Alkyl Mercury-Treated Seed in Food Grain: Mercury in Tissues and Eggs from Hens Fed with Grain Containing Methyl Mercury Dicyandiamide

Abstract

IN Sweden the disinfectants most commonly used for seed treatment are liquids—“Panogen” (methyl mercury dicyandiamide) and “Betoxin F” (ethyl mercuric chloride)—containing 0.8 percent mercury as active substance. Dust disinfectants are rarely used nowadays. About 85 percent of seed corn is treated with “Panogen.” For approximately 100 kg. of wheat, 200 ml. of this disinfectant are used, which implies that 1 g. of seed contains about 16 μg., and each grain about 0.5 μg. of mercury.Treated seed which is not sown one year cannot be kept for next year’s sowing without risk of diminished germination. A potential danger thus arises that, by accident or design, mercury-treated grain may be used for human or animal consumption.In order to facilitate identification of disinfected seed, the Swedish regulations stipulate that all commercial seed disinfectants containing mercury compounds must have an added pigment. Rodamine B, which is fluorescent in ultraviolet light,…