Scientist Boyd Haley`s response to NY Daily Times Re. MERCURY AT WTC

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>Thu, 10 Jan 2002 12:30:31 -0500

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>Fw: Scientist Boyd haley`s response to NY Daily Times Re. MERCURY

>ATWTC

>

>Dr. Haley is my hero! Please circulate Dr. Haley's response to everyone you

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>Murlene Brake

>-

><antimercury

>Wednesday, January 09, 2002 1:05 PM

>Scientist Boyd haley`s response to NY Daily Times Re. MERCURY ATWTC

>

>FreKoss

>Message-ID: <128.a8ad0ff.296d4dd8

>Wed, 9 Jan 2002 02:40:08 EST

>Re: Police officers at WTC show high mercury levels

>

>MERCURY FREE PRESS

>Freya Koss

>FreKoss

>

>

>Boyd Haley's response to the article in the NY Daily News: Please forward

>it, as well as writing your own letters to the journalists at the

>following e-mail addresses:

>

>

>8 January 2002

>

>Greg Gittrich and Paul H.B. Shin

>Editorial Office

>New York Daily News

>

>Gentlemen:

>

>This letter is in response to an online article sent to me that appeared

>in the New York Daily Times concerning blood mercury levels of firemen and

>police workers at the 911 Ground Zero site. I am professor and Chair of

>the Department of Chemistry at the University of Kentucky. I have spent

>much of the past 14 years working on the toxic effects of mercury,

>especially with regards to the exacerbation and possible cause of

>neurological diseases. I have, through the nature of such studies, been

>exposed to research literature on possible sources of mercury

>exposure. In the case of the firemen and policemen working at Ground Zero

>they would be exposed to mercury from two major sources. First, before

>the WTC tragedy the major mercury body burden of these individuals would

>have been from their dental amalgams if they had any. After September

>11th, if they were at the Ground Zero site, they likely would have been

>exposed to additional mercury vapors generated from the heat and the

>components of the WTC that contained mercury released on damage.

>For example, the buildings were equipped with numerous florescent light

>bulbs that, depending on make and size, would contain approximately 25 to

>65 milligrams of mercury each. In our state (Kentucky) such bulbs have to

>be disposed of as " toxic waste " and cannot be placed with normal trash for

>the local landfill. In buildings as large as the WTC towers there would

>be a very large number of these lights ( I wouldn't know how many) and

>many more in storage. How long the area would remain high in mercury

>vapor would require knowing the temperatures generated during the early

>hours/days after 911 and the amount of mercury initially released. It is

>my opinion, barring any large point source of mercury unknown to me, that

>the major source of mercury exposure to early workers near Ground Zero

>would be from the florescent bulbs destroyed.

>The exposure from the Ground Zero site would be added to the blood levels

>contributed by the dental amalgam (or silver) fillings the individuals

>carried. The American Dental Association will state that this is minimal

>but scientific studies have confirmed that by far the major contributor to

>human mercury body burden is dental amalgam. Careful evaluation of the

>amount of mercury emitted from a commonly used dental amalgam in a test

>tube with 10 ml of water was presented in an article entitled " Long-term

>Dissolution of Mercury from a Non-Mercury-Releasing Amalgam. " This study

>showed that " the over-all mean release of mercury was 43.5 ± 3.2

>micrograms per cm2/day, and the amount remained fairly constant during the

>duration of the experiments (2 years). " This was without factors such as

>pressure, heat or galvanism that would increase the amount released as

>would have occurred if the amalgams were in a human mouth. {Chew, C. L.,

>Soh, G., Lee, A. S. and Yeoh, T. S. Long-term Dissolution of Mercury from

>a Non-Mercury-Releasing Amalgam. Clinical Preventive Dentistry 13(3):

>5-7, May-June (1991).} One major concern with the use of amalgam fillings

>is that it decreases the amount of additional environmental exposure that

>is needed to reach mercury levels that are certainly known to produce

>toxic effects. It would be my opinion that extensive amalgams would be a

>major risk for any firemen who have to enter areas where fires are

>releasing vaporous material of unknown nature since mercury has been

>widely used in paints, electrical switches, florescent bulbs, etc.

>In support of this a recent study by the NIH on 1,127 military personnel

>also demonstrated that blood and urine levels of mercury increased with

>the number of amalgams surfaces with the average amalgam bearer having

>about 4.5 times the blood/urine mercury levels as individuals with no

>amalgam fillings. {See e.g., Kingman, A., Albertini, T. and Brown,

>L.J. Mercury Concentrations in Urine and Whole-Blood Associated with

>Amalgam Exposure in a U.S. Military Population. J. Dental Research 77(3)

>461-71, 1998.}

>Due to the substantial amounts of mercury in amalgams, it is the number of

>amalgams that controls the amount of mercury exposure and this is likely

>not significantly reduced by the length of time each amalgam is in the

>mouth. Put another way, since each large amalgam (i.e. those with 0.5 and

>1.0 grams of mercury) contains between 500,000 to 1,000,000 micrograms of

>mercury, and if mercury were estimated to be released at a high rate of 10

>micrograms a day from each amalgam, it would take between 137 and 274

>years before any individual amalgam is completely depleted of its mercury

>content. A small amalgam with 0.1 grams of mercury would take 27.4 years

>for depletion at this rate. Also, there is a high variance which is

>influenced by the surface area of the amalgam, its copper content, its

>location and the individual's eating and grinding habits, and rate of

>acidity, as noted herein. However, even at very conservative estimates,

>these figures equate to a substantial amount of chronic (continuous,

>daily) mercury exposure over a sustained, prolonged period of time.

>Mercury from amalgams is readily taken up by the human body (estimated to

>be about 80%) and distributed to various organs. Very little, if any, of

>the mercury vapors are exhaled; the vapors as well as mercury particles

>are absorbed into the lungs and body tissues. Through the lungs, for

>instance, mercury enters the bloodstream where it has access to all of the

>major organs; of particular concern are the kidneys and the central

>nervous system. For example, studies have been performed where amalgams

>containing radioactive mercury were placed in sheep and

>monkeys. Subsequent analysis showed that the radioactivity collected in

>all body tissues and was especially high in the jaw and facial

>bones. Human studies are also supportive. {Lorscheider, F.L., Vimy, M.J.

>and Summers, A.O. Mercury Exposure from Silver Tooth Fillings: Emerging

>Evidence Questions a Traditional Dental Paradigm. FASEB J. 9, 504-508,

>1995. Hahn, L.J., Kloiber, R., Leininger, R.W., Vimy, M. J., and

>Lorscheider, F.L. Whole-body Imaging of the Distribution of Mercury

>Released from Dental Filling Into Monkey Tissues. FASEB F. 4, 3256-3260,

>1990.}

>Even more concerning is the synergistic effects of other ingredients in

>amalgams, which increase the toxicity of mercury. For example, Zinc (or

> " Zn " ) is a needed element for body health and is found in very low

>percentages in dental amalgams when compared to mercury. However, Zn2+ is

>a synergist that enhances mercury toxicity. Studies have shown that

>solutions in which amalgams had been soaked were " severely cytotoxic

>initially when Zn release was highest. " {Wataha, J. C., Nakajima, H.,

>Hanks, C. T., and Okabe, T. Correlation of Cytotoxicity with Element

>Release from Mercury and Gallium-based Dental Alloys in vitro. Dental

>Materials 10(5) 298-303, Sept. (1994)} Our laboratory has repeated similar

>amalgam soaking experiments that confirm the observations of this

>report. Cadmium (from smoking), lead, zinc and other heavy metals

>enhanced mercury toxicity as expected.

>There are two common misconceptions concerning mercury amalgam fillings:

>(1) that amalgam is all chemically bound and not released at significant

>rates; and (2) that amalgam release mercury in a form that is biologically

>inactive. First, by definition, an amalgam is a mixture of metals in

>elemental form and is not a true alloy. Also, the elements that are mixed

>in an amalgam do not lose their individual properties on release from the

>amalgam. Simply put, mercury vapor emitting from amalgams does not lose

>any of its toxicity just because it was previously inside of a dental

>amalgam as many supporters of amalgam use will state. As shown in study

>after study, mercury is emitted from amalgams at substantial and toxic

>amounts, and is then distributed within the human body.

>As to the second misconception, all of the metal elements in amalgam,

>including mercury, are not biologically inactive when they are

>released. As noted in numerous studies, mercury emits from amalgams on a

>24 hour a day basis. The emissions are increased based on the

>introduction of hot substances, such as beverages (coffee and the sort),

>with chewing (such as chewing gum or food) and with galvanism (the simple

>electrical current set up between different metals in the mouth and ionic

>saliva). Additionally, numerous hard materials cause the abrasion of

>amalgams, again causing an increase in emissions. This includes the

>grinding or clenching of teeth. It is possible that the stress and long

>hours placed at Ground Zero increased the mercury exposure of the officers

>working there. Once the mercury vapor is emitted it enters the body and

>is converted by a specific enzyme rapidly to the reactive Hg2+ form. In

>the blood it is carried to various organs, including, but not limited to,

>the brain as supported by various studies, some of which are cited

>herein. Based on this, mercury vapor from dental amalgams cannot be said

>to be biologically inactive.

>While doing studies in my laboratory in the late 1980s we initially

>observed that exposure to mercury has a negative effect on many of the

>same enzymes found inhibited in Alzheimer's disease. This has been

>observed in human tissue studies, exposure of whole rats to mercury

>vapor. Within the past year two publications have shown that addition of

>extremely low amounts of mercury to neurons in culture can cause the

>production of three of the diagnostic hallmarks of Alzheimer's

>disease. These observations make the study of mercury from any source

>very important, including release from dental amalgams (which are 50%

>mercury and known to release mercury vapors over their lifetime).

>Finally, it is important to note that the involvement of mercury from any

>source on the exacerbation or any contributing causal effect is not widely

>accepted by the conventional medical community nor has mercury

>contribution to such diseases been substantially studied. You will easily

>find numerous dental school officials who will state that I am wrong,

>perhaps some physicians will believe this also. Please ask them to show

>you the supporting scientific literature to support their contentions. I

>will happily supply you with additional extensive publications in refereed

>scientific journals to support my opinions or you can visit

>www.altcorp.com and go to the section on amalgams and mercury for access

>to hundreds of research articles on this subject.

>

>

>Sincerely,

>

>

>Boyd Haley

>Professor and Chair

>

>

>article:

>http://dailynews./h/ap/20020104/ts/attacks_mercury_1.html

>

>Write to:

>GREG GITTRICH e-mail: GGITTRICH

>PAUL H.B. SHIN PShin

>

>letter to the editor: voicers

>

>Article:

>Saturday January 05 06:38 AM EST

>

>Mercury Concern at WTC

>

>By GREG GITTRICH AND PAUL H.B. SHIN

>Workers at Ground Zero called for more comprehensive health tests

>yesterday after four Port Authority police officers assigned to the site

>showed elevated levels of mercury in their blood.

>

>bf9ace7.jpg

>

>•

>

>Screening for toxins such as mercury is " kind of helter-skelter right

>now, " said Don Carson of the International Union of Operating Engineers,

>which represents construction workers at the site of the destroyed World

>Trade Center.Employees may seek testing on their own, but unlike members

>of the uniformed services, construction workers are not getting

>comprehensive blood tests, Carson said.The four Port Authority cops with

>elevated mercury levels have been reassigned, even though it is unclear

>how they were exposed to the mercury, PA spokesman Allen Morrison said. " We

>can't say with any certainty that they were exposed during their work at

>Ground Zero, but it certainly is a reasonable possibility, " he said. " As a

>precaution, we decided to take them out of that environment. " Mercury

>poisoning can damage the kidneys, brain and lungs, though the four

>officers showed no signs of such problems.A mercury level is acceptable up

>to 13 micrograms per liter of blood, according to federal health

>officials. Two of the four officers had 14 micrograms per liter, one had

>18 and the fourth had 24.About half the Fire Department's 12,000

>firefighters and emergency medical technicians who have worked at Ground

>Zero since Sept. 11 have been tested for heavy metals in their blood,

>Battalion Chief Brian Dixon said. Though none has tested positive for

>toxic substances, union officials urged the department to stay

>vigilant. " We'll keep monitoring to make sure there are no elevated levels

>of mercury, " said Tom Manley, health and safety director for the Uniformed

>Firefighters Association.The Police Department did not return calls asking

>whether officers at the site have received blood tests.No Detectable

>Levels Air and water samples taken near Ground Zero since September by the

>federal Environmental Protection Agency

>(<http://rd./DailyNews/manual/*http://search.news./search/new\

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>-

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>sites) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration

>(<http://rd./DailyNews/manual/*http://search.news./search/new\

s?p=%22Occupational%20Safety%20and%20Health%20Administration%22 & c= & n=20 & yn=c & c=n\

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><http://rd./DailyNews/manual/*http://search./bin/search?p=Occ\

upational%20Safety%20and%20Health%20Administration & cs=nw>web

>sites) have not turned up any detectable levels of mercury, officials

>said. The EPA is unaware of any large sources of mercury in the twin

>towers, said spokeswoman Mary Helen Cervantes.But Dave Newman, an

>industrial hygienist for the New York Committee for Occupational Safety

>and Health, noted that fluorescent light bulbs contain small amounts of

>mercury. " In a structure the size of the World Trade Center, you multiply

>that by many hundreds of thousands of light bulbs, and you have

>potentially a significant source, " he said.Newman said the city should set

>up a registry to track the long-term health of people working near the

>Trade Center site. People who live in lower Manhattan who were exposed to

>the fallout from the collapse also should be included, he said. " A number

>of people in the public health community have been concerned about the

>apparent lack of such a plan, " he said.Meanwhile, workers at Ground Zero

>said they discovered the remains of a firefighter yesterday near a spot

>believed to be a staging area. An FDNY spokesman said he could not confirm

>or deny the discovery

>

>

>

>

>ASSOCIATED PRESS

>Friday January 4 2:08 PM ET

>Mercury Found in WTC Site Workers

>By JUDIE GLAVE, Associated Press Writer

>

>NEW YORK (AP) - Four Port Authority police officers working at ground zero

>have been reassigned after tests showed elevated levels of mercury in

>their blood, officials said Friday.

>

>All four were in good health and had no symptoms of mercury poisoning,

>said Port Authority of New York and New Jersey spokesman Allen Morrison.

>High levels of mercury can damage the brain, kidneys and lungs.

>

>The source of the mercury was not known.

>

>``We can't be certain whether working at ground zero caused the elevation

>in those four cases, but we didn't want to take a chance,'' Morrison said.

>

>An increased level of heavy metals, including mercury, was also found in

>preliminary tests done at a building across from the World Trade Center

>site where the Legal Aid Society was housed before the Sept. 11 attack,

>spokeswoman Pat Bath said. More tests are being done.

>

>Environmental Protection Agency regional spokeswoman Bonnie Bellow said

>any elevated levels of mercury in the blood of workers at ground zero

>should be taken seriously, and she urged work crews to continue wearing

>respirators.

>

>But so far, she said, there is no definitive evidence the mercury came

>from ground zero.

>

>Early air and water samples taken at the site failed to turn up any

>detectable levels of mercury, and officials were unable to find any large

>source of mercury in or around the twin towers, she said.

>

>``So the critical question,'' Bellow said, ``is what would the source be?''

>

>Morrison said the Port Authority began testing ground zero workers in

>November because of the possibility of toxins at the site. Out of 58 tests

>conducted, 49 results came back and four were elevated, Morrison said.

>

>Health officials told the agency that an acceptable mercury level is 0 to

>13 micrograms per liter of blood. Two of the four officers had 14

>micrograms per liter, one had 18 and another 24, Morrison said.

 

 

 

 

 

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