PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

Greenpeace Mercury Hair Testing Event Coming SOON to Pittsburgh!
by Nisha Swinton Wednesday, Jul. 21, 2004 at 6:34 PM
nisha.swinton@sfo.greenpeace.org 415-255-9221 ext.319

How are power plants impacting your health? Take action by getting your hair sample taken to determine your level of mercury exposure from dirty power like coal. Greenpeace will be hosting a free sampling event in Pittsburgh on August 6th, 11am – 2pm at Hair by Conroy 442 Brownsville Road.

In an effort to raise awareness about human health hazards associated with dirty energy, Greenpeace is sponsoring a nationwide hair-testing project for mercury. Through these tests, volunteers will be helping to bring awareness about the need to make the switch from polluting fossil fuels, to healthier, renewable energy. Greenpeace aims to make this the largest hair test for mercury in American history.

Mercury is a highly toxic chemical that can affect the central nervous system. Personal exposure to mercury, especially in the womb, can cause severe problems similar to those seen in other neurotoxins like lead: inability to focus and pay attention, delayed language development, impaired memory, vision and motor coordination, and problems processing information.

The largest emitter of mercury pollution is coal-fired power plants. It is possible to reduce mercury emissions from these plants by 90 percent right now. Yet President Bush's recent plan would allow three times this pollution and take a decade or two to implement! Americans are stunned to hear this news about mercury; amazingly, over 500,000 people have called, emailed or faxed the President and told the Bush Administration not to weaken standards for this toxin!

What else can you do? Get tested! Greenpeace is holding an event on Friday, August 6th from 11 am to 2 pm at Hair by Conroy on 442 Brownsville Road in Pittsburgh. To learn more and sign up, go to http://www.greenpeaceusa.org/cen/mercury

The Environmental Protection Agency and Centers for Disease Control estimate that as many as one in six (around 630,0000) American children are born with potentially unsafe levels of mercury in their blood.

People have the right to know what is in their bodies, and the good news is that elevated levels of mercury are not permanent and can be lowered with proper treatment. Ultimately, toxic mercury should not end up in our lakes, rivers, streams, food and ultimately our bodies. Renewable energy, unlike fossil fuels, have no mercury emissions (nor do they have pollution that cause asthma, smog or global warming).

Participants in the Greenpeace study will sign up online to receive a hair testing kit, which will include sampling instructions, background documents about mercury, a simple questionnaire and a consent form. Samples will be sent to an academic laboratory, where results will be analyzed and mailed back to participants within two to three weeks of the sample.

Personal test results will remain confidential, but Greenpeace and the lab will be compiling cumulative information that will be released in a report later this year. The testing is Free so please come out and
Support Clean Energy! Get Tested for Mercury!

www.greenpeaceusa.org/cen/mercury

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