Heavy Metal Poisioning Metals in Your Environment

It May NOT Be the Water  (This is not our work, but great information- see credit).

“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.

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

First Upper Delaware BioBlitz A Blast – Aquatic macroinvertebrates

Despite torrential rains that left some roadways in Northern Wayne County impassable on June 28, teams of scientists and volunteers managed to make their way to Starlight, PA on time to commence a 24-hour collection period to catalogue as many life forms as possible during the first Upper Delaware BioBlitz.

(Photo: Shane Flory, a member of the Monroe County 4H club, “Insects Are Us,” was in his glory after capturing a common green darner dragonfly during the first Upper Delaware BioBlitz.)

“The event was a huge success with 50 world-class scientists from throughout Pennsylvania and New York participating in the collection, identification and cataloguing of over 1,000 separate species of plants, animals and insects,” said event organizer, Steve Schwartz. “They were helped out by amateur naturalists including an entire 4H club from Monroe County on the insect team. Over 25 volunteers helped run the event and ensure it operated smoothly.”

On June 29, the public had the opportunity to visit the 64-acre property owned by the Norcross Wildlife Foundation and interact with the scientists as well as participate in various demonstrations and tours.

Teams of researchers focused on specific categories including aquatic macroinvertebrates, birds, botany, fish, fungi, reptiles and amphibians, invertebrates, mammals, mosses and lichens.

The primary goal of a BioBlitz is to compile a snapshot survey of the life on a particular property as an indicator of the biodiversity of the area.

Data collected during the event will be added to data collected through other efforts such as the Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory database, the NPS survey of Flora in the Delaware River Corridor, the 1991 Natural Areas Inventory of Wayne County by The Nature Conservancy and other sources.

Other goals include raising public awareness, fostering scientific interests in children and providing opportunities for collaboration and interdisciplinary research.

“The Upper Delaware BioBlitz gave us a glimpse into the amazingly rich and vital variety of life found in this landscape,” explained Don Hamilton of the National Park Service Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River, who served on the steering committee. “This diverse community of living things acts to efficiently enrich the soil, cycle nutrients, purify water, pollinate plants (including our crops) and create the very air we breathe—all ecosystem services that benefit and sustain us, which we could not easily re-engineer.”

Species were identified using a variety of collection protocols, ranging from actual capture to digital photography.

The Bird Team identified 55 different species, including a blue-gray gnatcatcher. An American black duck observed in the confluence of Shehawken Creek and the West Branch of the Delaware River is believed to have been blown in by the severe weather preceding the event.  Click Here to read the team’s E-Bird report.

As for the future, it is hoped that the event will continue to be held in various areas in the Upper Delaware region. “There is much interest in making it an annual event,” says Schwartz. “Perhaps it would alternate years between New York and Pennsylvania.”

Visit the Upper Delaware BioBlitz webpage or the BioBlitz Facebook page for more information.

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.

NGWA Seeks Comment on Draft of Water Well Construction Standard

Private Well Owners Workshop in Luzerne County Pennsylvania

We ARE What We Drink !
Learning More About Our Water In Northeast Pennsylvania

A private well owner workshop designed to educate and protect citizens from common and potential contaminants. Join us for a great day of education and an opportunity to test a sample of your own well water (pH and a few other parameters).

Saturday, July 27,2013
10:00AM –12:00PM

9:00AM –9:45AM
Check-in & Family Nature Walk •
The Educational Workshop is free!
• All children are welcome to attend as well!
• Please bring a sample of your tap water to the workshop for an initial pH test!

Workshop Sessions:

10:00 AM Your Water: The Contaminants You Can’t See! presented by Brian Oram, B.F. Environmental Consultants  (PDF version of presentation)

11:00 AM Protecting Your Water: Taking the First Step presented by Brian Oram, B.F. Environmental Consultants  (PDF version of presentation)

11:45PM Test your well water’s pH and a few other factors

Limit of 40 attendees—Pre-registration is required by July 19th. Brian Oram’s attendance is made possible by the Carbon County Groundwater Guardians.

The mission of the Luzerne Conservation District is to conserve land and water resources in Luzerne County by promoting public awareness, providing technical assistance, and encouraging regulatory compliance.  (PDF Document for Event)- Other outreach in Luzerne County, PA

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.  Help the Organization and Get Your Water Tested or Order the Private Well Owner Guide (proceeds benefit This Organiazation).

Pennsylvania Abandoned Mine Reclamation Conference August 2013