The magical properties of Mercury, the metal the EU wants to ban

Daily Mail (U.K.) ^ | 6-7-07 | MICHAEL HANLON

[Renfield]

Few substances on Earth are stranger. It shines like a mirror, conducts electricity and is as much of a metal as copper or iron.

~~~snip~~~

And now Brussels is banning it. Of course, not even the European Commission has the power to ban a chemical element, but what they have done is forbidden its use in traditionally made scientific instruments on health and safety and environmental grounds.

Britain's traditional barometer makers now face closure, effectively bringing to an end more than 350 years of a unique craft. Mercury thermometers - every mother's godsend - are similarly under threat.

~~~snip~~~

[Hegemony Cricket]

Whelp - so much for the CFL...

[saganite]

What’s the Canadian Football League got to do with it?

[Don Corleone]

The Unpleasant Truth....Most Governments are NUTZ!

[Lokibob]

I once found Tuna fish in my thermometer.

[massgopguy]

It’s an element for Pete’s sake, just like Arsenic in the drinking water. You can’t destroy an element.

[preacher]

Compact Fluorescent Lightbulb

[coloradan]

They don’t want to destroy it, they want to ban it. No mercury for YOU!!

[Hegemony Cricket]

Hehehe...

[Lokibob]

When you barometer reads 30”. That is 30” of mercury. In other words, the weight of the atmosphere is capable of supporting 30” of mercury in a glass tube.

[Bender2]

Re: Mercury compounds have been used even in modern medicine, and mercury was also allegedly used as an extremely cunning weapon in World War II. Allied spies spread a paste of mercury on the wings and fuselages of German planes.

Mercury dissolves aluminium, and the planes mysteriously fell apart in mid-air.

Whoa! Never heard that before...

And that's probably why... I have this lingering fear of Rectal Thermometers!

[mtbopfuyn]

And it’s fun to play with!

[sittnick]

Don’t some vaccines and metal dental fillings still contain traces of mercury?

[wysiwyg]

Whelp - so much for the CFL...

Not to mention neon and mercury vapor lighting...

[dawn53]

The silver fillings (amalgams) are about 50 percent mercury. Most dentists don’t use them very much nowadays and opt for the composite (or white) fillings.

Thimerisol, contains mercury, and it was used in many vaccines, but it also has been eliminated from most childhood vaccines (the flu vaccine being the exception...however you can get a flu vaccine without thimerisol.)

[Dick Bachert]

And once these brilliant folk solve THIS problem, it’s on to a meeting with King Canute on the shore of the Bay of Fundy — at low tide — concerning those unruly TIDAL MOVEMENTS.

[dawn53]

I heard a 12 year old call into our local radio’s fishing show (we’re in Florida) and tell the hosts about the many mackeral he’d been catching. They warned him not to eat too many mackeral because of their high mercury content, and he said, “I know, they give you ADD. We usually give them to our neighbors.”

[Joe 6-pack]

Cinnabar / Vermilion is a classic mercury based pigment used in many historical paintings no doubt hanging in the state museums throughout Europe.

I'll look forward to acquiring a few Vermeers at "must go" prices once the ban goes into effect.

[Fresh Wind]

Mercury...rots the brain...

OK, so why don't they ban TV?

[Renfield]

That must explain my mental peculiarities. I used to catch (and eat) a lot of King Mackerel.

[southlake_hoosier]

If I am not mistaken, it is illegal to sell mercury or any product that contains mercury in the State of Illinois as of July 1st.

[JimC214]

Speaking of Mercury melting Aluminum, I have an old gun smithing book from the 1930’s and it recommends that the best way to remove lead from a rifle barrel is to cork one end and pour mercury into it and let it sit for a week.

[CholeraJoe]

You just gave me a strange thought. What would happen if you loaded a shotgun shell with mercury? Would the mercury hold tegether when it was fired or vaporize?

[WakeUpAndVote]

I don’t think it would vaporize, just disperse into a mist like an aerosol. Would be nice to test that out though. Maybe on a ham.

[dawn53]

We occasionally eat a regular mackeral...especially like it smoked. However, they warn against eating any King Mackeral at all. But when I was a kid we used to eat King Mackeral steaks.

Here’s the gov’t. recommendations:

http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/fishadvice/advice.html

[ChocChipCookie]

I don’t remember exactly how this happened, but some mercury spilled on my husband’s wedding ring several years ago. It pretty much destroyed the gold, and we had to get the ring replaced.

[ClaireSolt]

These people would stop everything, if they could.

[Ditto]

If I am not mistaken, it is illegal to sell mercury or any product that contains mercury in the State of Illinois as of July 1st.

What about the compact florescent light bulbs?

[television is just wrong]

they don’t ban tv, because they make money off of you watching it.

[Grammy]

The EU is nuts. They have banned chrome totally (Mr G was with our friend at Taylor guitars....they are changing the hinges on all their cases) and all lead, including lead solder. The replacement solder has toxic fumes, and contains silver, which may be more toxic than the lead.

Car and truck batteries are exempt from the ban. They have more lead than the solder.

[Rummenigge]

Damn burocrates - now we have to say goodbuy to neural toxins in thermometers we put into our childrens mouth (and elsewhere).

How unbritish.

The british thermometer industry is suffering ? WTF ?
Bodytemperature is measured with IR sensors nowadays.

No wonder these guys don’t build motorcycles and cars anymore.

[TC Rider]

Nothing to fear my friend.

Bender’s composition is revealed to be 30% iron, 40% dolomite, 40% titanium and 40% zinc, with a 0.04% nickel impurity

[southlake_hoosier]

What about the compact florescent light bulbs?

The way I understand it, no mercury in anything after July 1st.

[TweetEBird007]

Mercury was used in pistol bullets for a while.

[crazycat]

It’s even more stupid, they are banning normal lightbulbs and forceing us to use CFL’s.......now work that one out.

[Daffynition]

Beware of forgeries.

[Joe 6-pack]

"Beware of forgeries."

Don't worry about me...I've a pretty good eye for such things. I'd stake my entire reputation on the authenticity of this recent acquisition:

[Daffynition]

I've run off with Vitruvian Man and joined the circus.

[Joe 6-pack]

"I've run off with Vitruvian Man and joined the circus."

Oh wheely? I had a round-about idea you might try something like that...just a sketchy notion, if you will. I wish you all the best, and a vitruvian home full of 2.5 vitruvian kids and a vitruvian dog...

[Daffynition]

Vitruvian Man #1 was overweight.

Vitruvian Man #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 better not be hiding anything.

[Joe 6-pack]

All I can say is I’m more vitruvian than either of those two...in fact, I’m more of a vitruvian race horse ;-)

[Daffynition]

You? Vous êtes un poulet... peut-être.

[Old Professer]

True; but your barometer is likely an anerobic barometer and hasn't a drop of mercury in its construction.

This type is filled with it:

[Joe 6-pack]

Vitruvian men don’t do french....

[Daffynition]

Don't toy with me.

[Daffynition]

Did you jump the shark?

[Joe 6-pack]

Just T-sing you....

[gathersnomoss]

Well, for one thing, Mercury is really hard to pick up with your hand. Reminder to self, don’t let the kids play with Mercury.

[gathersnomoss]

Aaaggghhh.

[Hot Tabasco]

However, they warn against eating any King Mackeral

Here in Michigan they warn against eating too many fish caught from lake St. Clair or the bigger lakes due to the alleged mercury contamination. What they don't tell you is that whatever mercury "May" be present in the fish will not end up in the meaty part of the fish but rather the fatty tissue on the bottom of the fish which is easily and usually removed during the filleting process.