ut roph il ▁my el op ero x id ase ▁can ▁use ▁H 2 O 2 ▁and ▁Br - ▁to ▁b rom inate ▁de ox y cy tid ine , ▁which ▁could ▁result ▁in ▁DNA ▁mut ations . ▁Marine ▁organ isms ▁are ▁the ▁main ▁source ▁of ▁organ ob rom ine ▁comp ounds , ▁and ▁it ▁is ▁in ▁these ▁organ isms ▁that ▁b rom ine ▁is ▁more ▁firm ly ▁shown ▁to ▁be ▁essential . ▁More ▁than ▁ 1 6 0 0 ▁such ▁organ ob rom ine ▁comp ounds ▁were ▁identified ▁by ▁ 1 9 9 9 . ▁The ▁most ▁abund ant ▁is ▁m eth yl ▁b rom ide ▁( CH 3 Br ), ▁of ▁which ▁an ▁estimated ▁ 5 6 , 0 0 0 ▁t onnes ▁is ▁produced ▁by ▁marine ▁alg ae ▁each ▁year . ▁The ▁essential ▁oil ▁of ▁the ▁Hawai ian ▁alg a ▁As par ag opsis ▁tax iform is ▁consists ▁of ▁ 8 0 % ▁b rom o form . ▁Most ▁of ▁such ▁organ ob rom ine ▁comp ounds ▁in ▁the ▁sea ▁are ▁made ▁by ▁the ▁action ▁of ▁a ▁unique ▁alg al ▁en zym e , ▁van ad ium ▁b rom op ero x id ase . ▁ ▁The ▁b rom ide ▁an ion ▁is ▁not ▁very ▁to xic : ▁a ▁normal ▁daily ▁int ake ▁is ▁ 2 ▁to ▁ 8   mill igr ams . ▁However , ▁high ▁levels ▁of ▁b rom ide ▁chron ically ▁imp air ▁the ▁memb rane ▁of ▁neur ons , ▁which ▁progress ively ▁imp airs ▁neur onal