Amalgams pose no risk to human health, EU report says
- From: "Jan Drew" <jdrew1374@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2008 06:46:19 GMT
"Richard Schultz" <schultr@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:fmk3q4$h1b$5@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
In article <c8d346d6-7ee6-4f09-bdad-0023cec3a108@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, The One True Zhen Jue <Andrew_Kingoff@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
: Just a while back, fear-mongers were saying that amalgams were being
: outlawed in Europe.
You don't understand -- the EU has allowed *silver* amalgams. *Mercury*
amalgams are the ones that are being outlawed in Europe -- just ask
Jan "Eliza" Drew.
Does Mark Probert ever read what he posts??
The opinion supports arguments by some dentists and governments, who have said the material is safer and more durable than alternatives. But the results caused a stir among patients' organizations who argue amalgam is dangerous, because of the known side effects of mercury.
"The facts do not add up -- mercury is the third most toxic poison in the world and we are still putting it in people's mouths," said Becky Dutton of patient organization Mercury Madness.
"All I can say is that if *mercury/amalgams* are so safe why have three countries just banned them?" anti-mercury campaigner Dutton asked.
This month the Swedish government is expected to decide on a ban, while Denmark and Norway are taking similar steps.
Another patient organization in Spain said it rejected the provisional report because it was partial and ignored the World Health organization (WHO) and other scientists' recommendations.
"The main dentist organization before the ADA (the American Association of Dental Surgeons), already in the 1830s saw a clear relation cause-effect with amalgam...and prohibited its members to place amalgams in people's mouths," the Spanish National Association MERCURIADOS told Reuters in an email.
The opinion provides the EU with scientific advice needed when preparing policy in relation to its wider mercury strategy, which has for example banned the use of mercury in barometers.
The report was prepared by the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) and is made up of external experts.
Most countries advise against use of amalgam for children and pregnant women due to its impact on brain development, but patient organizations believe the rest of the population, carrying an average of 2.5 grams in their mouths, is also at risk.
The list of effects from mercury poisoning goes from mild tremors due to neurological damage and kidney problems to autism and even Alzheimer's, according to advocates for a European ban.
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSL1581973520080115?sp=true
===
Scientific *opinion*.
Adopted.
===
EU Corruption Exposed. Again
By Thomas Lifson
The European Union, the would-be global rival of America, is a deeply corrupt institution. Its design insulates its bureaucrats, and even its ostensibly democratic representative body, the EU Parliament, from public accountability. Eurocrats make their rules in private, and determine winners and losers in the vast European marketplace. Few 'citizens' of the EU even know who their European parliamentary representatives are.
Cynical bureaucratic insiders in Brussels, and members of the Strasbourg-based EU parliament, in [both cities French-speaking gastronomic capitals], know that if they don't rock the boat, they will be very well taken-care-of, financially and otherwise. Their pay and perquisites are legendary in their munificence.
Scandals are discovered with disarming regularity, because checks-and-balances are alien to the traditional European sensibility. The very idea of such awkward conflict is an alien philosophy, embraced by those crude Yankees, well-known for the savagery of their devotion to similarly chaotic and conflict-filled markets.
The Continental European tradition has always presumed that Government Knows Best. Allowing the ignorant masses to poke their noses into the affairs of state would only hinder the smooth functioning of an enlightened ruling class.
The latest imbroglio involves allegations of massive fraud on the part of representatives to the Euro-Parliament. According to Britain's left-leaning Independent,
A senior member of the European parliament yesterday exposed what he claimed was widespread corruption at the Strasbourg assembly by revealing that nearly 200 of his fellow Euro MPs had faked attendance at parliamentary sessions in order to pick up generous daily allowances.
Hans-Peter Martin, an Austrian Social Democrat MEP, said he had seen scores of colleagues signing on for parliamentary sessions which they had missed, to claim a daily attendance allowance of £262 [$315 - Ed.].
"I have witnessed almost 200 MEPs hurrying to the central register to sign on for a session and then watched them drive to the nearest airport or station," Mr Martin told Germany's Bild Zeitung newspaper. "There are countless MEPs who go to Strasbourg and Brussels simply to pick up the £262. They have told me so themselves."
We are not holding our breath waiting for the wheels of justice at the European Court. In all likelihood, no one will be held accountable.
It is far past time for the American people and government to realize that Europeans are in the process of constructing a monster -- an unaccountable, pseudo-democratic, proto-totalitarian [the 'rights' enjoyed under its proposed Constitution are mostly entitlements, not limits on the power of government] super-state. Even worse, the only really unifying principle among its constituent former-sovereign states is opposition to 'American hegemony.'
The Twentieth Century saw Americans shed blood twice, solving problems which the Europeans created amongst themselves. It would be a catastrophe if Europe once again reaches its potential for mischief in the Twenty-First Century, but the signs are not promising.
Page Printed from: http://www.americanthinker.com/2004/04/eu_corruption_exposed_again.html at January 17, 2008 - 12:54:49 AM EST
Dental Amalgam and Mercury Bans
Norway and Sweden Ban Mercury and Reduce Pollution
Jan 5, 2008
Since dental amalgam contains mercury its use has been banned in Norway and Sweden. Other countries discourage dentists from using it since alternatives are available.
Dental amalgam has been used for over 100 years but there remain concerns about its effects on health and the environment.
Some people are not aware that their fillings are made with toxic mercury. The word mercury has been avoided for so long in dental amalgam, its not common knowledge that they contain 50% mercury.
Only about 30% of dental amalgam is silver, although they are often referred to as silver fillings.
Mercury from dental amalgam is absorbed into the body through chewing, brushing and grinding teeth. Dental amalgam fillings can also break down so particles are possibly swallowed over time.
Alternatives to Dental Amalgam
Alternate material for fillings and dental repairs include plastics, ceramics and metal. Dental amalgam use has declined worldwide. The quality of dental work done with these alternatives depends on the training and experience of the dentist. Because dental amalgam is durable, familiar and costs less, there is resistance to change from some dentists.
Mercury Bans
Norway recently banned the use of mercury including dental amalgam. It took effect January 1, 2008. "These bans clearly indicate that amalgam is no longer needed. There are viable non-mercury filling substitutes that are used everyday in the US," said Michael Bender, director of the Mercury Policy Project. "By eliminating amalgam use, which is 50% mercury, we can reduce mercury pollution much more efficiently than end-of-the-pipeline solutions." (OSLO, Norway, Jan. 3, 2008) Sweden announced a similar ban that will come into effect April 1, 2008.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency 187 incinerators nationwide emit 70,000 pounds of mercury into the environment every year. This makes medical waste incinerators one of the leading causes of toxic mercury emissions.
Dr. Mark Richardson released the report "Assessment of Mercury Exposure and Risks from Dental Amalgam" in 1995. The model and methods used were controversial but it was the first study of risk assessment on mercury exposure from dental amalgam in Canada.
Levels from amalgam fillings do not usually become high enough to be recognized as mercury poisoning so this has added to the controversy and the confusion.
Dental Amalgam Filling Removals
The more fillings people have that contain mercury the higher the mercury levels are in their blood. Once the fillings are removed, the mercury levels decrease. Some people who have had reactions to dental amalgam report improved health after removal. The removals need to done carefully so that neither the dentist nor the patient is exposed to mercury vapors.
Pregnant women and children are discouraged from either getting dental amalgam fillings or having them removed. The fact that mercury can cross the placenta makes it a concern for pregnant women since a fetus is more vulnerable to toxins. Since mercury is a neurotoxin, it affects the brain and nervous system as well as the kidney and lungs.
It is ironic that medical workers contribute to mercury exposure when their job is to improve health. There is still much controversy and debate over "safe" amounts of mercury exposure if there is such a thing. As research continues, there becomes more evidence that even low levels of mercury exposure can lead to problems with people's memories and ability to learn.
Mercury in our soil and water affects the whole eco-system's health. Proper disposal of mercury is important so it doesn't pollute our environment and dentists are encouraged to use safer alternatives.
Sources: Health Canada, The Safety of Dental Amalgam, 2002, Stason .org, Amalgam and Mercury Free Dentistry, 2002
http://pollution-control.suite101.com/article.cfm/dental_amalgam_and_mercury_bans
21 December 1993, Degussa AG, Germany's largest producer of dental amalgam announced that it would no longer provide the product. This was followed shortly thereafter, on 25 January 1994, by the public announcement of a research study conducted at the Institute of Forensic Medicine of the University of Munich by Professor Dr. Gustav Drasch. The study measured the mercury content of the kidneys, liver and brain tissue of deceased foetuses, newborn and young children. The mercury levels in the deceased foetuses, babies and children correlated directly to the amount of dental amalgams in the teeth of the mothers. These results clearly demonstrated that the mercury from the dental amalgams of mothers is inherited by their offspring. It confirmed previous findings in animals reported by scientists at the University of Calgary, Canada. The German BGA immediately repeated their warning that pregnant women should avoid dental amalgam treatments.
In spite of these events, the leadership of the German Dental Association and the Federal Dental Board continue to maintain that mercury exposure from dental amalgam is harmless to patients and the material of choice for dental fillings.
http://www.davidhoward.com.au/resources/article15.html
-----
Richard Schultz schultr@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Department of Chemistry, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
Opinions expressed are mine alone, and not those of Bar-Ilan University
-----
"an optimist is a guy/ that has never had/ much experience"
.
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