Watch how mercury destroys neurological tissue.
University of Calgary
original here.
20 metric tonnes (22 US tons) of Hg are released into the environment worldwide every day.
1 tonne = 1 million grams (g)
1 g of inorganic Hg can kill a 70 kg (154 lb) adult. Organic Hg compounds are more toxic.
1 gram = 1 million micrograms (μg)
1 μg of Hg can cause damage throughout the entire body.
The EPA oral reference dose (RfD) is 0.1 µg/kg/day.
That RfD is a SWAG for a lifetime of daily exposure without significant risk.
0.1 µg/kg = 100 parts per trillion (ppt)
100 ppt is a proportion equivalent to 5 drops of water diluted into an Olympic-size swimming pool 2 meters deep.
'Silver' dental amalgams are actually 50% mercury.
The other 50% is an alloy of silver, tin, copper, and zinc.
The typical filling contains ~ 0.5 g of Hg.
That's similar to the amount in an old fever thermometer.
The average filling releases 5 µg to 20 µg of Hg daily.
Chewing, brushing, and drinking hot liquids increases the amount.
Watch mercury emitted from a typical dental amalgam in a tooth.
Amalgams are the second greatest source of mercury exposure into the body.
Read this post by Congresswoman Diane Watson for perspective.
Read this IAOMT report for details.
Significant time can elapse between Hg exposure and the appearance of symptoms.
In this case a man received 20 mg of thimerosal (~10 mg ethylmercury) intravenously following a liver transplant.
After 4 days he he could still write but began losing
speech.
During the next 2 days he could still comprehend others' speech but his own became slow and slurred.
His movements became slow, he had difficulty walking, and he grew weak.
He developed gastrointestinal bleeding.
After 9 days his hands began to shake.
This progressed to jerking movements in his upper body.
He stopped attempting to speak.
During the next 2 days he could still comprehend others' speech but his own became slow and slurred.
His movements became slow, he had difficulty walking, and he grew weak.
He developed gastrointestinal bleeding.
After 9 days his hands began to shake.
This progressed to jerking movements in his upper body.
He stopped attempting to speak.
Fortunately for this man someone suspected Hg poisoning.
His blood tested 10x above normal.
He was chelated using oral DMSA.
After 4 weeks of chelation therapy his speech began to return.
A week later he was able to walk without assistance and to speak clearly.
At that point he was discharged from the hospital.
After 4 weeks of chelation therapy his speech began to return.
A week later he was able to walk without assistance and to speak clearly.
At that point he was discharged from the hospital.
Hair analysis indicated the man had previous environmental exposure to Hg (we all do).
Exposure to ethylmercury pushed his body past its ability to cope with toxic burden.
Reducing the burden brought recovery.
Here (also here) a professor doing lab research accidentally spilled drops of dimethylmercury onto the back of her glove.
This organic mercury diffused into the glove and absorbed through her skin.
After 3 months she began experiencing episodes of nausea,
diarrhea, and abdominal discomfort.
During the next 2 months she also began losing weight.
At the end of 5 months she began to lose speech, balance, and the ability to walk.
In the following days the woman noted
During the next 2 months she also began losing weight.
At the end of 5 months she began to lose speech, balance, and the ability to walk.
In the following days the woman noted
• Ttingling in her fingers
• Brief flashes of light in both eyes
• A soft background noise in both ears
• Constricted visual fields
• Progressive difficulty with speech, walking, and hearing
• Brief flashes of light in both eyes
• A soft background noise in both ears
• Constricted visual fields
• Progressive difficulty with speech, walking, and hearing
A blood test found Hg 4000x above normal.
She started oral chelation but neurodegeneration continued.
Blood exchange transfusion didn't work because too much Hg was already in her body tissue.
By 6 months after exposure the woman became unresponsive
to all visual, verbal, and light-touch stimuli.
She exhibited spontaneous periods of
She exhibited spontaneous periods of
• Eye opening, but without awareness
• Yawning, moaning, and limb movements
• Agitation and crying
• Yawning, moaning, and limb movements
• Agitation and crying
The woman fell into a coma.
Almost 10 months after exposure the woman was removed from life-support (per her advanced directives) and died.
Blood tests and plain urine samples are poor indicators of mercury stored by internal organs.
Here is why.
Some diseases linked with Hg burden are
Allergies
Alzheimer's
Asthma
Autistic spectrum disorders (ASD's) — autism, ADD, ADHD, PDD-NOS
Autoimmune disorders
Birth defects
Cardiovascular diseases
Celiac's
Cerebral Palsy
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)
Dementia
Diabetes
Fibromyalgia
Gastrointestinal disorders
Gulf War Syndrome
Infertility
Kidney failure
Migraine
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS)
Multiple sclerosis
Parkinson's
Sensory Integration disorders
Seizure disorders
Sleep disorders
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
Thyroid dysfunction
Alzheimer's
Asthma
Autistic spectrum disorders (ASD's) — autism, ADD, ADHD, PDD-NOS
Autoimmune disorders
Birth defects
Cardiovascular diseases
Celiac's
Cerebral Palsy
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)
Dementia
Diabetes
Fibromyalgia
Gastrointestinal disorders
Gulf War Syndrome
Infertility
Kidney failure
Migraine
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS)
Multiple sclerosis
Parkinson's
Sensory Integration disorders
Seizure disorders
Sleep disorders
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
Thyroid dysfunction
'Autism' is simply the name given to a collection of behaviors described in the DSMV-IV manual.
Anything that causes these behaviors to occur is a contributor to 'autism'.
This includes metals, pesticides, fluoride, phthalates and other endocrine disruptors, solvents and VOCs, numerous vaccine ingredients, and anything excitotoxic.
There is a correlation between Hg (and other toxics) released into the environment, the number of children enrolled in special education classes, and the incidence of 'autism'.
Hg poisoning and 'autism' share many symptoms (abstract and full paper).
Watch Dr. Boyd Haley discuss the link between mercury toxicity and 'autism'.
Developing fetuses and small children are the most vulnerable to mercury.
Ethylmercury is more toxic to infants than methylmercury.
Ethylmercury is the kind found in vaccines, methylmercury is the kind found in fish.
These sources release vast amounts of Hg every year
| 1470 tonnes | Coal burning plants |
| 480 tonnes | Metal and chemical production |
| 110 tonnes | Cement factories |
| 130 tonnes | Waste streams from crematoriums, municipal waste, medical waste, etc. |
| 2200 tonnes | Natural emissions from volcanoes, forest fires, etc. |
| 2200 tonnes | Re-emission from man-made sources |
Forests and other dense growth areas take up Hg from the atmosphere.
Evergreens absorb more Hg than broad leaves.
Fallen foliage decomposes and adds Hg to top soil.
During a wildfire, the Hg is released from burning trees, brush, and top soil.
The longer it has been since the previous fire, the greater the accumulation of Hg that gets released.
It has been estimated that wildfires release up to 25% of the Hg added to the atmosphere from within the U.S.
Hg is persistent and cycles globally with serious effects.
Hansen Permanente Cement in Cupertino is a major emitter of Hg in California (see here and here).
Here is a map showing the location of other major cement kilns in the U.S.
Mercury in its various forms is synergistically toxic with many different toxicants.
A few examples are
Various species of mercury are synergistically toxic with each other.
Mercury in corn syrup?
Here is what to do if a compact fluorescent bulb (CFL) breaks.
There is no safe level of Hg exposure known, by any route.
Still, there is an ongoing debate concerning thimerosal and vaccines.
"No one has ever identified a positive health benefit to mercury in the human body."
U.S. Representative Dan Burton, addressing the House of Representatives, June 19, 2007
Want more? Try
‣ PubMed
‣ Scorecard
‣ Human Toxome Project
‣ California Department of Toxic Substances Control
‣ Environmental Health Perspectives
‣ PubChem
‣ Environmental Working Group
‣ EPA
‣ Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
‣ United Nations Environment Programme
‣ FDA Mercury in Drug and Biologic Products
‣ Sustainable Hospitals
‣ Zero Mercury
‣ Mercury Policy Project
‣ Moms Against Mercury
‣ National Resource Defense Council
‣ National Wildlife Federation guide to Hg in products
‣ Discover Magazine
‣ Got Mercury?
‣ US Geological Society
‣ Wikipedia
‣ Google
‣ Scorecard
‣ Human Toxome Project
‣ California Department of Toxic Substances Control
‣ Environmental Health Perspectives
‣ PubChem
‣ Environmental Working Group
‣ EPA
‣ Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
‣ United Nations Environment Programme
‣ FDA Mercury in Drug and Biologic Products
‣ Sustainable Hospitals
‣ Zero Mercury
‣ Mercury Policy Project
‣ Moms Against Mercury
‣ National Resource Defense Council
‣ National Wildlife Federation guide to Hg in products
‣ Discover Magazine
‣ Got Mercury?
‣ US Geological Society
‣ Wikipedia
Mercury alone is not responsible for all cases of 'autism'.
Mercury's contribution to any particular disease fits a bell curve.
A lesser percentage of cases will have Hg as the sole cause of the condition.
A larger percentage will have Hg as a co-factor.
Another lesser percentage will not factor Hg at all.
The exact shape of a curve depends on the disease in question.
It is alleged that hat-makers used mercury to stiffen their felts; the exposure led to mercury poisoning and gave rise to the phrase "as mad as a hatter".