infertility, birth defects, and fetal developmental effects related to mercury from amalgam dental fillings

I. Introduction

Mercury is one of the most toxic substances commonly encountered, and according to Government agencies causes adverse health effects in large numbers of people in the U.S.[1,2] The extreme toxicity of mercury can be seen from documented effects on wildlife by very low levels of mercury exposure. Because of the extreme toxicity of mercury, only ½ gram is required to contaminate the ecosystem and fish of a 10 acre lake to the extent that a health warning would be issued by the government to not eat the fish [3]. Over half the rivers and lakes in Florida have such health warnings[4] banning or limiting eating of fish, as do approximately 20% of all U.S. lakes, all Great Lakes, 7% of all U.S. river miles, and many bays. Other countries including Canada have similar experience.

That mercury can affect fertility is well known since mercury has been commonly used as a spermicide in birth control products. Potential effects can again be seen from effects on wildlife. Some Florida panthers that eat birds and animals that eat fish, frogs, and turtles containing very low levels of mercury (about 1 part per million) have died from chronic mercury poisoning[5,6]. Since mercury is an estrogenic chemical and reproductive toxin, the majority of the rest cannot reproduce. The average male Florida panther has estrogen levels as high as females, due to the estrogenic properties of mercury. Similar is true of some other animals at the top of the food chain like alligators and wading birds[5,6,7], and marine mammals such as polar bears, seals, beluga and orca whales.

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