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TO MEDICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDITORS: |
Health Care Without Harm's Mercury Man Escorts the Mad Hatter Out the Door
At NIH |
Government Labs Lead the Way with Pledge to Stop Use of Mercury |
BETHESDA, MARYLAND, Apr. 26 -/E-Wire/-- Today, the environmental superhero "Mercury Man" was on hand to symbolically escort "The Mad Hatter" from the building as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center signed Health Care Without Harm's "Making Medicine Mercury-Free" pledge today in an informal ceremony. The ceremony was also held to kick-off NIH's groundbreaking "Mad as a Hatter" Pledge Program, to eliminate mercury in its research facilities. This is the first time government laboratories have publicly stated their commitment to phase out their use of mercury-containing laboratory chemicals.
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The Clinical Center has already phased out over 1500 mercury-containing blood pressure devices and discontinued the purchase of new mercury-containing products. The "Mad as a Hatter" Program will expand upon this commitment and target labs for removal of mercury products.
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"This is an historic day for science and public health," noted Jamie Harvie, Mercury Coordinator for Health Care Without Harm. "Having the NIH labs make this commitment to stop using mercury sends a strong message to other facilities that mercury compounds are not necessary for scientifically valid lab procedures."
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Mercury has traditionally been used in fixatives such as Zenker's solution and other lab chemicals. If those chemicals are dumped down the drain, the mercury can be converted into methylmercury by microorganisms present in lakes and rivers. That methylmercury enters the aquatic ecosystem, where it concentrates in animals at the top of the food chain.
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Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that can affect the way we see, hear, touch, taste and feel. It is particularly dangerous for pregnant woman because it can pass from a mother to her developing fetus. Infants and young children are also very vulnerable to the impacts of mercury because it can affect their developing brains. Most people are exposed to mercury through the consumption of fish and seafood. A recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 1 in 10 women in the U.S. have sufficiently high levels of mercury in their bodies to cause neurological damage to their unborn children.
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In explaining why the Clinical Center (CC) signed the "Making Medicine Mercury-Free" Pledge, Michele R. Evans, Dr. PH, CC Safety Officer stated, "The goal was to reduce our liabilities associated with the use of mercury and make the hospital a safer place for our patients and staff. It was a win-win situation."
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"The Mad Hatter still lurks in many labs and health care facilities that continue to use mercury," said Mercury Man. "When all of these places have adopted the mercury alternatives that are available, he'll go back to Wonderland where he belongs!"
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More than 600 hospitals and clinics have signed the HCWH pledge to phase out mercury. The NIH facilities are the first group of laboratories to undertake a pledge program. Each facility will establish its own timetable and strategy for "Making Medicine Mercury-Free."
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HCWH is an international coalition of more than 300 organizations in 27 countries committed to transforming the health care industry so it is no longer a source of environmental harm. To learn more about Health Care Without Harm, visit http://www.noharm.org/
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