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Gold/Mining/Energy : ECHARTERS -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?


To: Mr Metals who wrote (2688)6/23/1998 5:44:00 PM
From: Tim Hall  Respond to of 3744
 
Mr. Metals,

Do you have any estimates for the amount of mercury that naturally enters the Amazon? We are finding in the US, that all rivers have natural levels of mercury, some of which are so high that it is recommeded that we do not eat the fish we catch.

Tim Hall



To: Mr Metals who wrote (2688)6/23/1998 6:47:00 PM
From: Bob Fairchild  Respond to of 3744
 
I'm glad I had all my mercury fillings replaced last year with ceramic ones. Now all I have to worry about is alcohol poisoning.



To: Mr Metals who wrote (2688)6/23/1998 10:58:00 PM
From: Bill Jackson  Read Replies (2) | Respond to of 3744
 
MM, Mercury is a powerful threat. The only thing that has saved the Amazon basin so far is the very high flushing rate due to the rains each year and the fact that most of the mercury is in metallic form and mainly goes to other compounds than methyl mercury(1 drop on skin, wiped off in 2 minutes can kill you in 3-6 months as it works it's way into enzyme chains in your nervous system, those enzyme chains stop and you fade away. A few years ago a PhD researcher died when the mobile methyl mercury went through the pores of her latex gloves and nothing could save her, although they tried everything for 6 months. Apparently she was never alerted to the need for special gloves and other extreme precautions for this poison)
There is no effective way to stop the use of metallic mercury as the illegal ways run by fools will fill the need. One palliative would be for the government to provide simple retorts(mercury roasters where the vapor is cooled against a cold surface and 90%+ of mercury recovered as it condenses)
These devices would save lives and cut loss and total usage. A simple fire based retort could be made for $5 or so from steel. Since mercury is expensive people would use them as mercury savers. More saved = less lost= better for the environment.

Bill
PS I semt a note to greenpeace about this
greenpeace.org