from: http://livingnetwork.co.za/healingnetwork/oral_chelation1.html

"CHLORELLA - is not a chelator as it contains only one thiol group (sulfhydryl groups). It can pick up mercury and move it around, but it does not strictly chelate it and hold onto it. This can cause a lot of oxidative damage as mercury 'bounces around'. Chelators are dithiols (they contain two sulfhydryl groups) and hold on to mercury tightly and safely. Beware of protocols using chlorella for chelation."

"Chelators are identified by the presence of two dithiol groups. Many health practitioners and doctors use compounds such as cysteine, NAC and glutathione to chelate. These are ineffective because they are not actually chelating agents as they do not contain two or more binding groups (dithiol groups). These compounds can cause redistribution of stored metals and cause problems by mobilizing them from their storage sites. This is almost like stirring up a hornets nest. The main chelators used by Andy Cutler are DMSA and DMPS (to remove mercury from the extracellular space) and later in the process ALA (to remove mercury from the intracellular space and brain)."