The Importance Of Monitoring And Assessment Methods In The Aquatic Environment

Another concern with vaccines is the addition of a form of mercury called thimerosal. “Thimerosal is best known as a preservative used in some vaccines to keep them from becoming contaminated”

The HAPI organization is fueling their mission on their fears about vaccinations. Dawn Winkler the executive director of the HAPI believed her infant died from mercury poisoning after receiving her vaccines. Mercury poisoning was never confirmed and medical professionals labeled the cause of death to be SIDS, also known as Sudden infant death syndrome. They use myths and make them frightening. The group’s main concern on vaccinations are the amounts of mercury. On the organizations website they pressure parents into choosing whether to vaccinate their children using the words “the most important decisions you will ever make for your child.” On a separate section of the website they say vaccines are supposed to be mercury free, which isn’t true. The reason why vaccines contain mercury and that is to kill any bacteria. They describe mercury as toxic in the tiniest amounts and never mention the fact that it has never shown to have harmful effects.

Located near Cowan, Pennsylvania, Conley Run is a tributary of Buffalo Creek that has experienced severe degradation due to agricultural activity. Specifically, the deposition of large amounts of animal wastes, pesticides, and fertilizers has resulted in significant eutrophication throughout the stream. Furthermore, bank degradation associated with the movement of livestock has caused the displacement of foreign sediments into stream habitats. These factors, among many others, have caused the lake to be considered “impaired” by PA-DEP. In response, the Buffalo Creek Watershed Alliance, the the Union County Conservation District, and the Department of Environmental Protection and Fish and Boat Commision have partnered in an effort to restore stream habitat and create a riparian buffer to protect the stream.

Mercury also came up in science class. When first presented with the jumble of the periodic table, I scanned for mercury and couldn’t find it. It is there—between gold, which is also dense and soft, and thallium, which is also poisonous. But

John (44) and Mary (43) Winchester were high school sweethearts and have been married for 18 years. They have two teenage boys; Dean (17) and Sam (15). The Winchester family has come to therapy seeing assistance for various issues. Since his return, John has been distant and with drawn. He has is verbally abusive toward Mary and the boys and has developed a drinking problem. His behavior has started to have a serious impact on his relationship with Dean, Sam, and Mary. They have expressed a fear for their safety as well as John’s.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines for safe exposure level to mercury are one-tenth of a microgram (mcg) per kilogram of body weight. Children received about 237 mcg of Thimerosal by two years old with the first 200 mcg administered before six months old. Thimerosal is an ethylmercury preservative (about 49.6 percent mercury by weight) used in vaccines to add shelf life to the vaccine. Thimerosal is about 50 times more toxic due to it being injected, there is no blood–brain barrier in infants, mercury clings to brain cells and nerves, and infants do not create bile therefore the mercury cannot be excreted. PDD-NOS are the largest group and are characterized by four other different disorders. The four disorders

Another claim anti-vaxxers make is that vaccines contain mercury which is toxic to humans (Ross, np). Thimerosal, which was in multi-dose vaccines to prevent bacteria growth, did in fact contain traces of mercury (Ross, np) (CDC, np). However, there are two types of mercury: methylmercury and ethylmercury (CDC, np). Methylmercury, which is found in some kinds of fish, is toxic to humans in high doses, while ethylmercury is cleaned out of the body rapidly and is less likely to cause any harm, especially at low doses (CDC, np). Thimerosal contained a very low dose of ethylmercury, and studies showed it would not be toxic to humans, aside from some minor side effects such as redness or swelling after injection (CDC, np). Even so, the FDA decided to remove thimerosal from vaccines back in 2001 (Ross, np).

It can be released anthropogenically, naturally or re-emitted by some combination of the previous two sources but most mercury was originally released from anthropogenic activities [8]. Burning fossil fuels and small-scale gold mining are the main sources of these anthropogenic emission [9].

Mercury is an element that can be found in our environment through air, water and soil. Being exposed to constant levels of mercury may be detrimental to one’s overall health since it can impact the nervous, digestive and immune systems of human (WHO). In 1960, the demand of Mercury (Hg) increased significantly as it was needed in many commercial and medical practices, despite its high toxicity levels (dwivedi). Thus, the increase in mercury consumption was due to industrialization. Mercury should be gaining increased medical concerns as it can impact the lives of several classes of society. In Canada, it is found that the vast majority of marine mammals contain methylmercury (MeHg) (Laird). Methylmercury is highly more lethal than Mercury

In an article from The Washington Post on the 26th of January, 2009: “Mercury is toxic in all its forms. Given how much high fructose corn syrup is consumed by children, it could be a significant additional source of mercury never before considered. We are calling for immediate changes by industry and the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] to help stop this avoidable mercury contamination of the food supply,” the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy’s Dr. David Wallinga, a co-author of both studies, said in a prepared statement.

Certainly, the mercury is a vigorous neurotoxin and poisonous to the brain; however, toxicity depends on the dose. Supporters to mercury hypothesis claim that the thimerosal contains ethylmercury in dosages exceeding the limits that the Environmental Protection Agency allows. They argue that these dosages of mercury should be considered with the prenatal vaccines dosages and the environmental sources of mercury. Additionally, underweight and premature infants receive the same dosages as larger babies. Furthermore, they claim that some children may be unable to metabolize mercury, and possibly these are the children who get diagnosed with Autism. They support their claims with the journalist David Kirby’s book “Evidence of Harm” where he claims that the increase in 1990s childhood vaccine led to cumulate of thimerosal, which caused the increase in Autism rates (Kirby

As the afterbay to Folsom Dam, Lake Natoma is essentially a wide spot in the American River characterized by sheltered waters and a highly scenic setting. As on Folsom Lake, the primary visitor areas on Lake Natoma accommodate multiple recreation uses and are separated by underdeveloped shoreline. These areas include Nimbus Flat, California State University Sacramento(CSUC) Aquatic Center, and Negro Bar. The Nimbus Flat visitor area, located on the eastern shore of the lake just above Nimbus Dam, includes two smaller beaches, landscaped picnic areas, low docs for launching small watercraft, and restrooms. The CSUS Aquatic Center, which is operated by Sacramento State University under agreement with State Parks, is home to the university’s water

Sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) are examples of contaminants found in the atmosphere. These gases are associated with acid rain and the acidification of sensitive lakes and soils in the oil sands region.Mercury is of particular concern in the northern rivers of Alberta. At the regional level mercury, is primarily emitted from coal power generation plants near Edmonton and in lesser amounts from the oil sands operations (NREI 2002). Mercury can travel long distances through the atmosphere and is eventually deposited in aquatic environments, where it can be toxic to aquatic organisms

I have a considerable amount of recreational photography experience. This includes working with Single Lens Reflex (SLR) cameras with a variety of lenses, and digital camera usage. Although I have not had significant photo-ID experience, I have currently been using software that permits taking images under a light microscope. These images are collected for my Biodiversity lab, a class at George Mason University. So far, I have taken digital images of, but not limited to, diatoms, foraminifera, and brown algae. In my Freshwater Ecosystems course I have identified several zooplankton, and benthic species. While this is not photo-identification of individuals, I feel that it will help me to both quickly and efficiently learn the photo-ID process

Mercury can also be found in the compound called thimerosal, which is used as a preservative for vaccines. Not long ago, when this information was introduced to the public, there was a scare which caused a decline in the amount of vaccines given to young children. To me, not vaccinating a child seems more dangerous than exposing the child to a trace amount of mercury. The article states how the FDA has been trying to ban the use of thimerosal, which they have been successful in doing in most drugs, besides the flu vaccine.