AdderLand

2008-03-06T12:47:00.000-08:00

Adderland, a magical place where nothing makes sense, every day is a challenge, and we sometimes feel that we, the NON-Adders, are losing our minds.

Welcome. There's lots of things on the net about ADD, and lots of "advice" out there that often argues with itself. There are lots of possibilities (all of which your personal family doctors probably ignored or said was wrong), and lots of things every day that make you CRY, scream, laugh, and feel left out.

Adderland, the last magical land that Uncle Walt failed to complete in Anaheim, was designed for those that wake up late, cannot find what they need, forget the rules, argue about their decisions, and always want more. It's a wild ride all on it's own, so none were included. There are no souveiniers available to buy as we create our own daily, and the show is always cancelled since no one can get their lives organized enough to GO.

That's where you come in, Moms of America. You may very well be the only glue in your family- and often feel yourself being pulled several ways at once. You know your kids, and yet you find them sabotaging their own days, arguing about what they should be handling, and repeating yourself until even YOU hate the sound of your own voice. There is NO support group for you- until NOW.

Welcome to Adderland. Here, you will not be mocked, nor ignored. Your stories will be cherished, laughed with, and your feelings- ALL of them, good and bad- will be acceptable to speak about.

You need to read this blog from the bottom up in order- they post latest first.

Send this URL to friends, add it to the bottoms of your mail, throw it out on your school site or your medical notes- just invite folks to come and take a vacation in the happiest place in the ADD universe. We understand here.... and promise to make you smile.

2007-03-27T09:49:00.000-07:00

The hopes and plans we have for our children seem to be our own undoing time and again as we raise them.

Cruel jokes of fate snatch our dreams of ballet or baseball, super student awards or sports heroes.

Fateful changes in life deprive us of 2 parent families, Hallmark Christmas's, and earth mother years raising broods of merry giggling bands.

Our children's own character, that we have so hoped and nurtured, turns out to be the very thing that gives them the will or the strength or the stubborn nature to make choices we abhor, pick friends we disdain, refuse help when they need it, tutoring when they are failing, and support when they are devastated.

Each time, us moms that care, that love, and that support those fragile, forceful, wild children, have to reinvent our fantasies, re-evaluate our goals, re-negotiate our dreams and never show the mourning for what we might feel we have lost in our hearts even as we embrace and fall in love with the new future all over again.

2007-01-03T18:43:00.000-08:00

I hadn't planned on making this just a "mercury poisions ya" blog-- lately, however, I just haven't had a whole lot of time to post indiscriminately about general life, so the only time I have checked in was when something *serious* really hit me.
Mercury has been that 'serious' issue.

None the less, there is no point in ANYONE posting on line unless they are writing in some attempt to connect with others and to make some point or share info. So, I haven't just blogged indescriminately to fill time or make regular posts without reason.

Sometimes, maybe I should.
New material draws people, and we have found in America that even mediocre content that is *new* seems to be of interest to most readers.

I find that sad. Doesn't anyone other than me CHECK the stuff they read??

When was the last time you read something that sounded important or useful and then went and GOOGLED the damned thing to verify that the writer wasn't just pulling your leg?
(BTW- the phrase "pulling your leg" comes from the 1700-1800's in England, when the gibbet (gallows) was in regular use. Seems that in the old days, they didn't have much of a "drop" when they hung ya, and most people strangled to death...a slow, painful way to go at the end of a noose. Good hangmen would make sure you died rather quickly by going down and pulling your leg or hanging on to the lower legs until they were sure you were dead. So if someone is pulling your leg, they aren't JUST trying to gag ya- they are literally trying to kill you).

I want you to do that more. Check the sources. Verify facts at 3d party sites that have nothing to do with either side of whatever argument you are checking. Don't trust the people you have trusted- make them work for it.

Just a little something for 2007- verifying the rhetoric is a good thing.

2007-01-03T18:20:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Orwellian nightmare- WALLMART is going to be deciding a LOT of things in your future- including that it is OK to poison our kids in Santa Clara for their idea of ecological security.

The story broke Jan 3d, 2007, when news folks announced that since WALLMART has enough buying clout and sells so much, they can decide to highlight (push) for only flourescent bulbs to be sold in their stores....

Considering how many bulbs WALLEYE sells, they can force the big lighting manufacturers out of the incandescent market.
Goodie--- dumb people hear that flourescent lights are cheaper, better for the environment since they last longer, and use less energy to run and just assume that everything is hunky dory.

WRONG O Batman. As you have read elsewhere on this blog and others, there is a nationwide disaster with our kids called AUTISIM, and it is peripherally linked to mercury-- and guess what is in those lovely flourescent bulbs???

This site spells it out best
:http://nemesis.lonestar.org/reference/electricity/fluorescent/safety.html

"Mercury Safety
All fluorescent lamps contain a small amount of elemental mercury (Hg), also known as quicksilver. When lamps are cold, some of the mercury in the lamp is in liquid form, but while the lamp is operating, or when the lamp is hot, most of the mercury is in a gaseous or vapor form.
Mercury vapor is a highly toxic substance, with an "extreme" rating as a poison. Even in liquid form, contact with mercury is considered life-threatening or a "severe" risk to health. Mercury can cause severe respiratory tract damage, brain damage, kidney damage, central nervous system damage, and many other serious medical conditions even for extremely small doses.

Many years ago, hat makers used mercury to tan the animal pelts used in hats, and the exposure to mercury gradually caused mental and nervous disorders, frequently mistaken for insanity. This mercury exposure is precisely what created the old saying "Mad as a hatter".

Although the amount of mercury in each fluorescent lamp is small, it is always important to avoid breaking fluorescent lamps, and that the unbroken lamps be delivered to a hazardous waste handler. Never EVER place fluorescent lamps in trash compactors or incinerators, since this will release the mercury and contaminate the surrounding area. Liquid mercury will not burn, but instead becomes a vapor when heated. It eventually cools and condenses back to a liquid form, spreading the contamination to larger areas.

Businesses, schools and other large commercial facilities that replace hundreds or thousands of fluorescent lamps each year are particularly at risk of creating areas of significant mercury contamination due to improper handling of lamps.

If not properly disposed, mercury can contaminate buildings, landfills, lakes, animals, fish, birds, humans, crops and rivers. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency finally ordered waste handlers to treat fluorescent lamps as hazardous waste. With such a classification, fluorescent lamps are not to be sent to landfills, but instead are to be sent to recycling centers that break the lamps under special conditions and safely recover the mercury.

Depending on the level of compliance with the EPA rules in your area, this recovery may or may not be done. Where I live, trash collectors typically throw fluorescent lamps into the general trash truck, which compacts them, contaminating the trucks, the landfill and the areas where the trucks operate."

They then go on to say" In recent years, the EPA also ordered fluorescent lamp makers to reduce the amount of mercury in each lamp. For some makers, this wasn't a problem since they were putting more mercury in each lamp than was needed, or the manufacturer was able to switch to more sensitive phosphors that needed less ultraviolet light to produce the same amount of visible light. Other makers mixed other compounds with the mercury that supposedly compensate for the lower amount of mercury. However, some organizations have reported that some of these compounds are actually there only to deceive EPA instruments that are trying to measure how much mercury is present and that these other compounds do nothing else.
Because mercury will be released if a fluorescent lamp is broken, it is important to install fixtures in areas where the lamps are not likely to be broken. Fixtures in areas close to the ground or in areas with moving equipment should use metal or plastic shields to protect the lamp from being broken. "

So-What can YOU do?
Write WallMart and tell them to stop being so stupid and short sighted. Clear your home of flourescents and protect your family. Keep your eye on the big picture and make sure that your mercury levels are within what YOU know is safe, rather than what some retail giant tells you is safe.
Don't shop at WALLMART, or any nationwide retailer and give them the kind of power to dictate what products will or won't be sold in America. Keep our retail options open by spending money at different places and making sure that a compettitive marketplace ensures no one gets to monopolize retail sales and manipulate what is available.

Protect your kids.

2006-05-11T09:16:00.000-07:00

Just ran across a teenage moms blog- and this insight is SO accurate....

"In prison and in school you align yourself with people that you normally under any other conditions would avoid. Just another simple lesson that adds a little perspective."

VERY appropriate-- and funny!

Make Me Mad

2006-05-11T08:45:00.000-07:00

Just a thought for all you moms-- DON'T let them bait you.
Our kids are tough nuts to crack, and most of the time, the morning is the WORST, since all of us are also tired.
No meds in their system, and late night lack of sleep makes mornings deadly.
Being angry does nothing to help, and acting stern as you try to drive them from their beds is just a good way to start another fight before you have had your first cup of coffee.
Take your time, and even if they are late and you have to drive, be KIND. Work on always smiling and gently getting them out and dressed and fed with humor and joy. IGNORE the sullen nasty growls and the vicious moments. PRETEND you are June Cleaver. PRETEND they are not bothering you.
It does work- and, over time, they actually RESPOND.
It took 5 months of my daily morning smiles- NO irritation at the lack of response, at the disconcern for others, at the dawdling, at the threats and angry moments-to see a dramatic change in my boy.
HE is smarter than ME. I was the one that wasn't getting it. Being angry- for any reason- never made a difference, and often just aggravated the situation- but it took me YEARS of doing it and NOT getting the response I wanted to realize that being forceful was not the way.

Being angry worked in the real world- but with my son, all it did was aggravate the situation, and mornings were my button.
Now, even when I am tired, even when I am late and miserable, I just don't put it on him.
When he grows up, he might not be the most prompt person in the world, but he won't remember every morning with me as torture. And neither will I.

The Continuing Information People Send

2006-04-27T08:20:00.000-07:00

Every time I start to think that maybe this is just "a scare", I get more information sent from enlightened folks. Then I reflect on how many "conservatives" laughed their hearts out at "Earth Day", and scoffed at Global Warming, voted against Environmental Protection acts, and actively blocked even the smallest of efforts if they in ANY way impacted revenues of anyone, anywhere, anytime.

Inoperative mercury mines fingered as a major source of mercury contamination in California waters
By Tim Stephens
Santa Cruz Currents Online Magazine

UCSC researchers collected water quality data at San Carlos Creek, which flows past the inoperative New Idria mercury mine.
The New Idria mercury mine near Pinnacles National Monument is one of dozens of inoperative mercury mines in the Coast Ranges of California. It had one of the longest periods of operation (from 1854 to 1972) and was the second largest mercury producer in North America. Now, UCSC researchers have measured significant amounts of toxic mercury leaching into a creek that flows past the mine site. ......
Read their entire article on line:
http://www.ucsc.edu/currents/00-01/11-06/pollution.html

Most chilling is the following:
"Preliminary results from other mine sites indicate that inoperative mercury mines are a major source of mercury pollution in bodies of water such as San Francisco Bay that consistently exceed water quality standards for the toxic element, Flegal said.........An important question not answered by this study is how far the mercury travels downstream from the mine. Studies in other locations have shown that metals from acid mine drainage can travel hundreds of miles downstream from their source, ...... But Ganguli said the amount that gets to the bay is probably insignificant compared to mercury inputs from sources much closer to the bay, such as the New Almaden mine in the Santa Cruz Mountains near San Jose. ...........Abu-Saba, who is working on regulations to control mercury pollution in San Francisco Bay, said he is convinced that the New Almaden mine is the biggest ongoing source of mercury in the bay."

More Facts on Mercury and YOUR life

2006-04-26T08:33:00.000-07:00

Information provided by: Ohio Environmental Protection Agency,
www.epa.state.oh.us

Mercury in Your Home

Mercury is used in a wide variety of household products, including paint, thermometers, thermostats, batteries, fluorescent lamps, disinfectants, antiseptics, diuretics and preservatives. These items release mercury into the environment and home when broken, mishandled or disposed. Proper care is important when dealing with mercury-containing products. If spilled, mercury absorbs into many household materials while slowly evaporating into the air over time, allowing for exposure. Knowing what products and items contain mercury and handling them properly will limit the risk of mercury exposure. Common products often have a simple and environmentally friendly alternative. Some examples are listed below:
Thermometers - Mercury is used in thermometers because it expands and contracts evenly with temperature changes. Existing mercury-containing thermometers are safely recycled at the nearest recycling facility. Check with your local solid waste management district for local options. Alternatives include the electronic (digital) or red alcohol thermometers.

Household switches (Thermostats) - Mercury conducts electricity and is used in many household and appliance switches. They are used in temperature-sensitive and mechanical (tilt) switches. Many of these switches are inside the appliance. Examples of appliances that have mercury switches include thermostats, clothing irons and top loading freezers and washing machines. Some products, like thermostats are recycled through local recycling companies and new equipment vendors. Mechanical and electronic switches are available in mercury-free versions.
Household Lamps - Fluorescent, high intensity discharge (HID) and neon lamps contain mercury, often in vaporform. Mercury is released when bulbs are broken or incinerated. Fluorescent lamps aregood energy savers, using up to 50 percent less electricity than incandescent lights. This energy savings reduces mercury emissions from power plants. Alternatives are labeled as low mercury lamps and often can be recognized by their green endcaps.
Batteries - Before 1980, most batteries used in homes contained mercury. Current mercury batteries are "button" shaped and are used in hearing aids, watches and other items requiring a small battery. In the last decade the United States battery industry achieved a 99 percent reduction in mercury by using alternative materials. Silver oxide, zinc-air, and alkaline batteries are the best alternatives for replacing batteries produced before 1994.
Paints - Latex paint produced before 1992 had large amounts of mercury to prevent fungus growth. Mercury vapors were released when paint was applied. Use latex paint manufactured after 1992.

Old Chemistry Sets and Toys - Children's chemistry sets were once sold with liquid mercury. Some toys contain a drop of mercury that is moved through a maze, called a mercury maze. Check chemistry sets and toys to be sure they are mercury-free.Lighted
Athletic Shoes - Some athletic shoes with flashing lights in the soles contain mercury. Some states have banned the sale of these shoes. Newer shoes are mercury-free.
Pesticides - Fungicides and biocides produced before 1994 used mercury toxins to kill fungus, weeds and other pests. Most new pesticides are mercury-free.
Clothing Irons - Some irons have an automatic shut-off switch containing mercury. Irons with mercury-free automatic shut-off switches are available.
Antiseptics - Mercurochrome is a skin antiseptic used to treat cuts and abrasions. It is not commonly used. Mercury-free alternatives include Neosporin and Mycin. Thimerosal is used in antiseptic creams and as preservatives in pharmaceutical solutions including contact lens solutions. Mercury-free products are substituted, when available. Talk to your pharmacist about alternatives.
Blood Pressure Gauges - Home blood pressure gauges contain almost 1.5 pounds of mercury. An aneroid blood-ressure unit is a mercury-free option.

Barometers - A barometer is an instrument used to measure pressure in the atmosphere that contains liquid mercury. A Bourdon tube gauge is an alternative to mercury-containing barometers.

Microwave Ovens - Mercury vapor bulbs were used in older microwave ovens. However, new models do not contain mercury.

Just a Nasty Little Update on Mercury

2006-04-12T09:56:00.000-07:00

Karen Wetterhahn (1949-1997) was a well-known professor of chemistry at Dartmouth College specializing in toxic metal exposure. On August 14, 1996 while working with an organic mercury compound called dimethylmercury, she spilled a drop or two on her latex glove. Several months later, she noticed some neurologic symptoms such as loss of balance and slurred speech. She was admitted to the hospital, where it was discovered that the single exposure to dimethylmercury had raised her blood mercury level to 80 times the lethal dose. Despite aggressive chelation therapy, she fell into a coma and died a few months later, less than a year after her initial exposure. Her death, despite use of gloves, a fume hood, and standard safety procedures, shocked her chemistry department. They tested various safety gloves against dimethylmercury, apparently for the first time ever, and found that most of them were penetrated in seconds. Dimethylmercury was in fairly wide use as a standard for calibrating diagnostic instruments. The discovery of its extreme toxicity and danger is directly due to Karen Wetterhahn's unfortunate accident. OSHA recommendations and MSDSes were changed in consequence and use of dimethylmercury has been highly discouraged. The irony of her death, from the very agents that she specialized in, makes her death particularly poignant. Culled from: wikipediahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Wetterhahn

NOW: Go get your kids (and yourself!) tested, will you please????

2006-03-07T10:46:00.000-08:00

Let's talk for a moment about some of the causes and influences in our kids that lead to learning disabilities, everything from Downs syndrom to ADD, Autisim to Bi-Polar disorder.

The possibility of chemical contamination of our bodies, both before and after birth.

A strong look is now being taken at Mercury. Not the smallest planet closest to the sun, but the element (Hg) .

You need to know it's history to understand the dangers we could face.

(Excerpts from Wikipedia): Mercury is also called quicksilver. A heavy, silvery, transition metal, mercury is one of five elements that are liquid at or near room temperature. Mercury is used in thermometers, barometers and other scientific apparatus, although the use of mercury in thermometers has been largely phased out in clinical and scientific environments in the interests of health and safety due to the toxicity of the element. Mercury is mostly obtained by reduction from the mineral cinnabar. Its high density allows things such as billiard balls to float with less than 20% of their volume submerged. Mercury is used primarily for the manufacture of industrial chemicals or for electrical and electronic applications. It is used in some thermometers, especially ones which are used to measure high temperatures (In the United States, non-prescription sale of mercury fever thermometers was banned by a number of different states and localities). Other uses: sphygmomanometers, Thimerosal, an organic compound used as a preservative in vaccines and tattoo inks (Thimerosal in vaccines), barometers, diffusion pumps, coulometers, and many other laboratory instruments, In some gaseous electron tubes, mercury arc rectifier , Gaseous mercury is used in mercury-vapor lamps and some "neon sign" type advertising signs and fluorescent lamps, as well as coolant for nuclear reactors. However sodium is proposed for reactors cooled with liquid metal, because the high density of mercury requires much energy for circulating the coolant.
Mercury was once used in the amalgamation process of refining gold and silver ores. The practice is continued in Brazil. Mercury is still used in some cultures for folk medicine and ceremonial purposes which may involve ingestion, injection, or the sprinkling of elemental mercury around the home.
Alexander Calder built a mercury fountain for the Spanish Pavilion at the 1937 World's Fair in Paris.
Miscellaneous uses include mercury switches, mercury cells for sodium hydroxide and chlorine production, electrodes in some types of electrolysis, batteries (mercury cells), and catalysts, insecticides, dental amalgams/preparations and liquid mirror telescopes.
Historical usesare preserving wood, developing daguerreotypes, silvering mirrors, anti-fouling paints (discontinued in 1990), herbicides (discontinued in 1995), cleaning, and in road leveling devices in cars. Mercury compounds have been used in antiseptics, laxatives, antidepressants, and antisyphilitics. It was also allegedly used by allied spies to sabotage German planes. A mercury paste was applied on bare aluminium, causing the metal to rapidly corrode. This would cause the planes to mysteriously fall apart.
In Islamic Spain it was used for filling decorative pools and for fountains.
Mercury was known to the ancient Chinese and Hindus and was found in Egyptian tombs that date from 1500 BC. In China, India and Tibet, mercury use was thought to prolong life, heal fractures, and maintain generally good health. The ancient Greeks used mercury in ointments and the Romans used it in cosmetics. By 500 BC mercury was used to make amalgams with other metals.
The Indian word for alchemy is Rassayana which means ‘the way of mercury.’ Alchemists often thought of mercury as the first matter from which all metals were formed. Different metals could be produced by varying the quality and quantity of sulfur contained within the mercury. An ability to transform mercury into any metal resulted from the essentially mercurial quality of all metals. The purest of these was gold, and mercury was required for the transmutation of base (or impure) metals into gold. This was a primary goal of alchemy, either for material or spiritual gain.
The element was named after the Roman god Mercury, known for speed and mobility. It is associated with the planet Mercury. From the mid-18th to the mid-19th centuries, a process called "carroting" was used in the making of felt hats. Animal skins were rinsed in an orange solution of the mercury compound mercuric nitrate, Hg(NO3)2•2H2O. This process separated the fur from the pelt and matted it together. This solution and the vapors it produced were highly toxic. Its use resulted in widespread cases of mercury poisoning among hatters. Symptoms included tremors, emotional lability, insomnia, dementia and hallucinations. The United States Public Health Service banned the use of mercury in the felt industry in December 1941. The psychological symptoms associated with mercury poisoning may have inspired the phrase "mad as a hatter"; see the hatter article on the origin of the phrase.
Elemental mercury is the main ingredient in dental amalgams. Controversy over the health effects from the use of mercury amalgams began shortly after its introduction into the western world, nearly 200 years ago. In 1843, The American Society of Dental Surgeons, concerned about mercury poisoning, required its members to sign a pledge that they would not use amalgam. In 1859, The American Dental Association was formed by dentists who believed amalgam was "safe and effective." The ADA, "continues to believe that amalgam is a valuable, viable and safe choice for dental patients," as written in their statement on dental amalgam. In 1993, the United States Public Health Service reported that, "amalgam fillings release small amounts of mercury vapor," but in such a small amount that it, "has not been shown to cause any … adverse health effects."
Mercury has been used in the treatment of illnesses for centuries. Mercury(I) chloride and mercury(II) chloride were popular compounds. Mercury was included in the treatment of syphilis as early as the 16th century, before the advent of antibiotics. "Blue mass," a small pill in which mercury is the main ingredient, was prescribed throughout the 1800s for numerous conditions including, constipation, depression, child-bearing and toothaches. In the early 20th century, mercury was administered to children yearly as a laxative and dewormer. It was a teething powder for infants and some vaccines have contained the preservative Thimerosal (partly ethyl mercury) since the 1930s (FDA report). Mercury(II) chloride was a disinfectant for doctors, patients and instruments.
Mercury in the form of cinnabar remains an important component of Chinese, Tibetan, and Ayurvedic medicine. Today, mercuric medicines and devices are generally considered hazardous. Neither are used to the extent they were in the past. Thermometers and sphygmomanometers containing mercury were invented in the early 18th and late 19th centuries, respectively. In the early 21st century, their use is declining and has been banned in some countries, states and medical institutions. In 2002, the U.S. Senate passed legislation to phase out the sale of non-prescription mercury thermometers. In 2003, Washington and Maine became the first states to ban mercury blood pressure devices (HCWH News release). In 2005, mercury compounds are found in some OTC medications, including topical antiseptics, stimulant laxatives, diaper rash ointment, eye drops and nose sprays. The FDA has "inadequate data to establish general recognition of the safety and effectiveness," of the mercury ingredients in these products (Code of federal regulations).
Mercury Ore is an extremely rare element in the earth's crust, having an average crustal abundance by mass of only 0.08 parts per million. However, because it does not blend geochemically with those elements that comprise the majority of the crustal mass, mercury ores can be extraordinarily concentrated considering the element's abudance in ordinary rock. The richest mercury ores contain up to 2.5% mercury by mass, and even the leanest concentrated deposits are at least 0.1% mercury (12,000 times average crustal abundance). This makes mercury ore the most easily depleted of all metal ores. Depletion of mercury ores have been a major concern since the 1960s and it is now almost certain that the last mineable deposits were discovered in Algeria in the mid-1970s. Since the early 1970s, total world production of mercury has fallen from 9,000 tonnes to 1,600 tonnes due to depletion of reserves.
It is found either as a native metal (rare) or in cinnabar, corderoite, livingstonite, Most present-day production occurs in Spain, Kyrgyzstan, China and Tajikistan. Over 100,000 tons of mercury were mined from the region of Huancavelica, Peru, over the course of three centuries following the discovery of deposits there in 1563; mercury from Huancavelica was crucial in the production of silver in colonial Spanish America. Many former ores in Italy, Slovenia, the United States and Mexico which once produced a large proportion of the world's supply have now been completely mined out. The metal is extracted by heating cinnabar in a current of air and condensing the vapor.
Mercury(I) chloride (AKA calomel) is sometimes still used in medicine and acousto-optical filters
Mercury(II) chloride (which is very corrosive, sublimates and is a violent poison)
Mercury fulminate, (a detonator widely used in explosives),
Mercury(II) sulfide (AKA cinnabar mercuric ore still used in oriental medicine, or vermilion which is a high-grade paint pigment),
Mercury(II) selenide a semi-metal,
Mercury(II) telluride a semi-metal, and
Mercury cadmium telluride and mercury zinc telluride, infrared detector materials.
Organic mercury compounds are also important. Methylmercury is a dangerous compound that is widely found as a pollutant in water bodies and streams.
There are seven stable isotopes of mercury with Hg-202 being the most abundant (29.86%). The longest-lived radioisotopes are Hg-194 with a half-life of 444 years, and Hg-203 with a half-life of 46.612 days. Most of the remaining radioisotopes have half-lifes that are less than a day.
Preindustrial deposition rates of mercury from the atmosphere may be in the range of 4 ng/L in the western USA. Although that can be considered a natural level of exposure, regional or global sources have significant effects. Volcanic eruptions can increase the atmospheric source by 4–6 times. [3]
Mercury enters the environment as a pollutant from various industries:
coal-fired power plants are the largest source (40% of USA emissions in 1999).
Industrial processes that contribute include chlorine, steel, phosphate & gold production ,metal smelting, manufacture & repair of weather and electronic devices, incineration of municipal waste streams , medical applications, including vaccinations , dentistry , cosmetic industries
, laboratory work involving mercury or sulfur compounds.
Mercury also enters into the environment through the disposal (e.g., landfilling, incineration) of certain products. Products containing mercury include: auto parts, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, medical products, thermometers, and thermostats. Due to health concerns toxics use reduction efforts are cutting back or eliminating mercury in such products. For example, most thermometers now use pigmented alcohol instead of mercury. Mercury thermometers are still occasionally used in the medical field because they are more accurate than alcohol thermometers, though both are being replaced by electronic thermometers. Mercury thermometers are still widely used for certain scientific applications because of their greater accuracy and working range.
One of the worst industrial disasters in history was caused by the dumping of mercury compounds into Minamata Bay, Japan. The Chisso Corporation, a fertilizer and later petrochemical company, was found responsible for polluting the bay from 1932–1968. It is estimated that over 3,000 people suffered various deformities, severe mercury poisoning symptoms or death from what became known as Minamata disease.

Mercury should be handled with care. Containers of mercury should be securely sealed to avoid spills and evaporation. Heating of mercury, or compounds of mercury that may decompose when heated, should always be carried out with adequate ventilation in order to avoid human exposure to mercury vapor.
Due to the health effects of mercury exposure, industrial and commercial uses are regulated in many countries. The World Health Organization, OSHA, and NIOSH all treat mercury as an occupational hazard, and have established specific occupational exposure limits. Environmental releases and disposal of mercury are regulated in the U.S. primarily by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Fish and shellfish have a natural tendency to concentrate mercury in their bodies, often in the form of methylmercury, a highly toxic organic compound of mercury. Some species of large fish (notably shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish) concentrate mercury more readily than others, and because methylmercury or high levels of elemental mercury can be particularly toxic to unborn or young children, organizations such as the U.S. EPA and FDA recommend that pregnant women and young children avoid eating these species in large amounts.
Species with characteristically low levels of mercury include shrimp, tilapia, salmon, pollock, and catfish (FDA March 2004). The FDA characterizes shrimp, catfish, pollock, salmon, and canned light tuna as low-mercury seafood, although recent tests have indicated that up to 6 percent of canned light tuna may contain high levels. (Chicago Tribune)
The United States Clean Air Act, passed in 1990, put mercury on a list of toxic pollutants which need to be controlled to the greatest possible extent. Thus, certain industries that emit mercury into the environment must install maximum achievable control technologies (MACT). However, a March 2005 EPA rule took power plants off the list of sources which must reduce mercury to the maximum extent. Instead, a cap and trade rule was issued, with most of the reductions in mercury pollution from power plants beginning in the year 2018. The rule was being subjected to legal challenges filed by several States in 2005.
Mercury readily combines with aluminium to form an amalgam when the two pure metals come into contact. However, when the amalgam is exposed to air, the aluminium oxidizes, leaving behind mercury. The oxide flakes away, exposing more mercury amalgam, which repeats the process. This process continues until the supply of amalgam is exhausted, and since it releases mercury, a small amount of mercury can “eat through” a large amount of aluminium over time, by progressively forming amalgam and relinquishing the aluminium as oxide.
Aluminium in air is ordinary protected by a molecule-thin layer of its own oxide (which is not porous to oxygen). Mercury coming into contact with this oxide does no harm. However, if any elemental aluminium is exposed (even by a recent scratch), the mercury may combine with it, starting the process described above, and potentially damaging a large part of the aluminium before it finally ends (Ornitz 1998).
For this reason, restrictions are placed on the use and handling of mercury in proximity with aluminium. In particular, mercury is not allowed aboard aircraft under most circumstances because of the risk of it forming amalgam with exposed aluminium parts in the aircraft.

So, There you have it. Mercury. In general in America, it is a light pollutant everywhere. And in the many instances we come in contact with it, each is considered "not hazardous" in small amounts. But what of the cumulative amounts?????

We start out with a portion in our bodies as we eat fish, and pass some of it on to our newborns. We are exposed to it in our thermometers, dental work, neon signs and floursecent lamps, and we give it to our children in their vaccinations, over the counter medicines, and they absorb it through everything from nose sprays to diaper rash ointment. We are exposed through insecticides, felt, eye drops, cosmetics, batteries, the insecticides we use, the old felt hats we have, even the paint colors we create with (vermillion). Its used to process municpal waste, as a topical antiseptic, in exsplosives, auto parts, concentrates in fish and shellfish, and leeches to pollute rivers and landscapes. Leading us to be sick- "mad as hatters".
And here in Santa Clara County, we have HUGE amounts of it in the environment. The entire Almaden Valley was created for the Almaden Quicksilver Mine, and polluted so much of the valley from the rivers and the waste that much of it is still closed and not accessible for humans. The fish in the area are -to this day- inedible, and the county monitors the waters and the fish everywhere closely. They don't TALK about it much, and school children that learn about the Almaden mines at *all* are never taught that it is a dangerous poision still leeching into their lives, but it is there.

And then they put it in the vaccinations. What were they thinking? They were thinking in "NONAGGREGATE" terms. Industry- especially the drug industry- likes to evaluate their medicines as unique separate entities, and NEVER consider the aggreagate possibilities. So, put it all together like here in Santa Clara County, and I have no problem at all understanding why we have the highest rate of Autisim in the Nation. It's not a "bubble of unknown origin" or a "technology bubble" or a result of "education and fate". It's in the mountains in the south end of the valley, like a snake slithering out to cover all our children in sickness. If there were no OTHER mercury poisions in their lives, I am sure they would have been OK. But the cumulative effect of all these small amounts is disasterous for our kids. No one can predict how the human body will react to any group of outside chemicals recombining in the cells. As a mother, I think I can seriously say that I do NOT trust my government to make all the proper tests and spend the money to evaluate a new and growing aggregate threat to our children's health if it would mean the possibility of having to control industry in America. Right now, the current thinking of those Washington types is to dismantle the watchdogs and oversight agencies (they have already done it, from meat inspectors that missed Mad Cow to no more office's for reporting collection agency abuses) because "industry can regulate itself". If you love your child, get them privately tested- and if you cannot afford that, ask about that creme... it's prescription, and not toxic or dangerous for those without excess mercury in their systems. Maybe you can save your child.

2006-03-06T20:00:00.000-08:00

I can remember in the beginning, spending more and more time "at school". Helping out was easy- it gave me a chance to keep an eye on the boy, watch what was happening, and do early interventions when I saw things spinning out of control.
Kids teasing each other on the playground. Him feeling late or pressured. Getting lost. Forgetting homework or lunch or sharing. I could be there to soften things, or come in behind him with the missing items. It worked for a while, and I made some good friends. I got to know who I wanted him to become after school friends with. I got to know the PTA. I worked for his 1st grade teacher, and we bonded for life along the way.
But it was *draining*. It took all day long. It made me feel like a jailer. My son and his friends however, LOVED it. Turns out, elementary school is a gulag. The kids were being preyed upon out on the blacktop at recess by the older 4th and 5th graders- torments, teasing, general bullies. And the teachers would tell these little kids to "handle it yourself" when they came to them. They were percieved as trouble makers and whiners- crybabies and tattle tales. They had to show up AFTER the beating to get any justice. It was disgusting.
I started showing up with my video camera just to show how little supervision there was out at the recess time- whole areas with no adults in view, kids doing things that were really dangerous. The principal- just one of many BI**HES I have met over the years, came out ONLY when she saw I had a camera- and then she tried to lie to me and tell me I couldn't use it outdoors! "It's against policy". Bull. I knew policy- we had open doors and no barred cameras in any regular classrooms or on public areas. ONLY in the special education classrooms (which our elementary school had NONE) was there any rules about cameras. I persisted.
It's a good idea to always document everything as much as you can. Video and photos mean a great deal in the long run, for you will either be one of the 2% that never has any trouble at all, or one of the 98% that find the rabbit hole opening before them and pulling them deeper and deeper into wonderland, where no one makes sense and do not care how long something takes- after all, what can YOU do?

We will talk about that.......in upcoming posts.

2006-03-06T13:58:00.000-08:00

So I just went back to "About.com"- the ADD section, a place where this all started. Sort of.

I had forgotten what it was like back then-- I was so HURT and angry and pissed and frightened about what this would mean for my little perfect angry wild child.

It got better. I got better. I remember that I hated having to deal with all the people that were CLUELESS. I hated having to spend so much time education myself because the "smart" people who should have known what they were doing were morons. For every 1 that went out of their way to help me as I stumbled along, I had already tripped over 8 that were so ignorant- or lazy- that they just didn't care about yet another mom with another problem child.

THAT was the first- and worst- barrier for us all. The persistant obnoxious preset notion that it is the parent's fault for not being stern enough. They never asked, they never came to me and said "I wonder if more discipline at home would change things?" as if there might be an issue. They just assumed.

&^#%!@)!! all of them. The principal that sat there and asked me "DO you ever say "NO" at your house"?- what a bitch. She got a brain tumor, and lord help me, I didn't feel bad for her at all. She had, in the course of grades 2,3 and 3 months of 4th, sucked all the compassion out of me with her nasty remarks, painful crap she dragged my son through (calling the POLICE???), and failues to follow legal rules for my child (IEP? We don't need to follow your IEP).

Going to About.com brings that time back in a rush. I guess I will have to delve through that in more detail in the days and weeks ahead. Doing it all at once just makes me nauseous. But remember- no matter what they do to you, just smile and flatten their tires in the parking lot. It will make you sleep much better.

2006-03-06T13:29:00.000-08:00

Ok, so today I was thinking about the last 10 years. My ADDer son is 12, and my husband is 51, and both got diagnosed about 6 years ago. Life has gotten better in some areas- worse in others.

The FRUSTRATION of dealing with people that just do NOT remember what you said- and SWEAR you never said it!- has lessened. The frustration of the people you love doing the same things over and over no matter how many times you tell them NOT to has not changed. It is a condition, and I know it. I know in my heart that my spouse did not really remember that I specifically said "do not eat those- They are liquor filled and I can only get them once a year and I am saving them". He heard me the time I said it, and probably kept it in his head for about an hour. Then he saw them, and the over-ride issues of his ADD (and possible undiagnosed frontal lobe issues) turned his lust for them on- and his memory dumped my order.

It happens often- over the years, he has eaten whole desserts, entire roasts, and "nibbled" his way through all kinds of special foods or goodies. My son hates him for eating the desserts, for eating "his" candies, for eating whatever his eyes find without a moments thought. He doesn't even feel guilty- for he doesn't remember in his head that there is anyone else here or that anyone else might have wanted the food (or saved it just for themselves).
It has been embarassing to offer friends something and find it gone. It has irritated the HELL out of me to go for a midnight snack and find it gone.

It has been YEARS of explaining that eating ALL the main course leftovers- but not the veggies, potatoes, fruits, or anything else- means that I do not have anything to serve for dinner and have to cook more meat again. Nothing works. So, we punish him with diatribes. My son and I make mean jokes about it when we put something in the fridge. We threaten as we return from the store, and we hide food about the house.

The first time (heck, 100 times) my son was half way through his McDonalds and left for a while, only to come back and find his burger *eaten*, he was livid and angry and hurt. My spouse felt bad, and has had to make thousands of food runs to get everything from milk to bread to McDonalds-- but to no permanent avail. There is some deep rift there that we cannot breech, and cannot heal. Someday, I am sure my darling boy will find out about Ex_Lax, and his father will find out what "getting it together" really means.

Me? I hide the pastries and buy myself ice cream that they both hate.

Woman, mother, wife, writer, handydandydicerslicer- that's me!

2006-01-03T19:36:00.000-08:00