Q & A - How About a Half Cup of Mercury Hazardous Waste?
Posted Dec 26 2009 12:00am
By Jim Thompson
Q & A - How About a Half Cup of Mercury Hazardous Waste?
How much mercury is in the flu shot when it has Thimerosal as a preservative?
There are 25 micrograms of mercury in each flu shot that uses Thimerosal as a preservative (1). And a half cup of water (4 ounces) with that much mercury has 0.2114 parts per million mercury and is considered a hazardous waste by the USEPA (2).
Why is there a concern about mercury?
Mercury is a known neurotoxin (4).
How much mercury is in the blood after receiving a flu shot with Thimerosal?
The mercury blood level in human newborns has been measured at a peak levels with an average of 5 nanograms per milliliter (5 parts per billion) (5).
How much mercury ends up in the brain?
The mercury level in the human infant brain after receiving a shot with Thimerosal is unknown. However tests have been performed on infant monkeys. Burbacher et al (5) gave infant monkeys shots with Thimerosal--with the same mercury weight per body weight, on average, as received by human infants. This study reported that “The inorganic form of Hg was readily measurable in the brain of the thimerosal-exposed infants. The average concentration of inorganic Hg did not change across the 28 days of washout and was approximately 16 nanograms per milliliter (16 parts per billion).”
How long does inorganic mercury stay in the brain?
The average mercury half-life in the human infant brain is unknown. So that means that mercury ACCUMULATES in the brain. Burbacher et al found in infant monkeys that “The half-life of inorganic Hg is too long (greater than 120 days) to be accurately estimated from the present data.”
How much of the flu shot vaccine supply has this amount of mercury from Thimerosal?
Based on the projected supply of flu shots available, around 56 percent of the 2009-2010 flu vaccine supply contains Thimerosal (6) .
Can I or my child get the flu shot without mercury?
Yes, but you have to ask. You should insist on reading the “vaccine package insert” BEFORE getting the flu shot—in order to verify that it is Thimerosal free. Not all clinics carry the Thimerosal free vaccines.
Jim Thompson is a registered professional engineer. He and his wife Susan live and work in rural South Dakota. Their first granddaughter, Taylor Haug, was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, epilepsy, verbal apraxia, motor disorder, and sensory integration disorder. Her loving memory has influenced his family’s decision to help protect children from vaccine injuries.
Q & A - How About a Half Cup of Mercury Hazardous Waste?
How much mercury is in the flu shot when it has Thimerosal as a preservative?
There are 25 micrograms of mercury in each flu shot that uses Thimerosal as a preservative (1). And a half cup of water (4 ounces) with that much mercury has 0.2114 parts per million mercury and is considered a hazardous waste by the USEPA (2).
Why is there a concern about mercury?
Mercury is a known neurotoxin (4).
How much mercury is in the blood after receiving a flu shot with Thimerosal?
The mercury blood level in human newborns has been measured at a peak levels with an average of 5 nanograms per milliliter (5 parts per billion) (5).
How much mercury ends up in the brain?
The mercury level in the human infant brain after receiving a shot with Thimerosal is unknown. However tests have been performed on infant monkeys. Burbacher et al (5) gave infant monkeys shots with Thimerosal--with the same mercury weight per body weight, on average, as received by human infants. This study reported that “The inorganic form of Hg was readily measurable in the brain of the thimerosal-exposed infants. The average concentration of inorganic Hg did not change across the 28 days of washout and was approximately 16 nanograms per milliliter (16 parts per billion).”
How long does inorganic mercury stay in the brain?
The average mercury half-life in the human infant brain is unknown. So that means that mercury ACCUMULATES in the brain. Burbacher et al found in infant monkeys that “The half-life of inorganic Hg is too long (greater than 120 days) to be accurately estimated from the present data.”
How much of the flu shot vaccine supply has this amount of mercury from Thimerosal?
Based on the projected supply of flu shots available, around 56 percent of the 2009-2010 flu vaccine supply contains Thimerosal (6) .
Can I or my child get the flu shot without mercury?
Yes, but you have to ask. You should insist on reading the “vaccine package insert” BEFORE getting the flu shot—in order to verify that it is Thimerosal free. Not all clinics carry the Thimerosal free vaccines.
1) http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/vaccines/QuestionsaboutVaccines/ucm070430.htm.
2) http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/get-cfr.cgi?TITLE=40&PART=261&SECTION=24&TYPE=TEXT
3) http://www.epa.gov/mercury/health.htm
4) http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/121/2/e208
5) http://www.ehponline.org/members/2005/7712/7712.pdf
6) http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/vaxsupply.htm#table
Jim Thompson is a registered professional engineer. He and his wife Susan live and work in rural South Dakota. Their first granddaughter, Taylor Haug, was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, epilepsy, verbal apraxia, motor disorder, and sensory integration disorder. Her loving memory has influenced his family’s decision to help protect children from vaccine injuries.
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