were reported among people who
had consumed seafood from the contaminated bay.
Among the toxicological effects of mercury were neurological
damage, including irritability, paralysis, blindness,
insanity, chromosome breakage and birth defects.
The milder symptoms of mercury poisoning, such as
depression and irritability, have a psychopathological
character and may escape detection. The unexpectedly
high concentrations of mercury found in water and in
fish tissues result from the formation of soluble
monomethylmercury ion, CH3Hg+, and volatile
dimethylmercury, (CH3)2Hg, by anaerobic bacteria
in sediments. Mercury from these compounds becomes
concentrated in fish lipid (fat) tissue and the concentration
factor from water to fish may exceed 103