Mercury speciation analysis is the analytical process of separating and measuring different types of mercury in a sample. Quicksilver mercury speciation analysis can determine the following types of mercury:
- inorganic mercury (HgII)
- methylmercury (MeHg)
- total mercury (HgII + MeHg)
- ethylmercury (expanded speciation analysis only)
- other forms (dimethylmercury, propylmercury, etc.)
Mercury speciation analysis is a process that separates and independently measures different forms of mercury in a sample. Whereas total mercury analysis (HgT) measures all forms as one lump sum, mercury speciation analysis yields data for each of the biologically available forms of mercury in a sample. The most common forms being methylmercury and inorganic mercury. In most sample types (excluding sediments), the sum of Quicksilver’s inorganic mercury and methylmercury data yields total mercury measured by other methods. See the data summary here.
Chris Shade PhD of Quicksilver Scientific
explains mercury speciation testing.
For years I've read news stories about dental mercury amalgam fillings that failed to ask vital follow up questions for one to form a better understanding of the true risks involved with exposure to mercury fillings. Rarely was a toxicologist, neurologist or bio-chemist interviewed. Instead, the stories would always give dentists such prominence when promoting the safety of a substance of which they knew nothing about, all while never acknowleding the much lower levels of mercury at which our government has removed other products from the market. So now I'm doing what I can to help raise awareness of the many dangerous aspects of dental mercury fillings.
