"No one has ever identified a positive health benefit to mercury in the human body."
── U.S. Representative Dan Burton, in an address to the House of Representatives on June 19, 2007
Mercury (Hg) is present throughout the environment.
It is persistent and cycles globally.
Mercury exposure has serious effects.
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Science demonstrates overwhelmingly that mercury is toxic. There is no known safe level of exposure, by any route.
That is an inconvenient truth.
There are many financial stakeholders who seek to minimize the hazards of mercury exposure.
One ongoing battle concerns thimerosal and vaccines.
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Watch how mercury destroys neurological tissue. Original version at University of Calgary available here.
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These sources release vast amounts of mercury 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 |
20 metric tonnes (22 US tons) of Hg are released into the environment worldwide every day.
1 tonne = 1 million grams (g)
Just 1 g of inorganic Hg is sufficient to kill a 70 kg (154 lb) adult. Organic Hg compounds are much more toxic.
1 gram = 1 million micrograms (μg)
Just 1 μg of Hg is sufficient to cause systemic damage.
0.1 µg/kg/day = the EPA oral reference dose (RfD)
This RfD is a SWAG intended to define the amount of mercury a person can be exposed to daily over a lifetime 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.
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The average dental amalgam filling releases 5 µg to 20 µg of mercury each day -- and that doesn't include increases due to chewing, brushing, and drinking hot liquids.
'Silver' amalgams are actually 50% mercury. The other 50% is an alloy of silver, tin, copper, and zinc.
The typical amalgam filling contains roughly 0.5 g of mercury -- the same amount of mercury used in a fever thermometer.
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.
Watch mercury emitted from a typical dental amalgam in a tooth.
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Some of the diseases linked with Hg burden include
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
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There can be a significant delay between the time of mercury exposure and the time when symptoms appear.
For example, in this case a man received 20 mg of thimerosal (~10 mg ethylmercury) intravenously following a liver transplant.
After 4 days he began losing speech although he could still write. During the next 2 days his speech became slow and slurred although he could still comprehend others' speech. 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 mercury poisoning. His blood mercury level was tested and found to be 10x higher than expected. 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.
Hair analysis indicated that the man had previous environmental exposure to mercury (we all do). It was concluded that exposure to ethylmercury from thimerosal exceeded his body's ability to cope with toxic burden.
In another example (also covered here), a professor doing lab research was accidentally exposed to a some drops of dimethylmercury on the back of her gloved hand. This organic mercury diffused into the glove and then got absorbed by the woman.
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 "tingling in her fingers, brief flashes of light in both eyes, a soft background noise in both ears, and progressive difficulty with speech, walking, hearing, and vision (constricted visual fields)".
Her blood mercury level was tested and found to be 500x to 4000x higher than expected. Oral chelation was started, but neurodegeneration continued. Blood exchange transfusion didn't work because too much mercury was already in her body tissue.
By 6 months after exposure the woman became unresponsive to all visual, verbal, and light-touch stimuli. She had "periods of spontaneous eye opening, but without awareness". She exhibited spontaneous "yawning, moaning, and limb movements", with "periods of 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.
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Mercury poisoning and 'autism' share many symptoms (abstract and full paper).
Recent studies have confirmed a correlation between the amount of mercury (and other toxins) released into the environment, the number of children enrolled in special education classes, and the incidence of 'autism'.
Watch Dr. Boyd Haley discuss the link between mercury toxicity and 'autism'. Original versions available here.
Dr. Boyd Haley -- Mercury Toxicity & Autism Part 1 -- 5 minutes 41 seconds
Dr. Boyd Haley -- Mercury Toxicity & Autism Part 2 -- 4 minutes 28 seconds
Dr. Boyd Haley -- Mercury Toxicity & Autism Part 3 -- 5 minutes 51 seconds
Dr. Boyd Haley -- Mercury Toxicity & Autism Part 4 -- 8 minutes 56 seconds
Note: It is highly unlikely that mercury alone is responsible for all cases of 'autism'.
'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 not only mercury but other metals, pesticides, fluoride, phthalates and other endocrine disruptors, solvents and VOCs, numerous vaccine ingredients, and anything excitotoxic. Of course, these toxins also induce other symptoms besides the ones known as "autism spectrum disorders".
Apart from acute mercury poisoning, mercury's contribution to any particular disease fits a bell curve. A lesser percentage of cases will have mercury as the sole cause of the condition. A larger percentage will have mercury as a significant co-factor. Another lesser percentage will not have mercury as a factor at all. The exact shape of a curve depends on the disease in question.
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Blood tests and plain urine samples are poor indicators of mercury stored by internal organs. See this page for information.
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Forests and other dense growth areas take in mercury from the atmosphere. Evergreens absorb more mercury than broad leaves. Fallen foliage decomposes and adds mercury to top soil.
During a wildfire, the mercury is released from burning trees, brush, and top soil. The longer it has been since the previous fire, the greater the accumulation of mercury that gets released. It has been estimated that wildfires release up to 25% of the mercury added to the atmosphere from within the U.S.
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Mercury in its various forms is synergistically toxic with many different toxins. Some examples include
Various species of mercury are synergistically toxic with each other.
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Hansen Permanente Cement in Cupertino is a major emitter of mercury in California (see here and here).
Here is a map showing the location of other major cement kilns in the U.S.
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It should be no surprise that 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.
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Mercury in corn syrup?
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The internet gives access to an enormous body of research concerning mercury toxicity. A few starting points include
‣
PubMed
‣ Discover Magazine
‣ 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
‣ Wikipedia
‣ Google
‣ Got Mercury?
‣ FDA Mercury in Drug and Biologic Products
‣ Sustainable Hospitals
‣ Mercury Policy Project
‣ No Mercury
‣ Moms Against Mercury
‣ US Geological Society
‣ National Resource Defense Council
‣ National Wildlife Federation guide to Hg in products
‣ Zero Mercury
‣ Discover Magazine
‣ 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
‣ Wikipedia
‣ Got Mercury?
‣ FDA Mercury in Drug and Biologic Products
‣ Sustainable Hospitals
‣ Mercury Policy Project
‣ No Mercury
‣ Moms Against Mercury
‣ US Geological Society
‣ National Resource Defense Council
‣ National Wildlife Federation guide to Hg in products
‣ Zero Mercury
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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".
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Here is what to do if a compact fluorescent bulb (CFL) breaks.
Watch one congressman describe the peculiar ironies of requiring CFL bulbs by law -- 5 minutes 13 seconds.