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Re: Niagara Transuranics and Hg mistake
The mistake was corrected in a subsequent post. I hope that relieves Mr. Ricciutti's "concern."
What follows is a bit off-topic, but I recalled it when reading his unpleasant little snipe:
Many years ago, I volunteered to teach basic arithmetic to high-school dropouts, as part of a program to help them pass a GED and find work. Teaching this class (of about 20 adults) I learned very quickly to encourage them to try the problems and to go ahead and make mistakes. I told them "That's what I'm here for, so that you can make mistakes and not worry about it, because that's how you learn."
Ruth Weiner
ruthweiner@aol.com
In a message dated 4/7/2004 6:38:14 AM Eastern Daylight Time, NiagaraNet@AOL.COM writes:
>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.
>
--
Ruth F. Weiner
ruthweiner@aol.com
505-856-5011
(o)505-284-8406
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