[Rockhounds] Toxic Minerals and Common Sense

[Axel Emmermann]

Methyl-mercury kills far faster. There was a spill of that product in the
Minamata bay. Methyl-mercury dissociates into methanol and mercury hydroxide
in contact with water. The fish and shellfish in the bay were contaminated
and thus the mercury hydroxide found it's way into the human food chain. 

The difference between mercury and mercury compounds is that the human body
retains the compounds more easily. Mercury vapor is unhealthy and may cause
serious health problems over time. Methyl-mercury is so incredibly poisonous
that even a few hundred molecules will kill you. Same with methyl-lead witch
causes metal disorders and lowers the IQ.

AXEL



> -----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
> Van: rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com 
> [mailto:rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com] Namens J Bryan Kramer
> Verzonden: zaterdag 11 augustus 2007 0:55
> Aan: Rockhounds at drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem 
> collectors
> Onderwerp: Re: [Rockhounds] Toxic Minerals and Common Sense
> 
> Well Minimata disease was caused by methyl-mercury which is 
> very toxic. Inorganic insoluble mercury is much less so, 
> after all, generations of school boys played with mercury 
> drops and there are no accounts of piles of dead bodies 
> outside of schools. Hatters are the classic occupational 
> disease victims of disease caused by mercury but their 
> exposure was long lasting and in high concentrations. They 
> were also exposed to boiling solutions of mercuric nitrate, 
> which is a soluble mercury compound.
> 
> This isn't to say that you should expose yourself to mercury vapor.
> 
> By like many things in the modern world, elemental mercury 
> exposure hysteria is over hyped.
> 
> BK
> 
> On 8/10/07, Axel Emmermann <axel.emmermann at pandora.be> wrote:
> > Licking cinnabar likely is much less dangerous than heating it. I 
> > wouldn't make a habit of it though.
> >
> > Mercury sulfide has a very low solubility in water but even 
> a little 
> > heat can dissociate the mineral in it's components. In the book 
> > 
> <http://www.amazon.com/Ultraviolet-guide-minerals-ultraviolet-identifi
> > cation
> > 
> /dp/B0006Y44MU/ref=sr_1_2/002-4364605-1319247?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1186
> > 784838 &sr=1-2> Ultraviolet guide to minerals: A complete working 
> > manual for the use of ultraviolet light in locating and recognizing 
> > minerals, including field identification charts by Sterling Gleason 
> > there is a detection method for Hg that uses heat of a 
> Bunsen burner 
> > to evaporate mercury. The idea behind it is that the vapor 
> blocks SW 
> > UV. Placing the flame and specimen between a UV-source and 
> a willemite 
> > screen, the Hg-vapor would cast dark shadows on the fluorescent 
> > screen. Don't try this at home folks.
> > Minamata-disease is no laughing matter.
> >
> >
> > There is however a number of minerals that ARE dangerous to the 
> > licking
> > kind: all minerals that contain beryllium.
> > Beryllium is highly carcinogenic. Even in extremely low 
> doses like in 
> > the so-called 'infinitesimal solutions'.
> >
> > I would also avoid licking thallium minerals or any primary 
> uranium, 
> > thorium, gallium..... minerals. Also sawing dust of those 
> is very toxic.
> >
> > Still, aluminum MAY look harmless but continuous exposure 
> to low doses 
> > may cause dementia if I remember correctly. So alum is not really 
> > harmless ;-)))
> >
> > Cheers
> >
> > Axel
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
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> 
> --
> J Bryan Kramer
> North Florida, USA
> photos at:
> http://pbase.com/photoburner
> --
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