Any thoughts on this UK paper about mercury levels in urine?

[Guest guest]

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0029547#pone-\

0029547-g001

I'm not good at reading the diagrams. Apparently the ASD children and the

special school children had more mercury in their urine. I'mnotsure about the

classification of the children ie which group they were assigned to. Eg ASD

children might also be in special school.

One group of children was much older than the others (special school) and would

have been affected by circulating pubertal hormones, I think.Also any child in a

special school, even if not diagnosed with an ASD, may have a biological problem

that might include problems with heavy metals.

Also - can you assume anything about the effect of thiomersal in a baby when you

are only measuring their urinary mercury excretion once they are 8 -12 years of

age?

Margaret