Re: Niagara Transuranics and Hg mistake

[John Jacobus <crispy_bird@YAHOO.COM>]

Not to be a nucance, but I would still like to know if

mercury for coal burning contributes to mercury

contamination in the ocean/food chain.  If so, we need

to stop burning coal and increase our use of nuclear

power.



--- NiagaraNet@AOL.COM wrote:

> 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.

> 





=====

+++++++++++++++++++

""A fanatic is one who cannot change his mind and won't change the subject."  Winston Churchill



-- John

John Jacobus, MS

Certified Health Physicist

e-mail:  crispy_bird@yahoo.com



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