Organometallic Compounds in the Environment

Abstract

A surprisingly large number of organometallic compounds occur in the environment. in this context the environment means inland waterways, potable water supplies, the oceans and also sedimentary matter, vegetation and animal life in inland waterways and the oceans. Some of the more volatile organometallic compounds are found in air. Organometallic compounds are also found in plant material, crops and biological materials such as fish, animal and human tissues and body fluids. Thus organometallic compounds occur fairly widely throughout the environment principally as compounds of mercury, tin, lead, arsenic and magnesium and, to a lesser extent of compounds of germanium, antimony, copper, silicon, manganese and nickel. The distribution of these compounds throughout the environmentair, water, food - has toxiological complications and as such, is of concern from the point of view of the health of humans, animals, fish, insects, birdlife who, in one way or another, are all subject to contamination by organometallic compounds and who are all part of a food chain.