Posted on 09/20/2012 5:47:55 PM PDT by mdittmar
Are kids' school lunches safe?
A new report from the advocacy group Mercury Policy Project finds tuna served as school lunches in some states may contain levels of mercury that the organization deems toxic.
Mercury is a naturally occurring neurotoxin in the environment that can be released into the air through industrial pollution. It builds up in water and streams and turns into methylmercury, a compound which is then absorbed by fish as they feed.
The report, called "Tuna Surprise" is the first to test canned tuna sold to schools, according to its authors.
"Most children are already consuming only modest amounts of tuna and are not at significant risk," Michael Bender, director of the Mercury Policy Project, said in a statement. "So the focus really needs to be on kids who eat tuna often, to limit their mercury exposure by offering them lower-mercury seafood or other nutritious alternatives."
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), nearly all fish and shellfish contain trace levels of mercury, and some can contain higher levels than others. Methylmercury has been tied to harmful effects on unborn babies' and young children's developing nervous systems, according to the EPA.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
IT'S FOR THE CHILDREN!
Miracle Whip......it’s contains more Miracle PPB.
Mmmmmmmmmm.
more Tuna for me and The Cat ,well the Dog likes it to
Oh noes’ the sea kittens are being poisoned....
Would this have something to do with those curly -Q light bulbs? I hear they have mercury in them. The liberal solution to this is to ban eating tuna.
The EPA says it has “harmful effects on unborn babies”
Darn tuna.
While it’s true Miracle Whip has more parts per billion
of Miracle particles they are often neutralized by the
vitamin V in Vienna Sausage.
See how simple nutrition can be?
I think it's dill.
I think it’s the same stuff they put in Spam tm.
Imagine that! Variations! I thought all tuna and kids had to have the exact same amount of mercury.
I think moochelle ought to be forced to shove this crap down her own daughters’ throats.
The EPA says it has “harmful effects on unborn babies”
..........................................................
So does abortion,but they aren’t banning that.
Those tuna have been eating entirely too many compact fluorescent light bulbs.
Keep in mind that emissions in the U.S. were restricted considerably further after 2005.
Another pretty picture: 
More seriously, because the distribution of mercury into the atmosphere is pretty efficient, "near" in my statement above pretty much means anywhere on the planet. Even our beloved EPA says that "Current estimates are that less than half of all mercury deposition within the U.S. comes from U.S. sources."
http://www.epa.gov/mercury/about.htm
Oops, messed up that 2nd image placement slightly. But will leave it as is...
One of my son’s came over for a visit with his 2 sons and I donlt know how we got on the subject of mercury, but I told them Heck, as a kid I played with mercury everytime someone dropped a glass thermometer on the floor...it can scatter into dozens of little balls...my grandsons thought it was hysterical....and I smoke since 13, am 73 and still alive as of right now...tomorrow, who knows....
Undoubtedly, disadvantaged minority kids aren't getting their fair share, and that's obviously because of racism.
Nah, CFLs are perfectly safe, along with the other fluorescent lights (well, unless one breaks, then it's a HazMat incident)...
...and what the EPA fails to mention below is that any clothing or bedding that got contaminated by the mercury needs to be placed in plastic and thrown away because putting them in the washer could contaminate many loads thereafter...
Also, a child's immune system has a much harder time ridding their body of heavy metals, especially those of northern European descent (per my neuro surgeon in Austin who specializes in neuro disorders like autism and blunt force trauma).
Cleaning Up a Broken CFL (EPA)
Before Cleanup1.Have people and pets leave the room, and avoid the breakage area on the way out.
2.Open a window or door to the outdoors and leave the room for 5-10 minutes.
3.Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning (H&AC) system, if you have one.Cleanup Steps for Carpeting or Rugs
1.Carefully scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place debris and paper/cardboard in a glass jar with a metal lid. If a glass jar is not available, use a sealable plastic bag. (NOTE: Since a plastic bag will not prevent the mercury vapor from escaping, remove the plastic bag(s) from the home after cleanup.)
2.Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder. Place the used tape in the glass jar or plastic bag.
3.Vacuuming of carpeting or rugs during cleanup is not recommended unless broken glass remains after all other cleanup steps have been taken. [NOTE: It is possible that vacuuming could spread mercury-containing powder or mercury vapor] If vacuuming is needed to ensure removal of all broken glass, keep the following tips in mind:
◦Keep a window or door to the outdoors open;
◦Vacuum the area where the bulb was broken using the vacuum hose, if available, and
◦Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister) and seal the bag/vacuum debris, and any materials used to clean the vacuum, in a plastic bag.
4.Promptly place all bulb debris and cleanup materials, including vacuum cleaner bags, outdoors in a trash container or protected area until materials can be disposed of. Avoid leaving any bulb fragments or cleanup materials indoors.
5.Next, check with your local government about disposal requirements in your area, because some localities require fluorescent bulbs (broken or unbroken) be taken to a local recycling center. If there is no such requirement in your area, you can dispose of the materials with your household trash.
6.Wash your hands with soap and water after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing bulb debris and cleanup materials.
7.Continue to air out the room where the bulb was broken and leave the H&AC system shut off, as practical, for several hours Cleanup Steps for Carpeting or Rugs 1.Carefully scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place debris and paper/cardboard in a glass jar with a metal lid. If a glass jar is not available, use a sealable plastic bag.
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