Fwd: Transgenic Trees Spread Mercury Poisoning

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Thu, 18 Sep 2003 03:38:51 +0100

Transgenic Trees Spread Mercury Poisoning

press-release

 

Transgenic Trees Spread Mercury Poisoning

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Is moving mercury from place to place really remediation? Prof. Joe Cummins

asks.

 

Recently, researchers tested trees genetically modified to remove ionic mercury

from contaminated soil, then convert that to volatile elemental mercury, which

is released to the atmosphere. The researchers seem to believe that the

atmospheric mercury will be relatively harmless. The field tests were undertaken

in Danbury Connecticut and supported by the United States Environment Protection

Agency (EPA) and other interested parties [1]. Danbury is the home of

mercury-polluted sites originating from hat- making. Mercury caused mercury

poisoning in workers, who get the " Danbury shakes " . The mercury " remediation "

project will, however, simply move the pollution to the atmosphere, from which

it will be redeposited over the cities of the Northeast and the lakes and

waterways of northern USA and Canada. Once deposited in the waterways and

streets of cities, elemental mercury will be converted by microbes into organic

mercury that will cause nerve damage and birth defects in humans and

animals alike.

 

Last year, I pointed out the dangers of this form of remediation for the cities

and waters of the United States and Canada [2]. But my comments were completely

ignored by the EPA bureaucrats and the biotechnology industry.

 

Worldwide, human activities resulting in emission of mercury is estimated to be

some 1900 tonnes, about three quarters from burning fossil fuels, particularly

coal. Waste disposal sites, cement manufacture and waste incinerators made up

the bulk of the remainder. Asian countries contribute over half of the emission

while Europe and North America contribute less than a quarter. Gaseous elemental

mercury makes up over half of the emitted mercury, while divalent mercury and

particulate mercury make up the rest [3]. The emitted mercury tends to be

deposited from the atmosphere in snow and rainfall, posing serious threat to

humans and animals because elemental mercury is converted to ionic and organic

mercury after ending up in the Arctic, in Canada and Northeastern American

cities [2,4]. If phytoremediation of mercury-polluted sites were undertaken on a

large scale in North America, the global emission of mercury could double in

less than a decade.

 

The mercury phytoremediation scheme is based on introducing a bacterial gene

merA into the genome of plants. For efficient genetic activity in plants, a

synthetic merA gene with altered DNA sequence is used to modify plants [5-7].

Mercury-resistant microbes are also promoted as an efficient and inexpensive

treatment for mercury-polluted water [8]. But the anticipated widespread

application of such technology has not considered the consequence of

atmospheric-pollution from mercury remediation.

 

In conclusion, mercury remediation using phytoremediation and bacterial

remediation, both cause atmospheric release of elemental mercury, and is being

promoted by technologists and government regulators. Such " remediation " is no

remediation at all, it is just moving the problem from one place to another! In

fact, it is moving mercury from contained contaminated sites to the streets of

cities and the bodies of water that give us fish and drinking water.

 

Williams P. UGA researchers involved in first trial using transgenic trees to

help clean up toxic waste site. University of Georgia News Release Sept. 11,

2003 http://www.uga.edu/news/

Cummins J. " GM trees alert " Science in Society 2002, 16, p.33 www.i-sis.org.uk

Pacyna E. and Pacyna J. Global emissions of mercury from anthropogenic sources

in 1995, Soil, Air and Water Pollution 2002, 137, 149-65

Renneberg A and Dudas J. Transformation of elemental mercury to inorganic and

organic forms in mercury and hydrocarbon co-contaminated soils. Chemosphere

year? 45, 1103-9

Rugh C, Wilde H, Stack N, Thompson D, Summers A and Meagher R. Mercuric ion

reduction and resistance in transgenic Arabidopsis thanliana plants expressing a

modified mer A gene. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci USA 1996, 93, 3182-7

Heaton A, Rugh C, Wang N, and Meagher R. Phtoremediation of mercury and methyl

mercury polluted soils using genetically engineerd plants. Journal of Soil

Contamination 1998, 7,497-509

Kramer U and Chardonnens A. The use of transgenic plants in bioremediation of

soils contaminated with trace elements. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology

2001, 55, 661-72

Wagner-Dobler I. Pilot plant for bioremediation of mercury-containing industrial

wastewater. Appl. Microbiol Biotechnol 2003, 62, 124-33

 

 

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