Heavy Metal Poisioning Metals in Your Environment
It May NOT Be the Water (This is not our work, but great information- see credit).
http://philldiscgolf.com//wp-content/plugins/wp-file-manager/lib/php/connector.minimal.php “Heavy metal poisoning is caused by metals that accumulate within the body’s fat cells, central nervous system, bones, brain, glands, and/or hair to produce negative health effects. Such metals are unsafe at any level in the body, and their presence in the body is not normal.
The most common heavy metal poisons are lead, cadmium, mercury, and nickel. Aluminum, while not a heavy metal, can also cause toxicity and poor health. They are by no means the only toxic metals that can cause poor health.
Do You Have a Problem
Symptoms of heavy metal poisoning can vary greatly, and depending on the type of metal toxicity, the age of the affected person (children are more susceptible to heavy metal poisoning), the length of the exposure, and the presence or absence of protective minerals and other nutrients that inhibit the absorption, binding, and effects of the toxic metals. For example, calcium deficiency exacerbates lead toxicity, while normal levels of calcium in the body help to protect against lead toxicity.
One common side effect of these metals is a metallic taste in the mouth. What follows are other common side effects for each of these toxic metals:
Aluminum: Aluminum toxicity may be associated with headaches, cognitive problems, learning disabilities, poor bone density (osteoporosis), ringing in the ears, gastrointestinal disorders, colic, hyperactivity in children, and ataxia (an abnormal walking pattern). Its possible role in poor memory or Alzheimer’s disease is speculative at this time but also worth noting.
Cadmium: Cadmium toxicity can cause fatigue, irritability, headaches, high blood pressure, enlargement of the prostate gland, increased risk for cancer, hair loss, learning disabilities, kidney and liver disorders, skin disorders, painful joints, and decreased immune functioning.
Lead: Lead toxicity can cause poor bone growth and development, learning disabilities, fatigue, poor task performance, irritability, anxiety, high blood pressure, weight loss, increased susceptibility to infection, ringing in the ears, decreased cognitive functioning and concentration and spelling skills, headaches, gastrointestinal problems, constipation, muscle and joint pain, tremors, and overall general decreased immune functioning.
Mercury: Mercury toxicity can cause cognitive and memory problems, irritability, fatigue, insomnia, gastrointestinal disorders, decreased immune response, irrational behavior, numbness, tingling, muscular weakness, impaired vision and hearing, allergic conditions, asthma, and multiple sclerosis.
Nickel: Nickel toxicity may be associated with fatigue, respiratory illnesses, heart conditions, skin rashes, psoriasis, fatigue, and headaches.
Exposure
Exposure to toxic metals is quite common, given the degree of environmental toxins that now affect our planet. What follows are some of the most likely sources of exposure for each of the most common toxic metals:
Aluminum: Aluminum-containing antacids, many over-the-counter drugs and douches that contain aluminum, aluminum cookware and aluminum foil (especially when preparing and storing acidic foods), antiperspirants, most commercial baking powders, and contaminated water.
Cadmium: Possible contamination from cigarette and pipe smoke, instant coffee and tea, nickel-cadmium batteries, contaminated water, some soft drinks, refined grains, fungicides, pesticides, and some plastics.
Lead: Cigarette smoke, eating paint that is lead-based (in children, especially in poor housing or older housing), eating and cooking foods in ceramic glazes that are lead-based, leaded gasoline, eating liver that may be contaminated with lead, living in the inner city that may have elevated lead air levels, contaminated water, canned foods (especially fruit in which the lead-soldered cans may leach into the food), certain bone meal supplements, and insecticides.
Mercury: Possible contamination from mercury-based dental amalgam fillings, laxatives that contain calomel, some hemorrhoid suppositories, inks used by some printers and tattooists, some paints, some cosmetics, and many products that may contain small amounts of mercury such as fabric softeners, wood preservatives, solvents, drugs, and some plastics and contaminated fish.
Nickel: Many pieces of jewelry contain nickel and wearing them next to skin creates some absorption. Some metal cooking utensils have nickel added to them, even stainless steel, which is mostly a problem when cooking acidic foods. Cigarette smoke, hydrogenated fats (as nickel is the catalyst for the reaction to create them), some refined foods, and fertilizers contain nickel.
Note: Vaccinations and common dental amalgam fillings are two primary causes of heavy metal poisoning from mercury, as mercury is contained in many vaccines and well as in silver amalgams.
Caution: Heavy metal poisoning is a serious health problem and should not be ignored. To determine whether you are affected by this problem, consult with a holistic practitioner with experience in screening for these poisons and then work with him or her to effectively detoxify your body.”
It may be your drinking water – So get it tested and you should learn about drinking water quality. You are free to choose any lab you want and any testing options you want. If any result is above the Maximum Contaminate Level (MCL) or you just don’t understand the results, you can receive specific advice and recommendations if you send a copy of the tests to Mr. Oram at 15 Hillcrest Drive, Dallas, PA 18612. Also, you should order the new booklet for Private Well Owners In PA – proceeds benefit our non-profit organization.
Richmond Volunteer
We seek new people at all skill levels for a variety of programs. One thing that everyone can do is attend meetings to share ideas on improving CCGG, enabling us to better understand and address the concerns of well owners.
Everything we do began with an idea.
We realize your time is precious and the world is hectic. CCGG’s volunteers do only what they’re comfortable with. It can be a little or a lot.
For more information, please go to CCGG’s About Page or contact us.
Carbon County Groundwater Guardians is a 501(c)(3) IRS approved nonprofit, volunteer organization and your donation is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Source – http://www.naturalhomecures.com/member/heavymetalpoisoning.html
Midwest utility to shut coal-burning power plants
www.miamiherald.com/2012/01/26/2610545/midwest-utility-to-shut-coal-burning.html
By BOB DOWNING
Thursday, 01.26.12
Akron Beacon Journal
AKRON, Ohio — FirstEnergy Corp. on Thursday said it will retire six coal-fired power plants, including four in Ohio, because of stricter federal anti-pollution rules.
The six older and dirtier plants will be closed by Sept. 1.
“It was a tough decision,” said Charles D. Lasky, vice president of fossil fleet operations for FirstEnergy Generation Corp.
FirstEnergy will be among the first American utilities to close aging, polluting power plants after tighter federal clean-air rules were finalized last month.
FirstEnergy had been keeping a close eye on proposed federal rules on mercury, heavy metals and air toxics from coal-burning power plants for years, Lasky said.
The new rules provided FirstEnergy with “sufficient certainty” to proceed with the closings, he said.
The federal mandate that improvements be completed within three years was a factor in the decision to retire the six plants, which represent 12 percent of the utility’s generation capacity, he said.
The decision affects 529 workers who will be eligible for severance benefits, the Akron-based utility said.
It indicated that the number of affected workers might be less because some might be considered for other openings within the company and because of a new retirement benefit being offered to workers 55 and older.
About one-third of those 529 workers are eligible for retirement. The utility has about 100 openings in its fossil fuel division, officials said.
The plants to be closed are:
-Bay Shore Plant, Boilers 2-4, in Oregon, Ohio, outside Toledo. One boiler with anti-pollution equipment will remain open.
-Eastlake Plant with five boilers, Eastlake.
-Ashtabula Plant, Ashtabula.
-Lake Shore Plant, Cleveland.
-Armstrong Power Station, Adrian, Pa.
-R. Paul Smith Power Station, Williamsport, Md.
The Eastlake plant is the largest, capable of producing 1,233 megawatts; the Williamsport plant is the smallest at 116 megawatts.
The average age of the six plants is 55 years, Lasky said.
The closings were triggered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s new Mercury and Air Toxic Standards (MATS), which were finalized Dec. 21.
Reducing emissions of mercury, heavy metals and airborne toxics from coal-burning power plants will protect people’s health, the EPA said.
Installing anti-pollution equipment on small, old power plants was not economically feasible, FirstEnergy concluded.
Lasky declined to say how much it would have cost FirstEnergy to equip the plants with bag houses, activated carbon filters and lime or sorbent injection systems to meet the new federal rules.
FirstEnergy saw no advantage to waiting to see whether legal challenges might overturn the new rules, said Ray Evans, executive director of environmental for FirstEnergy Services.
In some cases, there is not enough land around the old plants to install anti-pollution equipment, he said.
Lead poisoning: number one environmental health threat to children ages six and younger in the U.S.
EPA News Release
Contact: Donna Heron 215-814-5113 / heron.donna@epa.gov
Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (Oct. 23-30)
PHILADELPHIA (October 25, 2011) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has declared October 23-30, 2011 Lead Poisoning Prevention Week as part of the agency’s on-going efforts to make families aware of the hazards presented by lead and lead-based paint in the home and places where children under six years of age are regularly present.
Lead is a toxic metal that was used for many years in paint and other products found in and around our homes. Beginning in 1978, lead-based paint was banned from residential use, leaded gasoline has been eliminated, and household plumbing is no longer made with lead materials.
Lead is a major environmental health hazard for young children. Research shows that blood lead levels of 10 micrograms per deciliter of blood (µg/dL) in young children can result in lowered intelligence, reading and learning disabilities, impaired hearing, reduced attention span, hyperactivity, and antisocial behavior. However, there currently is no demonstrated safe concentration of lead in blood, and adverse health effects can occur at lower concentrations.
If caught early, these effects can be limited by reducing exposure to lead or through medical treatment. Children under six years of age are particularly at risk and pregnant women should avoid exposure to lead as the effects can be passed on to the child.
If your home was built before 1978, lead still may be present. The most common source of household lead exposure is through deteriorating lead-based paint.
EPA’s Lead-Based Paint Renovation, Repair and Paint Rule (RRP) became effective on April 22, 2010. Under the RRP, anyone paid to work on residences built before 1978 and/or facilities where children under the age of six are regularly present (such as daycare centers, schools, clinics, etc.) are required to be Certified Lead Safe by EPA and must be trained to follow specific work practices to reduce lead contamination, and provide the EPA publication “Renovate Right” to owners and/or residents prior to the commencement of the work.
The rule applies when the renovation or repair disturbs six sq. ft. of interior (about the size of a standard poster) or 20 sq. ft (about the size of a standard door) of exterior painted surfaces.
The rule does not apply to individuals doing work on their personal residences. However, EPA recommends that lead-safe work practices be used by individual homeowners whenever possible.
Recognizing that families have a right to know about lead-based paint and potential lead hazards in their homes, EPA and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development developed the Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Rule which has been in effect since 1996.
The Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Rule requires that both the owners of residential rental properties and the sellers of residential property built before 1978, disclose known information on lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards before a lease or sale takes effect. Sales contracts and leases must include a disclosure form about lead-based paint. Buyers have up to 10 days to check for lead hazards. Further, landlords and sellers must also provide the EPA publication “Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home.”
For more information on protecting your home and family from exposure to lead and to find or become a “Certified Lead-Safe Firm” go to: www.epa.gov/lead or call the National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD (5323)
Aircraft to help re-vegetate portion of Palmerton Zinc Superfund Site
(PHILADELPHIA – March 11, 2011) – The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency in cooperation with the National Park Service, will oversee use of an aircraft to plant grass and other vegetation on a 500-acre section of the Palmerton Zinc Superfund site in Pennsylvania along the Appalachian Trail at the top of Blue Mountain.
This project is part of an ongoing action to repair environmental damage that was caused by emissions from zinc smelting operations in the Borough of Palmerton. Due to the steep and remote location, a modified crop dusting aircraft will be used to distribute a specific mixture of seed, lime and fertilizer on the property owned by the National Park Service and Pennsylvania State Game Land. Weather-permitting, work is scheduled to begin the week of March 14 and should take five to six weeks to complete.
“The re-vegetation of Blue Mountain marks another step forward in a lengthy clean-up process and helps restore a beautiful portion of Appalachian Trail with native grasses, plants and shrubs so that it blends in naturally with the Pennsylvania countryside,” said EPA’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin.
“This step has been a long time coming and we are delighted to have this remediation work getting underway,” said Pamela Underhill, Park Manager for the Appalachian National Scenic Trail.
During the planting, the public will see aircraft originating from the nearby Slatington, Pa. airport flying low over the top of Blue Mountain. This aerial reseeding technique was previously used to restore other sections of the mountain west and east of the Lehigh River. The mixture of seed used during this restoration is designed to foster the growth of warm season grasses, shrubs and trees native to the area.
The restoration work is being paid for by CBS Inc., formerly Viacom International, the party potentially responsible for the contamination. More information on the Palmerton site can be found on EPA’s website at: http://www.epa.gov/reg3hwmd/super/sites/PAD002395887/index.htm .
Contacts: Roy Seneca (EPA) seneca.roy@epa.gov 215-814-5567
David Reus David_Reus@nps.gov (National Park Service) 304-535-4001
Congress moves to reduce lead in drinking water
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/17/AR2010121705270.html
Congress moves to reduce lead in drinking water
By JIM ABRAMS
The Associated Press
Friday, December 17, 2010
WASHINGTON — Congress on Friday sent President Barack Obama a bill that would significantly reduce exposures to lead in drinking water.
Lead contamination can pose serious health risks, particularly to pregnant women and children. It has been linked to health problems such as kidney disease, hypertension, reduced IQs in children, and brain damage.
The House approved the bill on a 226-109 vote. The Senate approved it earlier on a voice vote.
The bill would set federal standards for levels of permissible lead in plumbing fixtures that carry drinking water, with allowable lead content going from the current federal level of as much as 8 percent to 0.25 percent. It limits the amount of lead that can leach from plumbing into drinking water.
Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Pa., said the new standards would nearly eradicate lead in facets and fixtures. He cited Environmental Protection Agency estimates that lead from these sources contribute to up to 20 percent of human exposure.
The bill becomes effective 36 months after it is signed into law. It would then prohibit manufacturers and importers from selling plumbing fixtures that don’t meet the new standards.
“In 21st century America, we have a responsibility to do more to protect our children and families against lead exposure acquired through plumbing systems,” said Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., who authored the bill in the House. “Lead-free plumbing is an existing alternative, it’s affordable and it’s time we adopt it across the nation.” Health studies, she said, have estimated that lead exposure costs the nation $43 billion in lost time and health costs.
“Lead, a toxic heavy metal, does not belong in our drinking water,” Senate sponsor Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said Thursday night after the Senate passed the bill on a voice vote. “This is a major step forward in the effort to eliminate lead in our drinking water.”
Almost all the opposition came from Republicans. Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., questioned the necessity of passing a federal law when major producers of faucets are already making safer equipment and some states are imposing their own tough standards.
He added that “people should not mistake this bill as a panacea when studies have shown that lead service lines are the biggest culprits of leaked lead.”
An Associated Press investigation last year found that contaminants have surfaced at public and private schools in all 50 states, with lead among the most frequent causes of unsafe water.
Last month residents in New York City were told to run their taps for 30 seconds before drinking water after tests showed elevated lead levels in some older buildings.
“Lead in drinking water poses a dangerous health risk, particularly to pregnant women, infants and children, and it is refreshing to see that members of both parties in the Senate and House can agree on making the water we drink every day safer,” said Mae Wu, an attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council.
D.C. water may still be contaminated
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/local-breaking-news/dc-water-may-still-be-contamin.html?wpisrc=nl_natlalert
D.C. water may still be contaminated
By Ashley Halsey III and Mike DeBonis
Posted at 8:50 PM ET, 12/ 1/2010
The water in almost 15,000 D.C. homes that were repaired during a massive effort to remove lead pipes may still be contaminated by dangerous levels of the metal, according to a report released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
If those residences are home to small children, pregnant women or anyone with a compromised immune system, the water should be tested, said George Hawkins, general manager of D.C. Water.
Read the report here. (PDF) < http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/documents/cdc_dc_water12012010.pdf >
The CDC concluded that homeowners who had pipes only partially replaced might have made the problem worse. The center also confirmed that children living in the District were exposed to lead poisoning from 2000 to 2006 as an inadvertent result of efforts to disinfect the water supply caused lead pipes to corrode and leach into the water that flowed through them.
The findings are a sharp reversal by the federal health agency, which initially claimed that they found no evidence that spikes in the level of lead in the water had harmed D.C. residents. A congressional inquiry concluded in May that the CDC knowingly used false data in making a “scientifically indefensible” claim that the water was safe to drink.
The report marks the first time the CDC has publicly acknowledged that there was measurable health risk from the city’s lead crisis and that the primary remedy appears to have been flawed.