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Date: Mon, 30 Mar 2009 11:57:42 -0400
Reply-To: List Moderator <ecgrants**At_Symbol_Here**UVM.EDU>
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: List Moderator <ecgrants**At_Symbol_Here**UVM.EDU>
Subject: Re: FW: Mercury Hazard
From: "Eric Clark"
Date: March 30, 2009 11:41:20 AM EDT (CA)
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] FW: Mercury Hazard
I was actually interested in what that 0.2% "impurity" was that kept the
mercury solid at room temperature. Anybody know? I'm betting that
egg-shaped mercury orb in the pool is way less than 99.8% pure. But if
it's like amalgam dental fillings, maybe very little mercury is leached
out. That would make sense, considering that some of these things are
probably centuries old and still look new.
Back to the subject. This is part of an longtime ongoing debate about
somehow regulating controlled substances like narcotics, peyote, wine,
etc. in religious practices. I'm not sure how regulators can actually
get a handle on some of these ancient practices without stepping over
the Freedom of Religion line - perhaps by ensuring that the water (in
the article that Erik Tally shared) isn't a hazardous waste when it's
time to drain that pool. There's a long grate at the bottom, so they
definably drain that pool from time to time.
The EPA weighed in on mercury several years ago on the Task Force On
Ritualistic Uses Of Mercury Report
http://www.epa.gov/superfund/community/pdfs/mercury.pdf . But at the
beginning of this report there's a disclaimer: THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED
IN THIS REPORT ARE THOSE OF THE TASK FORCE MEMBERS AND OTHER
PARTICIPANTS IN ITS ACTIVITIES. THEY ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE VIEWS OF
THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, THE AGENCY FOR TOXIC SUBSTANCES AND
DISEASE REGISTRY, THE CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION, OR ANY OTHER
PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATION.
Then there's this opinion page
http://vaccineawakening.blogspot.com/2006/09/voodoo-rituals-toxic-mercury.
html
with this quote:
"Ritualistic use of toxic mercury by followers of Voodoo and other
religions is dangerous but regulating it could drive the practice
underground and possibly violate U.S. guarantees of freedom of religion,
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday.......mercury=92s
toxic effects are pronounced in the nervous systems and brains of
exposed children, and can damage organs and cause seizures in adults." -
Reuter's, Aug. 31, 2006
Eric Clark,
LRN Chemical Terrorism Coordinator
Laboratory Safety Officer
Los Angeles County Public Health Laboratory
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