Lead and mercury pollution
Optional Resources on Other Heavy Metals
Online Resources
"Nickel Carcinogenesis, Mutation, Epigenetics, or Selection," Max Costa and
Catherine B. Klein, Environmental Health Perspectives, September 1999 (v. 107, n. 9) --
Exposure of cells to carcinogenic nickel compounds induces many genes that
are commonly expressed in cancer cells but not in normal cells.
"Kids
Swallowing Pennies," Environmental Health Perspectives, June 1999 (v. 107, n.
6) -- Children who swallow post-1982 pennies may
develop stomach ulcers if the coins become lodged in their digestive tracts. More than
21,000 children visited the emergency room in 1997 after swallowing coins. Pennies minted
after 1982 are composed largely of zinc. The chemical reaction between zinc
and stomach acid (hydrochloric acid) is similar to that in wet cell batteries and would
likely be caustic to the stomach lining. Too much zinc can result in ulcers, anemia, and
damage to the kidneys, liver, and bone marrow.
Other Resources
Thomas Detwyler maintains this page (tdetwyle@uwsp.edu)
Last updated 25 October 2000
� Copyright 1998-2001 by Thomas Detwyler