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Mercury Forum to Promote Facts, Not Fear
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May 8, 2002 Mobile, AL
Later this month researchers, government personnel and industry
representatives plan to set the record straight concerning methylmercury
contamination in the northern Gulf of Mexico.
On May 20-21st at the Mobile Convention Center, 23
speakers from as far away as Denmark will educate attendees on topics that
range from how mercury gets into the water to how dangerous the mercury
levels are in the Gulf. However,
the information presented at meeting will all be drawn strictly from
scientific research conducted on mercury over the last several decades. “We just
want to get the facts out in front of people. There’s been too much
misinformation and finger pointing going on around the Gulf,” says Dr.
LaDon Swann of the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, one of the
Forum’s sponsors. “We want to educate everyone about mercury, and then
based on what we learn here, decide what needs to be done next.” For the
first time ever, researchers from the two most recognized mercury studies
in the world will speak at the same event. Drs. Phillip Davidson and Gary
Meyers will discuss the Seychelles Study and Drs. Richard Clapp and
Philippe Grandjean will talk about the Faroe Islands Studies—both
studies involved human health effects concerning methylmercury levels in
humans. In addition
to health-related presentations and discussions on mercury, the Forum will
also cover topics such as mercury in the environment, current and proposed
mercury science and education projects, and the economic realities of
mercury in the environment. Industrial
presentations will address research on offshore oil and gas sources,
mercury controls in coal-fired power plants, and an update on Minamata (a
Japanese town suffering from mercury poison due to a manufacturer’s
negligence). Other topics
include a seafood industry perspective, a recreational fishing perspective
and a social impact assessment of mercury contamination in the Mobile
River Basin. The Mercury
Forum is expected to draw approximately 200 attendees including
researchers, environmentalists, medical professionals, industry personnel,
seafood representatives, policy makers, educators and students. For
complete details about the Mercury Forum, visit www.masgc.org/mercury,
or contact Tim Reid at 228-818-8838 or Lee Yokel at 251-431-6409.
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