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Luxembourg Appeal

Towards an International Ban on Mercury in Dental Amalgam

Invited by the "Aktionsgruppe für Umwelttoxikologie (AKUT asbl)" in Luxembourg and the "European Academy for Environmental Medicine" (EUROPAEM) and under the patronage of the Ministry of Health Luxembourg, renowned scientists, researchers, doctors specialized in environmental medicine, physicians, and dentists as well as politicians, NGOs, and patient groups met on the 10th of November 2007 to draw attention to the serious risks for health and environment coming from mercury out of dental amalgam.

Following this international conference, they published unanimously this urgent appeal addressing the European Commission, the European Parliament, and all national health authorities within and outside of Europe to ban mercury in dental amalgam.

Luxembourg Appeal

The signatories, participants of this international conference in Luxembourg, and/or supporters of the objectives and outcomes of this conference, believe that:

• starting from the scientifically uncontested toxicity and the health and environment damaging potential of mercury and its combination with other metals,

• recognizing the effort of UNEP as well as the report of the EU-Commission to the Council and the European Parliament concerning their joint strategy on mercury,

• recognizing the resolution of the European Parliament about the joint strategy on mercury and the therein included doubts and reservations against the use of mercury in dental amalgam,

• pointing out that, repeatedly now, on both European and international platforms, independent scientists and researchers, doctors specialized in environmental medicine, critical physicians and dentists as well as NGOs and patient groups urgently warn against the continued use of mercury, especially in the dental medical field,

• considering the fact that these warnings are grounded, among other things, on the demand of the precaution principle and a preventive policy for health and environment,

• considering the fact that, at the same time, scientific evidence that mercury from dental amalgam in many cases unambiguously leads to numerous health disturbances or chronic diseases increases,

• supported by the fact that dental amalgam is not an alloy but only a mixture and therefore allows a continuous release of mercury and other heavy metals,

• further supported by the fact that experiments on cells and animals as well as studies on post mortem examination of humans provide strong evidence for storage of mercury in human cells, tissues, and organs,

• considering that primarily mercury vapor released from dental amalgam is adsorbed and accumulated by cells and tissues,

• based on the fact that this direct storage of mercury vapor from dental amalgam constitutes a primary enrichment in addition to accumulation from other sources of mercury such as the animal and human food chain,

• considering that accumulation of mercury is able to cause chronic diseases dependent on the dose, duration of contact, individual susceptibility, and the genetically determined or acquired state of detoxification mechanisms,

• pointing out that in industrial countries, mercury from dental amalgam represents the second greatest burdening source of mercury for the environment and therefore for human nutrition,

• knowing the potential of physical damage from mercury, especially

  • the toxicity to cells and toxic damage to cell membranes,

  • the neurotoxicity,

  • the modulation of the immune system and immune toxicity,

  • the alteration of endocrine patterns,

  • the reduction of fertility,

  • and the risks for embryonal and fetal development (perinatal damage),

• considering that, therefore, numerous health disturbances as well as inflammatory, chronically degenerative and often severe chronic diseases can be initiated,

• regarding that in this context scientific studies are providing more and more evidence showing correlations between the use of mercury in amalgam as well as other dental heavy metals and frequently occurring serious diseases,

• concluding that mercury from dental amalgam exposes numerous people to irresponsible health risks, especially to developing life in the pre- and perinatal period,

the EU authorities, the WHO, as well as the national health authorities in Europe must now seriously take note of those increasing numerous warnings and, as a consequence, ban the use of mercury in dental materials without delay!

Luxembourg, 10th November 2007

Jean Huss
AKUT asbl, LUXEMBOURG

Dr. Kurt E Müller
European Academy for Environmental Medicine e. V., GERMANY

Marie Grosman
Prof. agrégée de biologie, Association Non au mercure dentaire, FRANCE

Prof. Boyd E. Haley
Professor of Chemistry-Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, USA

Dr. Graeme Munro-Hall
International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxikology, UNITED KINGDOM

Dr. Joachim Mutter
Institute of Environmental Medicine and Hospital Epidemiology at the University Medical Center, Freiburg, GERMANY

Prof. André Picot
Directeur honoraire de Recherche CNRS,
Président de l`Assosication de Toxicologie - Chimie ATC, Paris, FRANCE

Prof. Vera Stejskal
Associate Professor at University of Stockholm and First Faculty, Charles University Prague; Danderyd, SWEDEN

Sign the Luxembour Appeal