For Immediate Release April 21, 2001

Mercury is one of the most toxic substances commonly encountered, and according to Government agencies causes adverse health effects in large numbers of people in the U.S.
Toxic metals like mercury have been found to be the cause of developmental cognitive and behavioral problems to millions of children, including major factors in learning disabilities, ADD, dyslexia, juvenile delinquency, and criminality. The extreme toxicity of mercury can be seen from documented effects on wildlife by very low levels of mercury exposure. Because of the extreme toxicity of mercury, only ½ gram is required to contaminate the ecosystem and fish of a 10 acre lake to the extent that a health warning would be issued by the government to not eat the fish.

The extent of the growing crisis in contamination of the environment and food chain by endocrine disrupting chemicals like mercury is reflected by the growing list of health advisories regarding eating fish and wildlife which should serve as a warning that similar bioaccumulation and effects are occurring in people as in fish and wildlife. Over half of the thousands of rivers and lakes in Florida have such health warnings banning or limiting eating of fish, as do over 50,000 lakes in the U.S.- approximately 20% of all U.S. lakes, all Great Lakes, 7% of all U.S. river miles, and many bays. Other countries including Canada have similar experience.

That mercury can affect fertility is well known since mercury has been commonly used as a spermicide in birth control products. Potential effects can again be seen from effects on wildlife. Some Florida panthers that eat birds and animals that eat fish, frogs, and turtles containing very low levels of mercury (about 1 part per million) have died from chronic mercury poisoning. Since mercury is an estrogenic chemical and reproductive toxin, the majority of the rest cannot reproduce. The average male Florida panther has estrogen levels as high as females, due to the estrogenic properties of mercury. Similar is true of some other animals at the top of the food chain like alligators and wading birds, and marine mammals such as polar bears, seals, beluga and orca whales.

Mercury has also been documented to be a reproductive and developmental toxin in humans. Mercury has been documented to cross the placenta and commonly is found in the fetus at higher levels than in the mother. Likewise mercury is readily transmitted to an infant through the mother’s breast milk. Some of mercury’s documented hormonal effects at very low levels of exposure include effects on the reproductive system resulting in lowered sperm counts, defective sperm cells, and lowered testosterone levels in males; along with menstrual disturbances, infertility, spontaneous abortions in women, and birth defects. Studies found that very low levels of exposure to mercury cause genetic/ DNA damage and inhibits DNA & RNA synthesis; damages sperm, lowers sperm counts and reduces motility ; causes menstrual disturbances ; reduces blood’s ability to transport oxygen to fetus, and transport of essential amino acids and nutrients including magnesium, zinc and Vit B12 ; depresses enzyme function and isocitric dehydrogenase (ICD) in fetus; causes reduced iodine uptake, inhibited ATP activity, & hypothyroidism; causes infertility, and causes spontaneous abortions and birth defects. Pregnant women who suffer from hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) have a four-times greater risk for miscarriage during the second trimester than those who don’t, and women with untreated thyroid deficiency were four-times more likely to have a child with a developmental disabilities and lower I.Q.

References

1. B.Windham, Review: Developmetal Effects of Mercury, 2001; (over 100 peer reviewed references) www.home.earthlink.net/~berniew1/fetaln.html
2. B. Windham, Review: Cognitive and Developmental Effects of Mercury and Toxic Metals.
(over 100 peer reviewed medical studies), www.home.earthlink.net/~berniew1/tmlbn.html
3. DAMS, Environmental Effects of Amalgam Affect Everyone, www.home.earthlink.net/~berniew1/damspr2s.html
4. B Windham, Austism: the mercury connection. 2001, www.home.earthlink.net/kidshg.html