Assassin's bullet with mercury
This is something I have been wondering: if an assassin wanted to kill their target with a bullet from a sniper rifle, can they dip it in liquid mercury so even if the bullet itself doesn't kill them, the mercury poisoning will? I am looking for scientific basis on how it could be feasible, if it is at all.
And in case you're wondering: No, I'm not planning to assassinate somebody.
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1 answer
No.
Not even in the form of dimethylmercury.
This extremely nasty organic compound was being carefully used by professional toxic metal researcher Karen Wetterhahn when a few small drops of it touched the outside of her latex gloves. At the time it was not known that this noxious substance could travel through latex. Nothing could be done, she died less than a year later.
To make enough stick to a (hot - >100 celsius) bullet in flight, because it would otherwise evaporate before reaching your target, dipping the bullet would not work, you'd need some water soluble delivery system which releases after impact which would not satisfy the requirements of the question - but careful how your protagonist uses it, lest they succumb the same way.
Edited due to being wrong all over.
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