Preparation of CH3 203HgCl of high specific activity

In order to have a methylmercury compound of much higher specific activity than was obtainable from commercial suppliers of the compound, a procedure for the methylation of radioactive mercuric chloride with no addition of non-radioactive mercury has been developed. Methylation is accomplished by reacting the mercuric chloride with tetramethyl tin. Extractions into and out of benzene twice produces a methylmercury compound which is finally dissolved in a dilute sodium carbonate solution suitable for biological experiments. The entire procedure to produce a batch of the compound may be accomplished within a single day.