On my local news last night
http://newswire.ascribe.org/cgi-bin...0316.133905&time=14 51 PST&year=2005&public=0
http://newswire.ascribe.org/cgi-bin...0316.133905&time=14 51 PST&year=2005&public=0
Mojo
Mostly harmless
Interesting. Of course, this will be elemental mercury, I assume, rather than as part of a compound.
Mercury compounds from coal-burning power-stations.
In this case, Barb, these findings do seem to have reasonable merit. However, I suspect you are thinking of trying to tie this in to vaccination solutions containing mecury. Don't - this report argues AGAINST that, as follows: Since the vaccinations were given nation-wide, you would expect that the rates of autism due to any effect from mercury in those vaccines would be evenly spread across the nation as a result. But the recorded effects are localised - they occur in very specific clumps - and are not evenly spread at all. So it must be something else...
Also, note this as well what they say:
In this case, Barb, these findings do seem to have reasonable merit. However, I suspect you are thinking of trying to tie this in to vaccination solutions containing mecury. Don't - this report argues AGAINST that, as follows: Since the vaccinations were given nation-wide, you would expect that the rates of autism due to any effect from mercury in those vaccines would be evenly spread across the nation as a result. But the recorded effects are localised - they occur in very specific clumps - and are not evenly spread at all. So it must be something else...
Also, note this as well what they say:
So just because a child has autism, it doesn't mean it was caused by mercury from any particular source.
Zep said:
Well zep - your suspicions are wrong. See - I didn't say anythign about vaccines did I? I did indeed read the report. I also found it interesting. I thought the topic of autism was a point of itnerest here - not just the topic of "stupid antivaxers, autism isn't caused by vaccines".
Mojo
Mostly harmless
Well, it's understandable that this suspicion would arise, especially with the word "again" in the thread title, given that one of the main "arguments" anti-vaxers use is the alleged vaccines/thimerosal/mercury/autism link. Hence my comment about the mercury being in elemental form.
Phew! And thank goodness.Barbrae said:
Yes, autism and its causes are certainly to be looked into with interest. This particular report MAY have leads on some answers, although they were right to remain cautious about inferring too much from their data.
For example, it MAY be that those communities are exposed to some OTHER factors or conditions that lead to autism, and it is just that they happen to be in power-station towns by coincidence.
Or perhaps, if it is found to be a genetic related condition, it may be that families and communities being somewhat insular could be why there is "clumping" of autism cases in those places.
Put simply, there needs to be a lot more research on what causes autism in the first place before blame can start to be laid at anyone's feet.
Eos of the Eons
Mad Scientist
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2003
- Messages
- 13,749
What is environmentally released mercury? Into the air, water? Where are these areas? What are the rates of autism compared to everywhere else?
I just wish the news clips weren't so darn vague.
anonimouse
Critical Thinker
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2004
- Messages
- 316
The reason I take this with a grain of salt is because there are marked differences between the symptoms of mercury poisoning and the symptoms of autism. It doesn't mean one can rule out an environmental component to autism, but I wouldn't be so quick to jump on the "mercury causes autism" bandwagon just yet.
Rolfe
Adult human female
I tend to agree. Mercury is an evil, vicious neurotoxin, in sufficient quantities. But the usually-recognised symptoms don't really resemble autism, so I think they need to look quite carefully for confounding factors and particularly for co-variables.
You can also get away with a surprising degree of carelessness.
When I was 12, I used to keep a little vial of elemental mercury in my pencil-box. It was "liberated" from a couple of thermometer breakages at school, and I just thought it was so darn pretty. I used to let it out from time to time, and chase the droplets across the desk. Yes, I knew it was poisonous, and I hid it from the teacher because I knew she would have confiscated it. Youth, and delusions of invincibility!
Still didn't stop me testing out with an IQ of 161 when I was about 35, and being notorious as the biggest chatterbox around.
Rolfe.
You can also get away with a surprising degree of carelessness.
When I was 12, I used to keep a little vial of elemental mercury in my pencil-box. It was "liberated" from a couple of thermometer breakages at school, and I just thought it was so darn pretty. I used to let it out from time to time, and chase the droplets across the desk. Yes, I knew it was poisonous, and I hid it from the teacher because I knew she would have confiscated it. Youth, and delusions of invincibility!
Still didn't stop me testing out with an IQ of 161 when I was about 35, and being notorious as the biggest chatterbox around.
Rolfe.
geni said:
I agree. Coal burning power stations release all kinds of nasties.
Coal burning stations
Release many toxic things
Confounding us all.
Sorry for the haiku. I was typing and suddenly realized I nearly had one, anyway, so I fixed it up a bit.
Electron #1
Unregistered
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2004
- Messages
- 139
Barbrae ,hi, heads up.
"City Public Service is about to spend $1 billion to build a new coal plant. In addition, the plant will burn $100 million in fuel each year for the next 30 years to fire its boilers.
The proposed plant would add a lot of pollution to our atmosphere: more than 6 million tons of carbon dioxide; 140 pounds of
brain-damaging mercury; particles that trigger asthma and heart attacks; silica, which causes black lung disease; hydrochloric acid; sulfur dioxide; and nitrogen oxide. This pollution is dangerous and will affect citizens' health and the climate for the 30 to 50 years this plant is expected to run."
http://www.smartgrowthsa.org/_sgg/m6_1.htm
Hmmm, Clean water or Expensive poisonous electricity?
http://www.citizen.org/texas/Dereg/coalplant/
Besides coal driven electric power plants theres also plenty of reason to suspect run off from landfills (which contain tonnes of enviornmentally hazardous electronics and batteries) seeing as a large portion of San Antonio's water supply is derived from a natural aquifer.
"With this increased development comes an increased possibility of contamination from spills, leakage from hazardous materials, and urban runoff. Other potential contamination sources of the Edwards Aquifer include abandoned or mineral exploration wells, runoff from highways and railroads, underground or above ground chemical storage tanks, municipal landfills, industrial and hazardous waste disposal, and agricultural chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides."
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/protect/casesty/sanantonio.html
Theres poison in them there "Silicon Hills"/ Flowing down the path of least resistance..
"The wildlife service findings point to high levels of mercury, cadmium, arsenic, oil, and grease, among other pollutants, in Barton Springs, the main drinking water source for some 45,000 residents in southern Travis County and northern Hays County. The springs also make up a portion of the water that flows into the Tom Green Water Treatment Plant, which provides drinking water for Central and East Austin residents."
http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/dispatch/2001-08-03/pols_feature.html
Dude ,*$#%^*$ recycle your Dell.
http://www.svtc.org/
"Round Rock, TX -- In response to mounting pressure from environmentalists, Dell is lowering its cost of recycling for businesses and consumers." "
"For a limited time, Dell will refurbish or re-cycle an unlimited number of old computer systems with no upfront cost (provided the technology meets certain specifications). Asset Recovery Services will remove customers' old hardware and refurbish or recycle it based on strict environmental guidelines."
http://www.mediajumpstart.org/index.php?name=free
A Levee.
http://www.sosalliance.org/
If only central texas was more like El Paso.
" A small amount of lithium occurs naturally in El Paso's water. The amount is considerably less than a medical dosage. Lithium is sometimes used by doctors to treat mental disorders. To get the same amount of lithium as in one standard capsule, you would have to drink about 600 glasses of water." http://www.lvwd.org/faq.htm
Less Mad Cowboy disease?
"City Public Service is about to spend $1 billion to build a new coal plant. In addition, the plant will burn $100 million in fuel each year for the next 30 years to fire its boilers.
The proposed plant would add a lot of pollution to our atmosphere: more than 6 million tons of carbon dioxide; 140 pounds of
brain-damaging mercury; particles that trigger asthma and heart attacks; silica, which causes black lung disease; hydrochloric acid; sulfur dioxide; and nitrogen oxide. This pollution is dangerous and will affect citizens' health and the climate for the 30 to 50 years this plant is expected to run."
http://www.smartgrowthsa.org/_sgg/m6_1.htm
Hmmm, Clean water or Expensive poisonous electricity?
http://www.citizen.org/texas/Dereg/coalplant/
Besides coal driven electric power plants theres also plenty of reason to suspect run off from landfills (which contain tonnes of enviornmentally hazardous electronics and batteries) seeing as a large portion of San Antonio's water supply is derived from a natural aquifer.
"With this increased development comes an increased possibility of contamination from spills, leakage from hazardous materials, and urban runoff. Other potential contamination sources of the Edwards Aquifer include abandoned or mineral exploration wells, runoff from highways and railroads, underground or above ground chemical storage tanks, municipal landfills, industrial and hazardous waste disposal, and agricultural chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides."
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/protect/casesty/sanantonio.html
Theres poison in them there "Silicon Hills"/ Flowing down the path of least resistance..
"The wildlife service findings point to high levels of mercury, cadmium, arsenic, oil, and grease, among other pollutants, in Barton Springs, the main drinking water source for some 45,000 residents in southern Travis County and northern Hays County. The springs also make up a portion of the water that flows into the Tom Green Water Treatment Plant, which provides drinking water for Central and East Austin residents."
http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/dispatch/2001-08-03/pols_feature.html
Dude ,*$#%^*$ recycle your Dell.
http://www.svtc.org/
"Round Rock, TX -- In response to mounting pressure from environmentalists, Dell is lowering its cost of recycling for businesses and consumers." "
"For a limited time, Dell will refurbish or re-cycle an unlimited number of old computer systems with no upfront cost (provided the technology meets certain specifications). Asset Recovery Services will remove customers' old hardware and refurbish or recycle it based on strict environmental guidelines."
http://www.mediajumpstart.org/index.php?name=free
A Levee.
http://www.sosalliance.org/
If only central texas was more like El Paso.
" A small amount of lithium occurs naturally in El Paso's water. The amount is considerably less than a medical dosage. Lithium is sometimes used by doctors to treat mental disorders. To get the same amount of lithium as in one standard capsule, you would have to drink about 600 glasses of water." http://www.lvwd.org/faq.htm
Less Mad Cowboy disease?