Mercury & Health

How Does Mercury Get Into My Body?

Dental Amalgams and Mercury Vapor: It’s Not Just Silver

I remember how much of a chore it was to brush my teeth before bed. If I were a better kid I probably wouldn’t have poisoned myself all these years! The most common cause of mercury in the adult brain is mercury vapor caused by metal dental fillings.

About 50% of the metal in the “silver” fillings are mercury. Considering 78% of American have metal fillings, we’re carrying around 500 tons of toxic mercury in our teeth. As we chew, drink warm liquids, brush or grind our teeth the metal fillings release tiny amounts of mercury which we either breathe in as vapor or swallow. Mercury vapor is now being called the “toxic time bomb” because of the time released vapors. When leaked from fillings the bacteria in your mouth converts the inorganic mercury found in your fillings to an organic form called methylmercury, which is 100 times more toxic.  

Studies by multiple organizations report that between 3-45 micrograms of mercury vapor are released per tooth per day. The studies average 7-12mcg, but most don’t take into account vapor released from chewing. Typical Americans have between 8-10 amalgams in their mouth, totaling a conservative estimate of 56mcg per day. Many researchers believe 120mcg are a more accurate level. Depending on your weight, the EPA “safe” exposure levels are 10mcg. The typical American is exposed to 12 times the safe limit!

At these levels it is technically illegal for you to spit into a toilet because your saliva is so toxic that you’d be disposing hazardous waste above the municipal discharge limits set by the EPA. If you worked in a factory OSHA would shut the factory down for exceeding the acceptable workplace limits. A dentist can’t throw extracted amalgams in the trash because they are considered a hazardous substance. How can the ADA says its ok to put mercury in to people’s mouths a mere 2 inches away from their brain!?

Vaccines Contain Mercury

Since the 1930s vaccines (like flu shots) have contained a preservative called Thimerosal that is 49% mercury. The government mandated infants receive vaccines for decades. This practice continued until vaccines were found to be the largest source of human mercury contamination, and the FDA ordered Thimerosal removed from pediatric vaccines in 1999. However, flu shots were given an exception, and still contain Thimerosal. Chances are if you’re old enough to read this article or have received a flu shot, you’ve been poisoned by Uncle Sam’s policies.  Ooops! I’m sure the vaccines were well intentioned, just poorly conceived.

Fish and Mercury Contamination

Fish swimming in contaminated waters accumulate mercury in their flesh. A modestly contaminated minnow gets eaten by a predatory fish, which retains all of the minnow's mercury in its flesh. A few steps up the food chain and humans are eating the highly toxic fish for dinner. Guess where all that mercury goes? Yup, you guessed it, straight into our bodies. 100% of the mercury in fish remains in our bodies after eating fish.

One fish, two fish. All fish, polluted fish!

In a 4 year study by the EPA released in November 2009 testing 76,559 lakes and reservoirs nationwide, every single fresh water fish was contaminated with at least some mercury. Half the fish tested had poisonous levels. Salt water fish are almost as bad.

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