Guest guest Posted March 27, 2007 Report Share Posted March 27, 2007 Heavy metal poisoning (Part I)Doctor's Visit Dr Jacqueline E CampbellSunday, March 18, 2007http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/lifestyle/html/20070317t160000-0500_120480_obs_heavy_metal_poisoning__part_i__.asp MRS M recently called me, very concerned about the welfare of her brother - a factory worker who lives overseas. "Doctor he, has been sick for some time now, going to different doctors. Now they say that he may be suffering from heavy metal poisoning. They are not too sure what is causing this, but they are running more tests. What is this all about ?" Heavy metal toxicity represents a common medical condition. If unrecognised or inappropriately treated, it can result in significant morbidity and even death. Vegetables such as brocolli (left) and spinach are good sources of iron, one of the nutritionally essential metal for a healthy life. Occupational exposure to heavy metals has accounted for the vast majority of poisonings throughout human history. Hippocrates described abdominal colic in a man who extracted metals, and the pernicious effects of arsenic and mercury among smelters were known even to Theophrastus of Erebus (370-287 BC). There are 35 metals that concern us because of occupational or residential exposure; 23 of these are the heavy metals - antimony, arsenic, bismuth, cadmium, cerium, chromium, cobalt, copper, gallium, gold, iron, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel, platinum, silver, tellurium, thallium, tin, uranium, vanadium, and zinc. Heavy metals are chemical elements with a specific gravity that is at least five times the specific gravity of water. Specific gravity is a measure of density of a given amount of a solid substance when it is compared to an equal amount of water. The specific gravity of water is 1 at 4°C . Heavy metals are stable elements - they cannot be metabolised by the body and are bio-accumulative, that is, they are passed up the food chain to humans. In general, they have no function in the body and can be highly toxic. Beneficial heavy metals In small quantities, certain heavy metals (chromium, copper, cobalt, iron, and zinc) are nutritionally essential for a healthy life. They are referred to as the trace elements These elements, or some form of them, are commonly found naturally in fruits and vegetables, and in commercially available multivitamin products. Iron, for example, prevents anaemia, and zinc is a co-factor in over one hundred enzyme reactions. Heavy metals are also common in the manufacture of pesticides, batteries, alloys, electroplated metal parts, textile dyes and steel. Many of these products are found in our households and enhance the quality of our lives when properly utilised. Toxic heavy metals Heavy metals become toxic when they accumulate in the soft tissues of the body. Routes of exposure include inhalation, skin or eye contact, and ingestion. Persons working in agricultural, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, industrial, or residential settings are susceptible to heavy metal toxicity. Industrial exposure accounts for a common route of exposure for adults, while ingestion is the most common route of exposure in children . Toxic effects from chronic exposure to heavy metals are far more common than acute poisonings. Chronic exposure may lead to a variety of conditions depending on the route of exposure and the metabolism and storage of the specific element in question. Acute toxicity is usually from a sudden or unexpected exposure to a high level of the heavy metal (for example from inadequate safety precautions, or an accidental spill or release of toxic material in a laboratory, industrial, or transportation setting). Symptoms indicative of acute toxicity are usually severe, rapid in onset and associated with a known exposure or ingestion. They include nausea, vomiting, pain, sweating, headaches, difficult breathing, impaired cognitive skills and convulsions. Chronic toxicity results from repeated or continuous exposure, leading to an accumulation of the toxic substance in the body. Chronic exposure may result from contaminated food, air, water, or dust; living near a hazardous waste site; spending time in areas with deteriorating lead paint or from participating in hobbies that use lead paint or solder. Symptoms of chronic toxicity - impaired cognitive, motor, and language skills, learning difficulties, nervousness, insomnia, nausea and lethargy - are often similar to many common conditions and may not be readily recognised. These symptoms often develop slowly over months or even years. Arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury are the metals most commonly implicated in acute and/or chronic heavy metal toxicity. Arsenic Arsenic is well known as a poison used in homicidal and suicidal attempts. Napoleon may have accidentally succumbed to its effects. His exposure is thought to have been due to a greenish pigment used in the decorative wallpaper hung in his room on St Helena during his exile. Arsenic is found in nature at low levels. It is mostly in compounds with oxygen, chlorine, and sulfur (inorganic arsenic compounds). Arsenic in plants and animals combines with carbon and hydrogen (organic arsenic). Organic arsenic is usually less harmful than inorganic arsenic. Most arsenic compounds have no smell or special taste. Arsenic is released into the environment by the smelting process of copper, zinc, and lead, as well as by the manufacturing of chemicals and glasses. It may also be found in water supplies worldwide, leading to exposure of shellfish, cod, and haddock. Other sources are paints, rat poisons, fungicides, and wood preservatives. Body targets are the blood, kidneys, and central nervous, digestive, and skin systems. The metal was the primary compound in the spray known as Lewisite that was used by the British during trench warfare in World War I. Exposure produced severe swelling of the eyelids, gastrointestinal irritation and both central and peripheral neuropathies. The first antedote to heavy metal poisoning, British Anti-Lewisite (dimercaprol), and the basis for chelation therapy was developed by the Germans during World War II in anticipation of a reinitiation of gas warfare. Lead Industrial decisions, such as the addition of lead to paints, dyes, and gasoline, have created an epidemic of lead poisonings. Lead accounts for most of the cases of paediatric heavy metal poisoning. Exposure risk is higher in deteriorating inner-city neighbourhoods; however, this disease occurs in all social and economic classes. Lead is a very soft metal and was used in pipes, drains, and soldering materials for many years. In fact, many older homes still contain lead in painted surfaces, leading to chronic exposure from weathering, flaking, chalking, and dust. (Since 1977, paints produced in the United States do not contain lead.) Lead is used in the manufacture of batteries, cable coverings, ammunition, and fuel additives. It is found in PVC plastics, x-ray shielding, crystal glass production, pencils, and pesticides. Target organs are the bones, brain, blood, kidneys, and thyroid gland. Cadmium Cadmium is a by-product of the mining and smelting of lead and zinc. It is found in nickel-cadmium batteries, cigarettes, PVC plastics, and paint pigments. Cadmium can be found in soils because insecticides, fungicides, sludge, and commercial fertilisers that use cadmium are used in agriculture. This heavy metal may be found in reservoirs containing shellfish. Lesser-known sources of cadmium exposure are dental alloys, electroplating, motor oil, and exhaust. Targets in the body are the liver, placenta, kidneys, lungs, brain, and bones. Acute exposure to cadmium generally occurs in the workplace, particularly in the manufacturing processes of batteries and colour pigments used in paint and plastics. Symptoms of acute cadmium exposure are nausea and vomiting. Symptoms of chronic exposure to cadmium include hair loss, anaemia, arthritis, learning disorders, migraines, growth impairment, osteoporosis, loss of taste and smell, chronic obstructive lung disease and cardiovascular disease. We will continue with this topic next week.Dr Jacqueline E Campbell is a family physician in private practice. E-mail drjcampbell14. Heavy metal poisoning (Part II) - Health effects of mercuryhttp://www.jamaicaobserver.com/lifestyle/html/20070324T230000-0500_120798_OBS_HEAVY_METAL_POISONING__PART_II____HEALTH_EFFECTS_OF_MERCURY_.asp Sunday, March 25, 2007 MERCURY is the most toxic non-radioactive element on earth. The term "mad as a hatter" is linked to the madcap milliner in Lewis Carroll's book, Alice in Wonderland. The origin of the saying relates to a disease peculiar to the hat-making industry in the 1800s. A mercury solution commonly used during the process of turning fur into felt caused the hatters to breathe in the fumes of this highly toxic heavy metal. This situation was exacerbated by the poor ventilation in most of the workshops. This, in turn, led to an accumulation of mercury in the workers' bodies, resulting in symptoms such as trembling ("hatters' shakes"), slurred speech, loosening of teeth, loss of coordination, memory loss, depression, irritability and anxiety. Hence the term "The Mad Hatter Syndrome". Mercury is receiving considerable attention today because of its ubiquity as an environmental pollutant. The metal is generated naturally in the environment from the degassing of the earth's crust, from volcanic emissions, forest fires and the evaporation of seawater. Mining operations, paper industries and chloralkali plants are significant producers of mercury. Up until 1990, mercury compounds were added to paint as a fungicide; these compounds are now banned. However, surfaces painted with these old supplies still exist. The substance continues to be used in thermometers, thermostats, and dental amalgam. It is also found in many commonly available products including pesticides, fertilisers, auto exhaust, bleached flour, processed foods, drinking water, adhesives, food preservatives and batteries. Medicines, such as mercurochrome and merthiolate contain mercury. Mercury contained in medical, household, and industrial products is able to enter the atmosphere when the products, are discarded, especially when they are incinerated. Mercury is constantly cycling through the environment, evaporating into the atmosphere and returning to the ground as the result of gravity or precipitation and being deposited into lakes and rivers. An estimated two-thirds of mercury in the environment is the result of human activities. Effects of mercuryPure elemental mercury is a cumulative heavy-metal poison that is moderately absorbed through the skin, poorly absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract, and readily absorbed as vapour through the lungs. The element is strongly toxic when absorbed as vapour from the respiratory tract, but it is considerably less so when exposure occurs via other routes. Elemental mercury often passes through the GI tract without being absorbed; in the past mercury was used for mechanical relief of intestinal obstructions. Compounds of mercury tend to be much more toxic than the element itself, and organic compounds of mercury are often extremely toxic. Mercury damages the central nervous system, endocrine system, kidneys, and other organs, and adversely affects the mouth, gums, and teeth. Exposure over long periods of time or heavy exposure to mercury vapour can result in brain damage and ultimately death. Mercury and its compounds are particularly toxic to foetuses and infants. Women who have been exposed to mercury in pregnancy have given birth to children with serious birth defects. Some of the toxic effects of mercury are reversible. However, heavy or prolonged exposure can do irreversible damage, particularly in foetuses, infants, and young children. Mercury exposure in very young children can have severe neurological consequences, preventing nerve sheaths from forming properly. Mercury poisoning in the young is suspected as a possible cause of autistic behaviour. Methylmercury & fishOne of the other forms of mercury is an extremely toxic substance - methylmercury. It dissolves easily in water and bioaccumulates in the food chain. ( Bioaccumulation is the increase in concentration of a substance along the food-chain ). Methylmercury is ingested by fish when it gets in the water then it bioaccumulates in fish. This fish is in turn eaten and can cause many health problems when people eat the mercury contaminated fish. One of the main sources of mercury poisoning is eating methylmercury-contaminated fish. For these reasons, pregnant women and small children should be especially aware of fish advisories in their area. ThimerosalThimerosal, a preservative that contains mercury, had been added in very minute amounts to vaccines to prevent their deterioration. It has been hypothesised that there could be a potential relationship between thimerosal use in vaccines and neurodevelopmental disorders of autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and speech or language delay. This hypothesis was based on a comprehensive review of the scientific literature on mercury toxicity. At present, all routinely recommended vaccines for Jamaican and American infants are available only as thimerosal-free formulations, with the exception of inactivated influenza vaccine. Dental amalgamMercury fillings, also known as "amalgam" or "silver fillings," are the most common fillings in the world. They are called silver because of their colour and contain 45 to 52 per cent mercury. The remaining volume is made up with copper, tin, silver and zinc.Exposure to mercury fillings results in a chronic toxicity, not acute poisoning. It has been theorized that amalgam fillings could be part of the explanation for the explosion of learning problems and autism in children since World War II, a time period corresponding with the introduction and widespread use of mercury amalgam. Charles Williamson, MD, co-director of the Toxic Studies Institute in Boca Raton, Florida, states: "Once mothers realise the fillings in their teeth damage the development of their babies' brains while they're in the womb, and once these women understand this damage can result in low IQ, learning and behavioural problems after birth, then we'll see a public outcry against the use of mercury amalgam." Studies in both animals and humans have confirmed the presence of mercury from amalgam fillings in tissue specimens, blood, amniotic fluid, or urine. The American Dental Association ( ADA ) acknowledges that amalgam contains mercury and reacts with other substances. However, to date the ADA maintains that amalgam continues to be a safe material. Of interest, the metallic mercury used by dentists to manufacture dental amalgam is shipped as a hazardous material to dental offices. Treatment To treat patients for mercury overload, doctors recommend a variety of nutrients and drugs to chelate the mercury out of the body. In the process the cells are protected from the effects of the large amounts of free mercury being released into the bloodstream for urinary excretion. Chelation was first used in the 1940s by the United States Navy to treat lead poisoning and was subsequently approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a safe method of treating heavy metal toxicity. Chelation therapy is a medical treatment that improves metabolic and circulatory function by removing toxic metals and abnormally located nutritional metallic ions from the body. It is accomplished by the administration of chelating agents. Dr Jacqueline E Campbell is a family physician in private practice. E mail drjcampbell14 US: 1 in 150 children has AutismUS: 1 in 6 children suffers a developmental disorderNew Jersey: 1 in 94 has Autism UK: 1 in 86 has Autism China : Over 20 lakh autistic children, India : No authentic figures, expected 40 lakh + AUTISM IS NOTHING BUT MERCURY POISONING. THERE IS MERCURY IN VACCINES!! The fish are biting. Get more visitors on your site using Search Marketing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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