Though there are many natural sources of mercury emissions such as volcanoes, geothermal springs, geologic deposits and the ocean, human activities may have doubled or even tripled natural amounts of mercury in the atmosphere within the past 150 years. In fact, according to a U.S. Global Survey, human activities have caused the atmosphere's mercury content to rise by 1.5 percent a year; and the problem is global. In the modern era, mercury became a common ingredient in some of the following products:

• Paints
• Pesticides
• Batteries
• Fluorescent light bulbs
• Skin creams
• Vaccines
• Non-digital oral thermometers

It is important to understand, however, that mercury is an incredibly toxic and dangerous substance; a single drop in a large lake could make all the fish in it unsafe for consumption. In the United States, coal-fired plants pump about 50 tons of mercury into the air each year: Mercury from such emissions falls out of the sky and into oceans, lakes, rivers and streams, contaminating the flesh of fish, shellfish, seals and whales. If you are one of the unfortunate people that wind up eating these fish then you are setting the stage for future health problems. Big predators such as albacore tuna, shark and swordfish can contain as much as 100 times more mercury in their tissue than smaller fish. According to a nationwide survey by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, one in 12 women of childbearing age already have unsafe blood levels of mercury--as many as 600,000 babies in the United States could be at risk of developing health complications. Data suggests that even tiny amounts of mercury exposure in utero could cause children to suffer from:

• Slower reflexes
• Language deficits
• Shortened attention spans

For adults, the health risk factors are just as severe, including a strong link to heart disease, as well as Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease and the escalating rate of autism. Still, seafood is just one of the most common sources of mercury exposure in adults. Other Sources of Mercury Exposure Another major source of mercury exposure: Silver dental fillings. Contrary to what many may assume, "silver" fillings are not entirely silver, for elemental mercury makes up half the substance of mercury fillings. Studies have proven that people with mercury-containing dental fillings show an association between the number and size of the fillings and the amount of mercury found in their urine. Moreover, evidence has shown the level of mercury in the brain tissue of fetuses, newborns and young children is directly linked to the number of surface amalgam fillings the mother has. Last, mercury contamination is also an issue concerning pediatric vaccines. In previous years, many infants received regular injections of mercury on a state-mandated, medically sanctioned schedule. The mercury in the injections is derived from a compound known as thimerosal--which has been used as a preservative in vaccines and other medicines. In light of health dangers, the Food and Drug Administration recommended thimerosal be removed from all pediatric vaccines; it has been removed from all vaccines except for one ... the influenza vaccine. Because of such thimerosal-tainted injections, some scientists and many more aggravated parents are convinced childhood vaccines have already caused, or at least catalyzed, the growing U.S. epidemic of autism. Article reprinted from Discover Magazine -------- Articles of interest from Dr Jay Dooreck D.D.S. P.C. in areas of holistic health reprinted with permission from HolisticDentistryNY.com - Sign up for their Free Newsletter.