An inorganic chemical. A contaminant often found in seafood products synthesized in sediments from mercury and mercury-containing chemicals dumped in waters supporting marine life. The methyl mercury is concentrated in aquatic life forms and can thus be deposited in fishes intended for human consumption. It is a proven cause of Miniamata disease, a teratogenic condition characterised by multiple birth defects and cerebral palsy. Methyl mercury has a particular affinity for the developing brain, hence its capacity to cause (brain) damage in the fetus and newborn.
See Brain damage studies, Cerebral palsy, Methylation, Miniamata disease, Teratogen