Saucon News, Hellertown, PA
By Mary Caruso
November 24, 2004
This is the first of a two-part series of articles dealing with the exposure of toxic mercury in the environment.
Bethlehem Apparatus, Front Street, Hellertown, has recently received a governmental permit to recycle mercury and send it back into the industry, at the displeasure of many environmentalists.
National health departments have long decried the public dangers of contracting mercury through contaminated fish in streams.
However, most people are not as aware of the surrounding dangers available in mercury contained in household items.
It is used in home blood-pressure gauges, and antiseptics, such as mercurochrome and preservatives in contact lens solutions. Some lighted athletic shoes, latex paints, and pesticides also contain mercury.
Fluorescent lighting, car switches, batteries, and thermostats all contain quantities of mercury. Mercury is also used in products such as washing machines, top-loading freezers and irons.
The most alarming use of mercury may be found in mouths of the general population.
Freya Koss, of Philadelphia, attended the meeting with Bethlehem Apparatus in an attempt to appeal to the manufacturers to neutralize and contain their recycled mercury rather than re-exposing it to the public.
Koss, who maintains that mercury filings in her teeth have caused her to contract Multiple Sclerosis, as well as symptoms of Lupus, is on a campaign to have mercury removed from dental practices.
Her research claims that 50 percent of all “silver” fillings are actually liquid mercury mixed with other metals. The other 50 percent of the fillings are mixed with combinations of 70 percent silver, copper, tin, and sometimes zinc.
Having dissimilar metals in the teeth causes galvanic action, electrical currents, and much higher mercury vapor levels in oral tissues.
An average amalgam filling contains more than one-half grams of mercury, and the average adult can have at least 5 grams of mercury in a filling (unless most has vaporized). Mercury in solid form is not stable, and within 10 years, up to half has been found to have been transferred to the body.
Mercury and other metals accumulate in the oral cavities, cells of connective tissue, and in blood vessel walls, elastic tissue, salivary glands, tooth roots and jaw bones.
Negatively-charged fillings or crowns push electrons into the oral cavity. Since saliva is a good electrolyte, those electrons cause higher mercury vapor losses. Patients with autoimmune conditions like MS, or epilepsy, depression, etc., are often found to have a lot of high negative current fillings.
Mercury does not degrade and is not destroyed by combustion. It can be absorbed through the skin, inhaled or ingested and accumulates in tissue. It is toxic and can endanger living organisms.
The FDA Action Level for mercury in fish or food is 1 ppm. Warnings are given at 0.5 ppm, and the EPA health criterion level is 0.3 ppm. Some of the oral effects of mercury that have been documented include gingivitis, oral lesions, pain and discomfort, burning mouth, ‘metal mouth,’ oral cancer and chronic inflammatory response.
Recent studies have concluded that because of the high mercury release levels of modern amalgams, mercury levels higher than government health guidelines are being transferred to the lungs, blood, brain, kidneys, liver, etc., of large numbers of people with amalgam fillings. The studies also contend that widespread neurological, immune system, and endocrine system effects are occurring.
Koss and activists at Action PA were not opposed to Bethlehem Apparatus’ removal of mercury from existing products, nor do they want the company to shut down its activity. However, they are adamantly opposed to re-circulation of mercury.
Bruce Lawrence, president and owner of Bethlehem Apparatus, stated that most of his company’s liquid mercury comes from byproducts of gold mining and are gathered from numerous sources throughout the nation.
Lawrence believes there is no real health concern involved with products using mercury and stated that only 10 percent of it is used in the dental industry.
“There is a small group of people who are protesting its use in medicine,” Lawrence said.
The majority of Bethlehem Apparatus’ recycling involves a large chemical process which serves as a catalyst to convert the separation of chlorine and caustic soda. Sodium and chlorine are separated and recycled for industrial use.
According to Lawrence, the EPA banned the use of mercury if it ends up being dispersed in large amounts, such as pesticides.
The most recent largest use of discontinuation is mercury from alkaline batteries.
According to Lawrence, Bethlehem Apparatus basically abstracts what he believes to be a small portion of mercury from a product. The remainder of the product is recycled, and the mercury is sold back to the industry who produced that product.
Bethlehem Apparatus estimates a recycling turnover of approximately 1,000 tons of mercury per year, sending bottled, liquid mercury in steel containers back into the market.
Lawrence evaded the question, “but is that healthy?” and stated instead that the alternative would be allowing some other agencies to mine mercury.
“I think that of all the studies done on the excretion of mercury, to the vast majority, it is not a health problem,” he said.
According to Lawrence, he believes that any severe health problems are results of an individual’s allergic reaction.
“You have people who die from peanuts, and others who aren’t affected,” Lawrence stated.
“There are three companies that mine mercury,” Lawrence said. “They take it out of the ground and the waste goes up smoke stacks, resulting in pollution.”
Lawrence believes that mercury can be used in products that are worthwhile, and said the risks involved are not great enough to stop its use.
However, his plant does routinely have his employees tested.
Detailed information in this article was obtained from various Web site health sources.
Part two in this series will deal with issues involving the effect of mercury in airborne elements and its affect on children and pregnant women.
Mary Caruso is a reporter for The Saucon News. She can be reached atmcaruso@berksmontnews.com.
Bethlehem Apparatus receives DEP permit
Saucon News, Hellertown, PA
By Mary Caruso
November 16, 2004
A handful of consumers, some as far away as Philadelphia, met with representatives from Bethlehem Apparatus, Hellertown, to express their concerns over a recent permit which will allow them to extract mercury from such common items as car switches, lighting fixtures and household thermometers.
The extracted mercury will then be processed and recycled into the industry in other forms.
Citizens who gathered were concerned about the toxic levels of mercury and opposed its extended use in industry.
“We are not opposed to your extraction of the mercury,” Mike Ewall, director of Action PA of Philadelphia, said. “We just don’t want it going back out into the industry. Why can’t it be neutralized and discarded?”
Ewall and several others present are also concerned about the effects that mercury has caused in health care, particularly dental use.
Freya Koss , of a development director for Consumers of Dental Choice, attributed a contraction of Multiple Sclerosis from dental fillings.
Koss contended that wide-spread use of “silver” fillings were actually liquid mercury. “I’ve had all my fillings replaced,” Koss said, “that’s the only reason why I can stand before you today, instead of being in a wheelchair.”
Research into the pitfalls of mercury is currently in progress and further information will be forthcoming in next week’s issue of The Saucon News.
Mary Caruso is a reporter for The Saucon News. She can be reached atmcaruso@berksmontnews.com