more on mercury in dental amalgams

November 18, 2002

Here is the part that got me.... there is tons more:

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Dental Amalgam Proven to be a Major Source of Mercury Toxicity

Dental amalgam is comprised of approximately 46% to 56% elemental mercury

with varying amounts of silver, copper, zinc, tin and other trace metals

depending on the manufacturing source. A large dental amalgam may contain

more than 750 mg of elemental mercury. After placement of a mercury/silver

dental amalgam, there is persistent, low level release of elemental mercury

vapor into the body for many years thereafter. Scientific research has

proven that the corrosion of dental amalgams by chewing, exposure to oxygen

in breathed air, food acids and the electrolytic effect of minerals in

saliva (called " oral galvanism " ), causes the continual release of elemental

mercury vapor into the body 24 hours a day and the uptake of inorganic

mercury in swallowed saliva that exceeds known standards of exposure by 10

to 100 times. Studies have shown that a single 0.4 [cm.sup.2] ocdusal

amalgam can release 15 mcg of mercury vapor per day. Human autopsy research

has validated the statistical correlation between the number of d ental

amalgam fillings and CNS mercury levels. [8]

US government risk assessment studies prepared by the Public Heath Service

in 1994, established standard minimum risk levels (MRLs) for acute and

chronic mercury exposure for the general population. The acute mercury

exposure MRL is 0.02 mcg per cubic meter of air which translates into an

intake of 0.4 mcg per day. The chronic mercury exposure MRL is 0.014 mcg per

cubic meter of air which translates into an intake of 0.28 mcg per day. From

conservative estimates of the daily intake of amalgam mercury vapor

determined by medical and dental experts, the USPHS has concluded that the

average daily intake of amalgam mercury vapor exceeds the established MRLs.

The USPHS has ruled that chronic exposure to mercury from dental amalgams is

not without risk to the general population (USPHS, ATSDR; Toxicological

Profile for Mercury: Update TP-93/10; page 125). Moreover, in 1991, the

World Health Organization confirmed that dental amalgam is the greatest

source of mercury Vapor in the non-industrially exposed population,

significantly exceeding that from food or air. [10]

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Pam B.

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