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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 17967
[Science]
Date Posted:
6/7/2007
4:07:45 pm EDT
Wvox Stats
Views: 4,837
RSS: 23,177
Comments: 9
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The Magical Properties Of Mercury, The Metal The EU Wants To Ban
Author: Michael Hanlon Source: Daily Mail (UK)
Title: THE MAGICAL PROPERTIES OF MERCURY, THE METAL THE EU WANTS TO BAN
Few substances on Earth are stranger. It shines like a mirror, conducts electricity and is as much of a metal as copper or iron.
Yet this material is a liquid, one of only five naturally occurring elements that are liquid at room temperature.
It is the stuff of legend, the key to alchemy and witchcraft, a deadly poison and yet also a potent medicine. We use it to weigh the air, generate reflections and also to measure our temperature.
And now Brussels is banning it. Of course, not even the European Commission has the power to ban a chemical element, but what they have done is forbidden its use in traditionally made scientific instruments on health and safety and environmental grounds.
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Community Thoughts: There are 9 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Don't Take It Out Of Everything..... | Jun 8th. at 4:35:49 pm EDT
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bigcat (peoria, Illinois) - Email Me
While mercury can be left out of certain things as it is very poisonous, it still provides accuracy in certain instruments, and should remain where they are. A barometer, or a blood pressure office cuff, one that uses mercury, is very accurate and a scientist or a doctor is not a child and could probably handle it with few problems.
If Aneroid Barometers are still useful, they are not threatening for home use though they are not as accurate. Alcohol thermometers are still useful for the home, but not as accurate as mercury ones. since the advent of digital thermometers, and paper tab thermometers, such mercury thermometers are becoming antiquated anyway. Don't take mercury out of all things. there may be a good reason to leave it there.
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| Lost Respect | Jun 8th. at 10:40:35 am EDT
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LD Wolverine (Edmonton, Ontario) - Email Me
This author had my respect until this comment:
"Interestingly, it may have been the use of mercury to treat syphilis that gave rise to the whole nonsense that is homeopathy. "
After that sentence his entire credibility went out the window. Who is to say that homeopathy is nonsense? Who does he think he is?
I, personally, do not indulge in homeopathy but I know many very well respected people who do. Just the fact that he could put out there such a callous remark completely sullied any amount of professionalism he may have been trying to portray for the article.
Nasty vibe there.
Peace.
Linda
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| Fear Is Unjustified | Jun 8th. at 4:19:32 am EDT
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Shadowbear (Hillsboro, Oregon) - Email Me
I have no fear of mercury - just pointed out that there are more sources than are being banned.
The lightbulb I referred to is the OLD OLD version, Edison's I believe - those bulbs did not burn out at all - one is still burning from Edison's time. We should go back to THOSE light bulbs.
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| If We Remove Mercury From Barometers . . . | Jun 7th. at 9:14:37 pm EDT
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Shadowbear (Hillsboro, Oregon) - Email Me
where it stays for a long long time unless you break it - and put it into flourescent light bulbs which we are all supposed to use - and then throw away I presume since we can't keep the dead ones forever and there is no recycling for them - how are we improving things?
Either its use should be banned entirely and we go back to the original light bulbs that did not burn out at all - one is still burning since before I was born and that's a loooong time - or we should still use it for the things it does best - like barometers and thermometers - leave it out of my mouth though.
In school when I was a child, we broke thermometers and played with the mercury - then coated dimes with it (it destroys the dimes eventually) . Lots of fun, not so safe, and we are all a little crazy now, could this be related?
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| I'd Say Justified | Jun 7th. at 7:12:40 pm EDT
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Wild Huntsman (Toronto, Ontario) - Email Me
Just because it once wasn't banned and was treated like water doesn't make it -- or the author -- any less safe from its effects. There are many, many things once thought safe that turn out to have tragic consequences.
The problem isn't mercury, when it's oxidised that accounts for its various negative effects, and only a very small amount of ionized gas (0.05 mg/m3 of metallic mercury vapor averaged over eight hours according to the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration) is necessary to cause negative effects.
The author's playing around in schools for an hour was undoubtedly followed by leaving the classroom and breathing clean air, assuming that the exposure in the classroom was even sufficient to register. The people in Minimata bay weren't so lucky -- they couldn't get away. (look up the photos of the victims of Minimata disease) .
As quaint as it may be, there is a real danger made by the good s in 'traditional' manufacturing that really questions whether the stuff should be in anyone's home at all. What happens when (not if) mom's thermometer gets broken? Or, lets say the barometer gets knocked down off the shelf. Mercury droplets all over the place.
This is an unnecessary risk, especially when there are perfectly good substitutes (alcohol for one) that give acceptable readings without the risk. Apparently the people in Brussels think so.
Same issue with fluorescent bulbs (both the long ones at the office and the newly popular CFLs) . There are extreme versions of what to do, but few people realise that airing out the room and wiping it up with a cloth while wearing gloves is all that's really needed.
Find More info -- HERE
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