Mercury Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What does the government have to say about mercury?

Could you imagine the government, with its coal and medical (including dental) lobbies, coming out and admitting that all these horrible medical issues are the result of mercury? If 6,200,000,000 (6.2 billoin) people worldwide eat fish, 2,500,000,000 (2.5 billion) people have silver dental fillings (200 million people in the US), and hundreds of millions more people worldwide receive the mercury contaminated flu shot each year, that leaves only one guy in Antarctica named “Grizzly Ed” that hasn’t been exposed to toxic levels of mercury. The rest of us would be ticked off and demand trillions of dollars in a settlement. I believe the government prefers "plausible deniability".

The U.S. has the world’s largest coal reserves and is referred to as the Saudi Arabia of coal. China is second. Both countries use the reserves to supply power to the exploding populations and increasing power demands. Coal is also very profitable and rich companies with powerful lobbyists have our government representatives in their pocket.

Does Our Body Clear Out Mercury Naturally?

Yes, but it takes a long time. Low levels of mercury have been present in the environment throughout history, and we’ve evolved to eliminate it from our body. Mercury is released in our feces, urine and sweat. However, today we are bombarded with toxic levels of mercury that our body can’t keep up with.

Should I really be concerned, or is the small amount mercury in my body harmless?

If the only poison and heavy metal in your body was mercury, the amount of mercury in your body would probably pose less of a risk. However, our bodies are loaded with pesticides, industrial chemicals, food preservatives, and other heavy metals. There are no studies that take into account the increased toxic effects when all of these poisons mix together. At the beginning of the article I mentioned a study about rats where the combination of mercury and aluminum killed 100% of the rats tested, when only 1% died without the two heavy metals combined. You’ll have to determine your own level of concern, but in my mind there’s an obvious correlation between the introduction of all these poisons over the last century, and the skyrocketing incidents of cancer, autism, Alzheimer’s and other diseases.

Your article makes the problem sound terrible, yet I don’t feel bad. Aren’t you overreacting, Tim?

More than likely you don’t notice the small symptoms at first, yet the cumulative effects of mercury poisoning over a lifetime are devastating. Your body adapts and overlooks many physical problems that occur incrementally on a small scale. For example, microtraumas are microscopic injuries to your body’s connective tissue and bones that occur on a daily basis. They are rarely felt, and symptoms are generally mild aches at worst. Your body focuses on more serious issues and ignores the microtraumas. The body copes with the buildup of microtraumas for years without any serious symptoms. Later, the damage to the knees and joints render the person immobile from painful arthritis. Likewise, you probably won’t notice the brain damage or toxicity on a daily basis, yet 20 years later you’ll get cancer, Alzheimer’s, or Parkinson’s disease. If you think still think I’m exaggerating, do some research on the correlation between the introduction of industrial/agricultural chemicals and coal burning power plants with the exploding cancer, autism, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s rates. There is a direct, undeniable link.  

Is mercury in our tap water?

Mercury is present in every reservoir in America. Before water comes out of our tap it is purified and the majority of mercury is removed. The government has determined that small amounts of mercury and other heavy metals are acceptable. These amounts are relatively insignificant compared to eating fish, dental fillings, and vaccines. I don’t recommend drinking tap water for other reasons, but I would be less concerned about this contaminant than others in tap water. If you are still concerned, I recommend installing a reverse osmosis water filtration system in your home to remove other harmful pollutants.

back

top

next