A child's return from autism Couple eager to share their conviction that mercury poisoning was the culprit

May God protect the doctors and parents speaking out on this:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...TL&type=health



A Lafayette couple, certain that chelation therapy has helped their
autistic son, stepped squarely into the controversy surrounding the
causes of autism and its treatment Tuesday as they joined 150 other
parents in launching an international support group that will
aggressively promote the treatment.

Jamie Handley was a happy, healthy baby who reached all his
developmental milestones until he turned 18 months, his parents said.
Then, he started spinning in circles and standing on his toes and no
longer responded to his name. They were eventually told he was
autistic -- one of an increasing number of children over the last
decade to be diagnosed with the disorder, which severely impairs a
child's ability to interact with others.

The Handleys are now among a small minority of parents -- who,
believing that the autism was caused by the mercury in thimerosal, a
preservative that was routinely used in vaccines until recently -- are
treating their children with chelation therapy, a lotion or pill that
strips the body of heavy metals. It has been used for decades to
detoxify people contaminated in industrial accidents, but no studies
have proved whether it is an effective treatment for autism.

For Jamie's parents, the proof they need is in front of them: Jamie,
now 3 years old and several months into treatment, is plump and
playing baseball. His smile has returned.

"Every day brings small, steady gains," said Lisa Handley of
Lafayette. "Our life is filled with hope and the conviction that Jamie
won't just improve, but will completely recover."

The Handleys said the new support group, Generation Rescue, and its
Web site, www.generationrescue.com, will offer information on
chelation therapy and connect parents with those who can help. The
chelation therapy includes not only the medicine, but dietary
restrictions and vitamins and mineral supplements.

The medical community differs on the cause of autism, a developmental
disorder marked by communication problems and restricted or repetitive
behavior. Some say it's genetic, possibly exacerbated by other medical
or environmental conditions. Others have noticed that the symptoms
have often surfaced after a child got routine vaccinations containing
thimerosal -- and believe that the skyrocketing numbers of autism in
the last decade are the result of an increasing use of the
vaccinations over the same period.

"Mercury is the second most neurotoxic substance on earth, after
plutonium, and they were injecting it into newborns until 2003," said
Lynn Mielke, Jamie's doctor. "An entire generation of children was
basically poisoned."

In California, 1,605 children were diagnosed with autism in 1992-93,
compared with nearly 20,000 a decade later, according to the U.S.
Department of Education.

The national Institute of Medicine, a branch of the National
Academies, has concluded that there is no link between thimerosal and
autism and says that a number of other factors could explain the rise
in autism diagnoses.

But the Handleys and other parents say they noticed symptoms in their
children after they got booster shots.

"Our son Andy regressed immediately after his 15-month vaccinations,"
said Karen Schwing of Beach Haven, N.J., another member of Generation
Rescue. "I was told nothing can be done. Our son is living proof that
autism is treatable."

Treatment of autism is as hotly debated as the causes of the disease.
Mielke, who has an autistic son, is a member of a group called Defeat
Autism Now and attends an international research conference on autism
twice a year. She insists that almost every child improves with the
chelation therapy. Others say that it can be treated through changes
in diet and with nutritional supplements. Nothing yet has been proved
to cure autism, however.

If thimerosal is part of the problem, the numbers of cases should
begin to drop. In 1999, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the
U.S. Public Health Service said vaccine manufacturers should phase out
thimerosal. While it may still be found in vaccines on the shelves of
doctors' offices, said Bernard Rimland, founder of the Autism Research
Institute of San Diego, new pediatric vaccines now contain trace
amounts of the preservative or none at all.

Three states -- Iowa, Missouri and California -- have banned the
preservative, although the California law doesn't take effect until
July 2006. Other states are considering following suit, but a U.S.
Senate bill would prevent states from banning mercury in vaccines.

Government funding is needed to prove or disprove the mercury
connection, said Dr. Boyd Haley, a mercury researcher and expert on
toxicology at the University of Kentucky. "We need the NIH (National
Institutes of Health) to put their money and expertise to determine
the best possible treatment."

E-mail Leslie Fulbright at .

Page B - 1


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Another controversy with PR millions thrown at it:

www.BreastImplantAwareness.org

"Ilena Rose" wrote in message
...

May God protect the doctors and parents speaking out on this:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...TL&type=health



A Lafayette couple, certain that chelation therapy has helped their
autistic son, stepped squarely into the controversy surrounding the
causes of autism and its treatment Tuesday as they joined 150 other
parents in launching an international support group that will
aggressively promote the treatment.

The best way to promote the treatment is to prove that the treatment works.
Is there any scientific evidence that supports the treatment? Like
peer-reviewed articles that show the treatment works?

Or is there just anecdote?

Jeff

*If* this child had documented elevated mercury levels, and *if*
chelation fixed him, then he didn't have autism; he had mercury
poisoning.

wrote in message
oups.com...
*If* this child had documented elevated mercury levels, and *if*
chelation fixed him, then he didn't have autism; he had mercury
poisoning.

Plus, the vast majority of mercury comes from the environment and food, not
from vaccines. (Although I am glad that mercury isn't in most vaccines.
Even though the dose is so small that it is not dangerous and doesn't cause
any problems, the mercury is pooped or peed out, and gets into the
environment. So that means by getting rid of the mercury from the vaccines,
you reduce ever so slightly the amount of mercury going into the
environment.)

Jeff

wrote:
*If* this child had documented elevated mercury levels, and *if*
chelation fixed him, then he didn't have autism; he had mercury
poisoning.



Good point., Note the symptoms of both:


http://www.vaccinationnews.com/Scand...n_symptoms.htm

"Jeff" wrote in message
k.net...

"Ilena Rose" wrote in message
...

May God protect the doctors and parents speaking out on this:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...TL&type=health



A Lafayette couple, certain that chelation therapy has helped their
autistic son, stepped squarely into the controversy surrounding the
causes of autism and its treatment Tuesday as they joined 150 other
parents in launching an international support group that will
aggressively promote the treatment.

The best way to promote the treatment is to prove that the treatment
works.

Is it?

Do show us when convention medicine did that with the huge amount they use
that NEVER has been proven to work

You can't. You are once again blowing smoke.


Is there any scientific evidence that supports the treatment? Like
peer-reviewed articles that show the treatment works?

Once again I ask you the same question.

Or is there just anecdote?

Jeff

http://www.generationrescue.org/pdf/news/herald.pdf

wrote in message
oups.com...
*If* this child had documented elevated mercury levels, and *if*
chelation fixed him, then he didn't have autism; he had mercury
poisoning.

Newsgroups: misc.kids.health
From: "John" - Find messages by this
author
Date: 2000/05/16
Subject: Autism, a Unique Type of Mercury Poisoning
Reply to Author | Forward | Print | Individual Message | Show original
| Report Abuse

To: Vaccines & Related Biological Products May 11, 2000
Advisory Committee Center for Biologics Evaluation & Research
Food & Drug Administration


My name is Sallie Bernard. I live in Summit, New Jersey, am the
president and CEO of a market research company and a board member of the
Cure Autism Now Foundation, the largest private funder of biomedical
research on autism. I am also the parent of a 12 year old son with autism,
and I am speaking to you today as a parent.
Autism is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder which, according to the
latest CDC figures, may now be affecting as many as one in 150 children. The
incidence of autism appears to be rising and as such, represents a
significant public health issue. Due to the high likelihood that many if not
most cases of autism are caused by the mercury in childhood vaccines
containing thimerosal, and due to the fact that every child today can be
fully vaccinated using a thimerosal-free product, I am asking you to join me
in urging the FDA to call for an immediate ban on thimerosal-containing
childhood vaccines.
In July of 1999 when the FDA first released preliminary statements
that the amount of mercury injected into infants and toddlers through
childhood immunizations exceeded government safety levels, a few parents,
including myself, began to investigate whether mercury toxicity might be a
contributing factor in our children's autism. Our review of the available
medical literature, summarized in our report, "Autism, a Unique Type of
Mercury Poisoning", found that the symptoms and abnormalities which
characterize autism are identical to those found in past cases of mercury
poisoning. These similarities include the defining characteristics of
autism - social withdrawal, OCD behaviors, and loss of or impairment in
language - and they include traits strongly associated with autism and found
in nearly all cases of the disorder - sensory disturbances such as numbness
in the extremities and mouth, aversion to touch, and unusual response to
noise; movement disorders like toe walking, hand flapping, clumsiness, and
choreiform movements; and cognitive impairments in specific domains like
short term, verbal and auditory memory and in understanding abstract ideas.
The biological abnormalities in autism and mercury poisoning are similar as
well. These include damage to the same brain areas - the Purkinje cells,
granule layer, amygdala, and hippocampus; autonomic system disturbances like
abnormal sweating, increased heart rate, and poor circulation; immune system
dysfunction including a shift in the Th2 lymphocyte subset, suppressed
natural killer cell function, and increased interferon gamma; low sulfate,
cysteine, and glutathione; brain mitochondrial dysfunction; altered
neurochemistry in the areas of serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine,
epinephrine, glutamate, and acetylcholine; and EEG abnormalities from subtle
slow amplitude waves to epilepsy. These are just a fraction of the
similarities which we have identified in the medical literature.
The population characteristics are consistent in both disorders.
First, the prevalence rate of autism closely matches the introduction and
spread of thimerosal-containing vaccines. Autism was first discovered in the
early 1940s among children born in the 1930s; thimerosal was first
introduced into vaccines in the 1930s. Prior to 1970, autism was estimated
at 1 in 2000 children; studies after 1970 showed a higher prevalence of 1 in
1000. This was also a period of increased immunization of American children.
In 1996, the NIH estimated the rate of autism to be 1 in 500, and just
recently the CDC has found 1 in 150 children affected. This dramatic
increase coincided with the introduction and spread of two thimerosal
containing vaccines - the HIB and Hepatitis B.
Second, mercury is more toxic to males. Autism is more prevalent among
boys, with the ratio estimated at 4 to 1.
Third, at low doses, mercury adversely affects only genetically
susceptible individuals, which are defined in terms of high responders and
those prone to autoimmune disease. Autism has been recognized as one of the
most heritable of all neurological disorders and it is strongly associated
with familial autoimmune disorders.
Fourth, exposure to mercury in vaccines occurs at the same time as
autistic symptoms emerge, given the latent period common in mercury
poisoning. Symptom emergence is similar in both diseases, starting with
abnormal movement and sensation, and moving on to abnormalities in speech
and hearing, and then the full-blown array of symptoms and signs.
Our group has also documented a number of cases of autistic children
with toxic levels of mercury in hair, urine, and blood.
The breadth and specificity of these similarities, from defining and
associated traits to biological abnormalities and population
characteristics, as well as the timing of onset with exposure and the case
studies of autistic children with toxic mercury levels, strongly suggest a
causal relationship rather than one arising from mere chance.
Despite the fact that there have been no published studies on the
effect of bolus doses of injected ethylmercury on susceptible infants and
toddlers, some individuals have nevertheless concluded that the amount of
mercury in vaccines is too low to cause any real impairment. On the
contrary, we have outlined four rationales describing how the mercury levels
in vaccines would lead to significant harm in a small number of children.
First, the cumulative amount of mercury which a 6 month old infant can
receive exceeds the acceptable dose levels set by government agencies
including the EPA, as outlined by Dr. Egan and Neal Halsey. Some have
countered that since the EPA added a safety factor of ten, the risk of harm
is insignificant. However, if you actually read the EPA report, it clearly
states that the safety factor was added (a) to account for uncertainties and
possible inaccuracies in the calculation (of which there are several
significant ones) and (b) to protect sensitive groups. By exceeding the
guidelines, these sensitive groups are at real risk, and arbitrarily
ignoring the safety guidelines merely because it is inconvenient to follow
them violates sound medical practice.
Second, the EPA equation, which uses data of fetal toxicity from 81
mother/infant pairs poisoned by methylmercury in seed grain, is based on
factors which would result in a lower relative risk than those involved in
an infant vaccine exposure scenario. Higher risk factors include bolus doses
vs chronic daily doses, injected vs ingested delivery, ethylmercury toxicity
vs methylmercury toxicity, direct exposure to the infant vs indirect to the
fetus through the mother, lack of adequate excretion by infants resulting in
high brain mercury accumulation vs adequate maternal excretion and
relatively low brain acummulations in mother and fetus, more rapid
metabolism in infants resulting in greater conversion of ethylmercury to its
toxic inorganic form vs slower metabolism in the mothers, and the
involvement of mercury sensitive individuals rather than the average person.
Third, the population distribution for mercury sensitivity, like that
for nearly all toxins, is log normal; thus, statistically, a small
percentage of the exposed population, if large enough, will be impaired at
the lowest doses. The fact that some small percentage will be impaired at a
very low dose is not just theoretical. It has been found true for certain
strains of mice and rats, and it was also true for the form of mercury
poisoning called acrodynia, which impaired approximately 1 in 500 children
early in this century even at low doses. Clarkson describes acrodynia as
being independent of dose and arising more from age and individual
sensitivity.
And finally, the risk assessment for vaccines does not take into
consideration that infants may receive mercury from maternal sources,
including maternal dental fillings and Rhogam shots which Rh negative women
receive multiple times during pregnancy, each of which contains 30
micrograms of ethylmercury.
Thimerosal is not a necessary component of vaccines, and every child
can be fully immunized today with a non-thimerosal alternative. Immense harm
has been caused by thimerosal in childhood vaccines. Do not risk permanent
neurological damage to another child by allowing the continued use of
thimerosal-containing vaccines. Official policy should err on the side of
safety. Rather than waiting for formal studies to determine whether
thimerosal should be taken out, the FDA should require that thimerosal be
banned entirely from childhood vaccines immediately.

"Jeff" wrote in message
link.net...

wrote in message
oups.com...
*If* this child had documented elevated mercury levels, and *if*
chelation fixed him, then he didn't have autism; he had mercury
poisoning.

Plus, the vast majority of mercury comes from the environment and food,
not from vaccines. (Although I am glad that mercury isn't in most
vaccines. Even though the dose is so small that it is not dangerous and
doesn't cause any problems, the mercury is pooped or peed out, and gets
into the environment. So that means by getting rid of the mercury from
the vaccines, you reduce ever so slightly the amount of mercury going into
the environment.)

Jeff

W R O N G

http://www.positivehealth.com/permit...ist/dental.htm


Dental Amalgam Fillings is the Number One Source of Mercury in People
and
Exposure Exceeds Government Health Standards for Inorganic mercury
(vapor)

Supplied by one of our readers Government agencies and medical
studies have found that the number one source of mercury in people is from
dental amalgam fillings2-20. Exposure from fillings amounts to from 50 to 90
percent of exposure, with the average being about 80 % of total
exposure5-9,12-15,19,20. The studies found that mercury amalgams are
unstable due to mercury's low vapor pressure and galvanic action, leaking
mercury vapor continuously into the lungs and saliva at levels exceeding
health standards.
Mercury exposure of most people with fillings was found to exceed
government health standards and levels found to cause adverse health
effects(see below).
The U.S.EPA mercury health standard1 for elemental mercury
exposure(vapor) is 0.3 micrograms per cubic meter of air(0.3 ug/M3). For the
average adult breathing 20 M3 of air per day2, this amounts to an exposure
of 6 micrograms(ug) per day.
The corresponding tolerable daily exposure developed in a report
for the Canadian Health Agency, Health Canada, is .014 ug/kg body weight or
1 ug/day for average adult2. The U.S. Agency for toxic Substances and
Disease Registry (ASTDR) standard (MRL) -for acute inhalation exposure to
mercury vapor is 0.02 micrograms Hg/m3, which translates to approx. 1.2
ug/day for the average adult.
The range of mercury exposure levels found in people with amalgam
fillings by the World Health Organization Scientific Panel on Mercury was 3
to 70 micrograms per day3, with other medical studies finding up to 200
ug/day in gum chewers or people who grind their teeth6,11,16,17,18.
The average exposure was above 10 ug/day3-18. The average mercury
exposure for a Canadian adult with amalgam fillings was found in the Health
Canada study to be 9 ug/day2. In a large German study with 20,000 tested
subjects at a University Medical Clinic, the average exposure from fillings
was over 10 ug/day and over 50 % of all those with 6 or more amalgam
fillings had daily exposure exceeding the EPA health guideline17.
Studies have consistently found modern high copper non gamma-two
amalgams have greater release of mercury vapor than conventional silver
amalgams21-23. Recent studies have concluded that because of the high
mercury release levels of modern amalgams, mercury poisoning from amalgam
fillings is widespread throughout the population"17,22,18.
Common levels found in persons with amalgam fillings are over 10
times the Health Canada TDE, and more than the EPA health standard for
mercury vapor. Thus persons with amalgam fillings have levels of intraoral
mercury vapor and body exposure levels higher than the level considered to
have significant health risk.
The studies found that Total mercury intake is proportional to
the number and extent of amalgam surfaces, but other factors such as chewing
gum and drinking hot liquids influence the intake significantly increasing
exposure as much as 500%. ).
A World Health Organzation Scientific Panel concluded that a safe
level of mercury exposure below which no adverse effects occur has never
been established3.

References
(1) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency(EPA), 1996, "Integrated Risk
Information System, National Center for Invironmental Assessment",
Cincinnati, Ohio(& web).
(2) Mark Richardson, Environmental Health Directorate, Health Canada,
Assessment of Mercury Exposure and Risks from Dental Amalgam, 1995, Final
Report, & G.M. Richardson et al,"A Monte Carlo Assessment of Mercury
Exposure and Risks from Dental Amalgam", Human and Ecological Risk
Assessment, 2(4): 709-761.
(3) World Health Organization(WHO),1991, Environmental Health criteria
118, Inorganic Mercury, WHO, Geneva; & W.Craelium, J Epidemiology and
Community Health, 32:155-65,1978.
(4) Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, U.S. Public
Health Service, "Toxicological Profile for Mercury" (ATSDR TP93/10), 1994.
(5) I.Skare, "Mass Balance and Systemic Uptake of Mercury Released
from Dental Fillings", Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, 80(1-4):59-67, 1995.
(6) I.Skare et al, "Human Exposure to Hg and Ag Released from Dental
Amalgam Restorations", Archives of Environmental Health 49(5): 384-394,
1994.
(7) J.A.Weiner et al,"The relationship between mercury concentration
in human organs and predictor variables",138(1-3):101-115,1993; & "An
estimation of the uptake of mercury from amalgam fillings", Sci Total
Environmet, v168,n3,1995.
(8) A.Lussi, "Mercury release from amalgam into saliva", Schweiz
Monatsschr ahnmed, 103(6):722-6,1993.
(9) M.J.Vimy and F.L. Lorscheider, Faculty of Medicine, Univ. Of
Calgary, July 1991. (Study findings) & J. Trace Elem. Exper. Med., 1990,3,
111-123.
(10) D.D.Gay et al, 1979, Lancet, May 5, 1985 & C.W.Svare et al, J
Dent Res, The effects of amalgams on mercury levels in expired air", 60,
1981, p1668-.
(11) L.Barregard et al, "People with high mercury uptake from their
own dental amalgam fillings", Occup Envir Med, 1995, 52:124-128.
(12) L.Bjorkman et al, "Mercury in saliva and feces after removal of
amalgam fillings", Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 1997, 144(1): 156-162.
(13) M.Molin et al, "kinetics of mercury in blood and urine after
mercury removal" J Dent Research, 1995, 74:420-
(14) D.Zander et al, "Mercury Concentration in Urine in Relation to
Number of amalgam Fillings", 1990, Zbl Hyg 190:325-334.
(15) J.Begerow et al, "Long Term Mercury Excretion in Urine after
Removal of Amalgam Fillings", Int Arch Occup Health 66: 209-212.
(16) G.Sallsten et al, "long term use of chewing gum and mercury
exposure from dental amalgam", J Dental Research, 1996, 75(1): 594-598.
(17) P.Kraub et al, Universitat Tubingen,Instit fur Organische Chemie,
1997, http://www.uni-tuebingen.de/KRAUSS/amalgam.html ; & I.Gerhard,
E.Roller, et al, Tubingen Univ. Gynecological Clinic, Heidelberg,1996, BUND
Press Release 1997 & Bundesinstitut fur Arzneimittel un Medizinprodukte,
1997.
(18) B.Windham, Anotated Bibliography of Exposure and Health Effects
from Amalgam Fillings, 1997(over 400 references).
(19) Halbach, 1995,"Estimation of mercury dose ..", Int.Archieves of
Occupational & Environmental Health, 67:295-300; & G. Sandborgh- Englund,
"Pharmacokinetics of mercury from dental amalgam", Gotab(Stockholm), 1998,
1-49.
(20) H.V.Aposhian, Envir.Health Perspectives, Vol 106, Supp 4, Aug,
1998; & H.V. Aposhian et al, FASEB J, 6: 2472-2476, 1992.
(21) J Pleva, "Mercury- A Public Health Hazard", Reviews on
Environmental Health, 1994, 10:1-27.
(22) C. Toomvali, "Studies of mercury vapor emission from different
dental amalgam alloys", LIU-IFM-Kemi-EX 150,1988; & A. Berglund, "A study of
the release of mercury vapor from different types of amalgam alloys", J Dent
Res, 1993, 72:939-946; & D.B.Boyer, "Mercury vaporization from corroded
dental amalgam" Dental Materials, 1988, 4:89-93; & V.Psarras et al, "
Mercury vapour releases from dental amalgams", Swed Dent J,1994, 18:15-23; &
L.E.Moberg, "Long term corrosion studies of amalgams and Casting alloys in
contact", Act Odontal Scand 1985, 43:163-177; & L.E. Moberg, "Corrosion
products from dental alloys", Published Dissertation, Stockholm, 1985.
(23) H. Lichtenberg, "Mercury vapor in the oral cavity in relation to
the number of amalgam fillings and chronic mercury poisoning", Journal of
Orthomolecular Medicine, 1996, 11:2, 87-94.

Source Average Human Daily Dose of
MercuryDental Amalgam 3.0 - 17.0
ug/day
(hgvapor)Fish and Seafood 2.3
ug/day
(methylmercury)Other Food
0.3
ug/day (inorganichg)Air &Water
Negligible traces(World Health Organization, Environmental Health
Criteria 118:
InorganicMercury, Geneva, 1991.)


http://www.lichtenberg.dk/merc*ury_v...ral_cavit.h*tm


Mercury from amalgams is the number one source in people.


"Mercury has been demonstrated as one possible cause of
Alzheimer's Disease, and the World Health Organization says *that
people with
amalgams get more mercury from their fillings than from all *other
sources
combined.


http://es.epa.gov/ncer_abstrac*ts/sb.../roberts.ht*ml


Cleanup of Dental Amalgam Waste To Meet Sewer Regulation


Awarding Agency: National Institutes of Health
SBIR Contract Number: R43ES507886
Title: Cleanup of Dental Amalgam Waste To Meet Sewer Regulat*ion
Principal Investigator: Daryl L. Roberts
Company Name:
ADA Technologies, Inc.
Honeywell Center, Suite 110
Englewood, CO 80112
Telephone Number:
Business Representative:
Project Period:
Project Amount: $93,662
Research Category: Water
Description:


In the United States and abroad, there has been a great deal* of
concern by the


public and health officials over the detrimental health effe*cts
caused by
bioaccumulation of mercury in lakes and streams, resulting i*n
regulatory
limits
for a variety of sources. Dental amalgam waste is attracting*
substantial
attention as a major contributor to the mercury burden of mu*nicipal
water
treatment plants. In response, local authorities are impleme*nting
ordinances
requiring dental offices to recover waste dental amalgam.
Co*nventional
technologies for removing waste amalgam from operatory disch*arge
water have
proven insufficient to meet stringent discharge limits (typi*cally 50
pg/L). In


some cases, dental clinics have been forced to disconnect fr*om the
sewer
systems and have incurred expensive hazardous waste disposal* charges.
ADA
Technologies proposes to develop and test a novel system to *reduce
mercury
below 50 pg/L that will be comprised of a patented novel sor*bent for
removing
dissolved mercury, membrane filtration technology for removi*ng fine
amalgam
particles, and conventional technology for recovering the la*rge
amalgam
particles. The ADA sorbent has demonstrated the ability to r*emove
ionic and
elemental mercury from wastewater to levels below 1 g/L. Thi*s system
will be
available to thousands of commercial dental offices.


http://www.toxicteeth.org/pres*sRoom...polluter*s.cfm


THE NATION
Dentists Biggest Mercury Polluters, New Study Finds
Health: The metal is widely used in fillings and ends up in the
nation's waste
water.


By ELIZABETH SHOGREN
TIMES STAFF WRITER June 6, 2002 WASHINGTON - Coal-fired power plants
are
notorious for being the biggest source of mercury pollution in the
air. But
now, new attention is being directed at another, much less known
source of
mercury contamination in water--dentists. A new report shows that
dentists are
the largest single source of mercury pollution in waste water funneled
into the
nation's treatment plants. Mercury is a potent toxin that can damage
the human
brain, spinal cord, kidney and liver, and is especially dangerous for
unborn
children. While many other sources of mercury pollution have
drastically cut
their use of the heavy metal, dentists continue to use it widely in
fillings.
"Pretty much all the mercury they're using gets released into the
environment.
Why aren't they doing more to reduce that use?" said Michael Bender,
director
of the Mercury Policy Project, a foundation-funded group that was one
of the
authors of the study. Power plants emit mercury into the air and it
falls into
streams and rivers. Many dentists flush it down their drains and it
goes
directly into waste-water treatment plants, which do not effectively
filter it
from the water. In a statement responding to the report, the American
Dental
Assn. said it was aware that some particles from fillings end up in
waste
water, and it urges dentists to follow proper procedures for handling
and
recycling the composite used for fillings, which they refer to as
"amalgam."
But the association argued that the mercury from their fillings
remains in a
form that is not harmful to humans. "However, a 1996 study found that
when
amalgam particles were subjected to simulated waste-water treatment
processes,
no soluble mercury was detected, even at a concentration of 1 part per
billion," according to the statement. The group stressed that it was
currently
implementing a new plan to address the problem. The new report's
authors said
that dentists, through voluntary or mandatory measures, should trap
their waste
mercury before it flows into plumbing fixtures that have been
contaminated with
mercury for years. The report referred to a 2001 study by the Assn. of
Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies that evaluated seven major municipal
waste-water
treatment plants and determined that dental uses were "by far" the
greatest
contributors to the mercury reaching their facilities. They were
responsible
for 40% of the load, three times more than the next largest
contributor.
Several other countries regulate releases of dental mercury. In
Canada, a new
standard requires dentists to trap the pieces of filling before they
go down
the drain. The goal is to reduce releases by 95% by 2005. In May, the
New
Hampshire Legislature became the first in the nation to pass
legislation
governing disposal methods for dental mercury. The California Assembly
considered a measure to phase out the use of mercury in fillings but
did not
adopt it. The report suggests that mercury in dentistry has become the
exception while other major users of mercury have changed their
practices. In
1985 dental facilities used 3% of all the mercury used nationwide.
Last year,
although dentists used less mercury, their use accounted for 20% of
all uses.
Only two other industries--wiring devices and switches and
chloralkali--used
more. Gina Solomon, a physician who focuses on the health effects of
mercury
for the Natural Resources Defense Council, said that there was still
controversy about whether the fillings put dental patients at risk.
And she
stressed that those who have such fillings should not get them
removed, because
taking them out heightens the chance of exposure. However, she said
the science
is clear that the mercury that goes down the drain can end up in the
food
chain. "There is scientific consensus that mercury that ends up in the
waste
water and water bodies will accumulate in the fish and pose a direct
human
health problem to people who eat the fish; that is uncontroversial and
is
something that can be fixed,"

"LadyLollipop" wrote in message
news:mSKle.11100$PS3.10032@attbi_s22...

"Jeff" wrote in message
link.net...

wrote in message
oups.com...
*If* this child had documented elevated mercury levels, and *if*
chelation fixed him, then he didn't have autism; he had mercury
poisoning.

Plus, the vast majority of mercury comes from the environment and food,
not from vaccines. (Although I am glad that mercury isn't in most
vaccines. Even though the dose is so small that it is not dangerous and
doesn't cause any problems, the mercury is pooped or peed out, and gets
into the environment. So that means by getting rid of the mercury from
the vaccines, you reduce ever so slightly the amount of mercury going
into the environment.)

Jeff

W R O N G

http://www.positivehealth.com/permit...ist/dental.htm


Dental Amalgam Fillings is the Number One Source of Mercury in People
and
Exposure Exceeds Government Health Standards for Inorganic mercury
(vapor)


Most kids don't have dental fillings with mercury. So the biggest source of
mercury is not dental fillings in kids.

Jeff

"LadyLollipop" wrote in message
newsxKle.11590$Is4.2586@attbi_s21...

"Jeff" wrote in message
k.net...

"Ilena Rose" wrote in message
...

May God protect the doctors and parents speaking out on this:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...TL&type=health



A Lafayette couple, certain that chelation therapy has helped their
autistic son, stepped squarely into the controversy surrounding the
causes of autism and its treatment Tuesday as they joined 150 other
parents in launching an international support group that will
aggressively promote the treatment.

The best way to promote the treatment is to prove that the treatment
works.

Is it?

Do show us when convention medicine did that with the huge amount they use
that NEVER has been proven to work

The huge amount of what?

You can't. You are once again blowing smoke.


Is there any scientific evidence that supports the treatment? Like
peer-reviewed articles that show the treatment works?

Once again I ask you the same question.

Unfortunately, you don't state what treatment you are talking about.

Jefff


Or is there just anecdote?

Jeff

http://www.generationrescue.org/pdf/news/herald.pdf