ 2.3 %) contained HgPO [(Hg)(PO)] and HgO. Bone [mostly as apatite, verified as carboxyapatite Ca(PO)(CO)(OH)(s)] and cinnabar (HgS) dissolved releasing Hg (existing as dimer Hg) and PO, both of which became immobilized as (Hg)(PO). Besides, released Hg became oxidized to form HgO. The outcome of this work is novel, provided that only a handful of stable compounds of Hg are found in nature.