Quicksilver has just completed development for an extended speciation, which can separate and analyze methymercury, ethylmercury, and inorganic (mercuric) mercury from one sample, in one analysis.

Quicksilver Scientific has the capabilities to detect ethylmercury in any sample. However, ethylmercury is not common in all samples. Research shows that ethylmercury may be important in some sediments and petroleum hydrocarbons. Ethylmercury may be most important in human biomonitoring samples.

People get exposed to ethylmercury through medical exposures, as ethylmercury is sometimes used as a vaccine preservative. The preservative, called Thimerosal, contains ethylmercury thiosalicylate. Although most Thimerosal has been removed from U.S. infantile immunizations, Thimerosal is still used in many other countries as well as in flu immunizations in the U.S.

More information about ethylmercury and its behavior can be found by selecting this link:
What is mercury speciation analysis?