Methylmercury: How microbes create the most toxic form of mercury

Mercury is extraordinarily toxic, but it becomes especially dangerous when transformed into methylmercury—a form so harmful that just a few billionths of a gram can cause severe and lasting neurological damage to a developing fetus. Unfortunately, methylmercury often makes its way into our bodies through seafood—but once it's in our food and the environment, there's no easy way to get rid of it.