Re: Mercury scam?

["jjcohen" <jjcohen@PRODIGY.NET>]

    I want to thank those who offered thoughtful comments on my post. As an

    Industrial Hygienist, I am well aware of the toxic properties of mercury

   and did not intend to imply it wasn't hazardous. Environmental mercury

levels

    within relatively confined ecosystems can and have caused severe

problems,

    such as at Minimata Bay, and other inland  bodies of water. A few

decades

    ago, several deaths occurred due to consumption of seed grain that had

    been treated with a mercurial antifungal agent. Historically, mercury

  poisoning has  caused serious illness in the felt industry (Mad Hatter

disease).

    However, as is the case with radiation and other hazardous exposures,

"the

    dose makes the poison".

    The point I wanted to explore was whether, because of the extreme

dilution

    capacity of the ocean, it was likely, or even possible that

toxicologically

    significant levels of mercury (or radioactivity, or any other toxic

agent)

  could build up in the ocean.  Basically, I have concluded that although it

may

  be possible in relatively restricted or confined areas, it is not possible

to

  significantly pollute the ocean in general. Accordingly, it may be a

"best bet" for

  disposal of toxic or radioactive wastes. My calculation on effects of

oceanic

  levels of mercury provides one example.

    I appreciate the  following citation from John Kuperus which supports

and

  reinforces the concept by showing that mercury levels in ocean fish have

been

  relatively constant for centuries.



    http://www.suanews.com/articles/1993/mercuryinfishunreportedhoax.htm



  I recall that many years ago it was believed by many that

  "the solution to pollution is dilution". Although this approach has been

  thoroughly rejected, it may not be such a bad idea after all.













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