Mercury Hair Testing

On April 13th, moms, children, and concerned citizens of Los Angeles will gather to submit hair samples to test the levels of toxic mercury in their bodies. At least one in 12 and as many as one in six U.S. women of childbearing age has mercury levels in her blood high enough to put her baby at risk of birth defects including neurological and developmental disorders, and learning disabilities. Coal-fired power plants emit toxic mercury into our air where it rains down into our rivers and streams and then makes its way to our bodies via contaminated fish. One-gram of mercury deposited from the atmosphere per year, over time, is enough to contaminate a 20-acre lake, such that fish that are unsafe to consume on a regular basis. Local residents are concerned about a plan by the Department of Water and Power to continue burning coal for 17 more years at their Utah coal-plant. Los Angeles’ two out-of-state coal plants contribute over 1218 lbs of mercury into the atmosphere every year, 17 more years of such high amounts of mercury pollution pose a significant threat to Los Angeles children, as the mercury consistently makes it onto Los Angeles dinner tables. Read a recent editorial by LA Times, about the need for strong EPA rules to protect us from mercury. https://lat.ms/fDZrTz At Wednesday’s event, Los Angeles residents and women will line up at the Primrose Organics hair salon to clip a small piece of hair and submit it to a University of Georgia laboratory to be tested for mercury exposure. The Sierra Club is sponsoring similar events in more than 20 cities across the nation, in March and April. Citizens across the nation are urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to enact a strong safeguard for mercury and other air toxics, that would clean up our air and keep Big Coal and other corporate polluters from making us sick. What: Sierra Club mercury hair-testing event Who: Local women and Los Angeles residents concerned about mercury pollution When: Wednesday, April 13th, 11 am – 12:30 pm Where: Primrose Organics Hair Salon, 4616 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027 For more information about mercury and coal, please visit:https://www.sierraclub.org/mercury