Hilo
Read it, wrap it
Plastic bags are made from oil. We are still at war for oil. Any and every ounce of petroleum we do not use saves lives.
Since the invention of the newspaper, restaurateurs have used them (after reading them, of course) to wrap up leftovers their patrons wish to take home.
Re-using petroleum bags is dangerous, as they emit toxic gases that cause cancer, obesity and gender disturbances.
We are lucky enough to have an excellent newspaper. Use it.
G. O’Connor
Ola’a
Context matters
It is good to see attention paid to controlling toxic hazards in school chemistry labs (Tribune Herald, Jan. 9, “Danger in the classroom”). Among these safety measures is replacement of mercury thermometers with digital thermometers when precise calibration is not necessary.
It is useful to put mercury hazards in the same context as the Tribune Herald did two days earlier regarding sulfuric-acid pollution from power plants. Hawaii power plants emitted several hundred tons of sulfur pollution (mostly sulfuric acid) over one year, while the Kilauea volcano emitted 450 tons of sulfur dioxide that converts to sulfuric acid every day.
A broken thermometer that spills 5 grams of mercury needs to be cleaned up because the mercury will evaporate slowly, and without good room ventilation, the vapor can be inhaled.
In an analysis published in the journal, “Nature” (Volume 309, 1984), Kilauea volcano was estimated to emit 260 million grams of mercury annually. This mercury deposits on the ground and in the ocean and enters the food chain.
Present in the flesh of ahi tuna, the levels of mercury — averaging 0.14 micrograms per gram of ahi muscle — are well below U.S. Food and Drug Administration levels of concern (1 microgram per gram).
In the food chain, mercury may be converted to methyl mercury, which is the particularly toxic compound. Given the source, one is tempted to call this “natural organic mercury.”
So, despite the inflammatory headline and with monitoring of laboratories, there is no need to keep your children away from school and learning about chemistry, or to refuse to eat ocean fish.
Don’t worry (too much), and be happy.
William Mautz
Hilo
Surprised by firings
I find it surprising that four county workers were fired after the investigation into misuse use of a county warehouse (Tribune-Herald, Jan 12.) It’s surprising because county workers are almost never fired for anything!
Let’s give credit to (Dominic) Yagong, who could have pulled the usual “good ol’ boy” stuff and simply looked the other way.
Also, the story stated the county has 20 election workers. Why are there so many election workers when elections only occur every two years?
A. Yamamoto
Hilo