Niagara Transuranics and Hg mistake

[NiagaraNet@AOL.COM]

RADSAFERS:  



I am concerned with the mistaken statement about the conversion of mercury in 

biota. This is not a small one, nor easily overlooked.



Would anyone like to assist with my transuranics issues in the general 

Niagara Falls Niagara County area and the poor disposal practices of yore?



Thanks to Jim Dukelow of PNNL for the heads up and clarification on this.

.

Regards,

Louis Ricciuti

Niagara County - "Los Alamos East"

_____________



Date: Tue, 06 Apr 2004 12:35:49 -0400

From: RuthWeiner@AOL.COM

Subject: Re: Mercury scam?



>Did you calculate the amount of mercury deposited in

>the ocean from the burning of coal and other

>industrial processes?  What form is the mercury

>entering the oceans?  As an organic form that can be

>absorbed by biota?

>

3.  Metallic mercury apparently can be methylated by marine organisms to form 

dimethyl mercury.



Ruth F. Weiner

ruthweiner@aol.com

505-856-5011

(o)505-284-8406

_______________



Ruth,



I think marine organisms methylate mercury to methyl mercury.  Dimethyl 

mercury is extraordinarily toxic.  In August 1996 the Dartmouth chemist Karen 

Wetterhahn spilled a couple of drops of dimethyl mercury on her latex gloves.  In 

January 1997 she was hospitalized with symptoms of mercury poisoning.  She died 

a couple of months later.  She had been following accepted guidelines for 

handling dimethyl mercury.  The incident led to a revision of safety rules here 

at the laboratory.  Methyl mercury is quite toxic, but not in the same ballpark 

as dimethyl mercury.



Best regards.

Jim Dukelow

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Richland, WA

jim.dukelow@pnl.gov



*Was LATEX the recommended handling procedure?

My sincerest sympathies to Karen Wetterhahn's family. How sad.