The real evil in HFCS/Mercury

[Beeslave]

What effects does mercury have on the Honeybee? Read this and you will know why I asked.
http://scoolfood.org/assets/pdfs/study_mercury_in_hfcs.pdf

"In stark relief, new science shows just how blind to healthfulness some processed food makers have
been. Just published online in the journal, Environmental Health (http://www.ehjournal.net/
), is a science commentary reporting that mercury was found in 9 of 20 samples of commercial
high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), a common sweetener of foods and beverages. The HFCS came
from three different manufacturers."


http://www.ehjournal.net/content/8/1/2

"Mercury cell chlor-alkali products are used to produce thousands of other products including food ingredients such as citric acid, sodium benzoate, and high fructose corn syrup. High fructose corn syrup is used in food products to enhance shelf life. A pilot study was conducted to determine if high fructose corn syrup contains mercury, a toxic metal historically used as an anti-microbial. High fructose corn syrup samples were collected from three different manufacturers and analyzed for total mercury. The samples were found to contain levels of mercury ranging from below a detection limit of 0.005 to 0.570 micrograms mercury per gram of high fructose corn syrup. Average daily consumption of high fructose corn syrup is about 50 grams per person in the United States. With respect to total mercury exposure, it may be necessary to account for this source of mercury in the diet of children and sensitive populations."

[Gene Weitzel]

The only bone I have to pick with this information is that they estimate the potential mercury exposure using the level of mercury from the single highest sample they tested. A large percentage of the samples tested below the detection limit. This would seem to indicate that the risk of being exposed to the overdoses of mercury claimed would be quite small since the chances that all of the HFCS consumed by one person would be contaminated to that extent is small. The reality is that the majority would be below detection limits. While I agree that the data shows that more investigation is needed and certianly supports the contention that mercury cell clor-alkali products should not be used in the production of food ingredients, I don't see support in the data that dangerous levels of mercury exposure can be attributed to HFCS consumption.

Don't get me wrong, it would be great if we could 100% eliminate exposure to heavy metals like mercury, but it just is not possible when every liter of air on the planet contains 0.6 nanograms of mercury vapor. A zero tolerance attitude is not realistic.

As for how mercury affects bees, I don't have any data on that. At this point, the small amount of mercury (it is measured in parts per trillion, 1 ppt is the equivalent of 1 drop in 20 Olympic swimming pools full of water, so even a few hundred ppt is an extremely small contamination) that may or may not be in the HFCS that I feed my bees IMO, seems much less of an issue than the pesticides that they are exposed to with certainty everyday while foraging.

[BEES4U]

Here is some good information on natural and man made sources of Hg, mercury.
mercury happens to be one of our natural pollutants!


http://www.ec.gc.ca/MERCURY/SM/EN/sm-ns.cfm


Mercury is an element that occurs naturally throughout our solar system. On Earth, geological deposits are most often found in the form of cinnabar, a mercury sulfide mineral. The mercury content in this mineral, the most important ore of mercury, can reach 86%. Granite can contain 0.2 ppm (parts per million) of mercury, while other crustal rocks tend to contain less (approximately 0.1 ppm). Various natural processes, including volcanic eruptions, the weathering of rocks, and under sea vents can release mercury from the Earth's crust into water bodies, soils, and the atmosphere. In fact, atmospheric measurements of mercury above Hawaiian and Icelandic volcanoes are orders of magnitude above normal background atmospheric levels.

Once mercury is exposed to the biosphere it can enter the biogeochemical cycle or it can be transported long distances through the atmosphere. As mercury becomes incorporated into the biosphere, measurable releases can also be attributed to vegetation, forest fires, water bodies, sea salt spray, and soils. Although natural emissions occur mainly as elemental mercury vapour (Hg0), particulate and vaporous oxides, sulphides and halides as well as methylmercury vapour may also be released.

It is estimated that annual, natural emissions from continental sources are approximately 1 000 tonnes. In pre-industrial times, evasion from the oceans is thought to have been in the area of 600 tonnes. Today, however, evasion from the oceans has increased to approximately 2 000 tonnes due to the re-emission of mercury deposited as a result of human activities.

How many mercury thermometers have we broken in our home?
Ernie

[Bud Dingler]

the media has ignored the fact that the studies author said the study was not very detailed and should be further researched. like it was preliminary data that needs to be followed up on.

the internet and media likes this kind of hype and doom and gloom. take the health care debate...how many morons believe there is a death panel in the health care reform bill?

we do have some studies though that show sugar syrup is closer to honey in maintaining honeybees and that honeybees live a shorter life on HFCS. so there are other reasons to feed a sugar and HFCS blend then this trumped up mercury claim