Mercury and Autism: Together Again (Pollution Study)

Since 1938... Autism and Mercury


By Teresa Conrick






Developmental Regression and Mitochondrial Dysfunction in a Child With Autism



Can mercury or Thimerosal be involved in mitochondrial issues?

According to Pubmed, 344 studies are available to investigate.

Here's one:


Increased excretion of a lipid peroxidation biomarker in autism.

Children With Autism Have Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Study Finds



"Biomarkers of oxidative stress, including reduced glutathione (GSH), oxidized glutathione (GSSG) and glutathione redox/antioxidant capacity (GSH/GSSG), were measured....Together, these results indicate that decreased GSH/GSSG redox/antioxidant capacity and increased oxidative stress in the autism brain may have functional consequence in terms of a chronic inflammatory response, increased mitochondrial superoxide production, and oxidative protein and DNA damage."

And back to mercury : Thimerosal-Derived Ethylmercury Is a Mitochondrial Toxin in Human Astrocytes: Possible Role of Fenton Chemistry in the Oxidation and Breakage of mtDNA.


Coincidence or causation?

Let's look at the immune system and autism: 340 studies on Pubmed - a sample:

"There is extensive bi-directional communication between the brain and the immune system in both health and disease. In recent years, the role of an altered immune system in the etiology of major psychiatric disorders has become more apparent... Emerging evidence suggests that altered immune parameters may also be implicated in the neurobiological etiology of autism spectrum disorders."


"Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are neurodevelopmental diseases that affect an alarming number of individuals...Cytokines act primarily as mediators of immunological activity but they also have significant interactions with the nervous system. They participate in normal neural development and function, and inappropriate activity can have a variety of neurological implications. It is therefore possible that cytokine dysregulation contributes directly to neural dysfunction in ASD. Further, cytokine profiles change dramatically in the face of infection, disease, and toxic exposures. Imbalances in cytokines may represent an immune response to environmental contributors to ASD."

Autoimmunity in autism. 

"Increasing evidence of autoimmune phenomena in individuals with autism could represent the presence of altered or inappropriate immune responses in this disorder, and this immune system dysfunction may represent novel targets for treatment."

In Pubmed - mercury and the immune system: 980 studies

Immunosuppressive and autoimmune effects of thimerosal in mice.

" In conclusion, the organic mercury compound thimerosal (EtHg) has initial immunosuppressive effects similar to those of MeHg. However, in contrast to MeHg, thimerosal treatment leads in genetically susceptible mice to a second phase with strong immunostimulation and autoimmunity, which is T-cell dependent, H-2 linked and may at least partly be due to the inorganic mercury derived from the metabolism of ethyl mercury."


"The human immune response to mercury is not well characterized despite the body of evidence that suggests that Hg can modulate immune responses, including the induction of autoimmune disease in some mouse models. Dysregulation of cytokine signaling appears to play an important role in the etiology of Hg-induced autoimmunity in animal models....Low concentrations of HgCl(2) affect immune function in human cells by dysregulation of cytokine signaling pathways, with the potential to influence diverse health outcomes such as susceptibility to infectious disease or risk of autoimmunity."

This one includes all - mercury, the immune system and autism -:

Chronic inorganic mercury exposure induces sex-specific changes in central TNFα expression: importance in autism?

"Mercury is neurotoxic and increasing evidence suggests that environmental exposure to mercury may contribute to neuropathologies including Alzheimer's disease and autism spectrum disorders. Mercury is known to disrupt immunocompetence in the periphery, however, little is known about the effects of mercury on neuroimmune signaling. Mercury-induced effects on central immune function are potentially very important given that mercury exposure and neuroinflammation both are implicated in certain neuropathologies (i.e., autism). Furthermore, mounting evidence points to the involvement of glial activation in autism..."

The brain and mercury: 2312 studies  The brain and autism: 5547



Prenatal exposure to organomercury, thimerosal, persistently impairs the serotonergic and dopaminergic systems in the rat brain: implications for association with developmental disorders.

"Here, we investigated whether prenatal thimerosal exposure causes persistent impairment after birth. Analysis on postnatal day 50 showed significant increase in hippocampal serotonin following thimerosal administration on embryonic day 9. Furthermore, not only serotonin, striatal dopamine was significantly increased. These results indicate that embryonic exposure to thimerosal produces lasting impairment of brain monoaminergic system, and thus every effort should be made to avoid the use of thimerosal."

Related to autism -

"Because most biological research in the pathophysiology of autism to date has implicated serotonin and to some extent, dopaming neuronal dysfunction ...."

Neurotoxic effects of thimerosal at vaccines doses on the encephalon and development in 7 days-old hamsters

"It is to point out that, one of the most consistent neurological abnormalities found in post-mortem studies, and in the imaging of autistic people's brain studies, is a significant loss of Purkinje cells and atrophy at cerebellar level.......Also, other recent studies have shown evidence of gliosis associated to Purkinje cell loss and a strong diffuse brain neuroinflammatory process in children with autism  (128-131). Precisely, the persistence of inorganic Hg in the experimentation animal brains, after being exposed to methylHg, thimerosal or inorganic Hg, has been associated with a significant microglia cells increase, astrocyte number’s decrease, and compromise of Purkinje cells (52,132-134)."

"glutamate and NMDA receptors may be important in autistic brain regulation"  

Connections to mercury:

Mercury-induced toxicity of rat cortical neurons is mediated through N-methyl-D-Aspartate receptors

"Moreover, a large body of recent evidence has also drawn the link between mercury and glutamate-mediated excitotoxicity. For instance, mercury has been shown to affect several aspects of glutamatergic signaling, including the inhibition of glutamate reuptake in astrocyte [23], inhibition of glutamine synthetase activity [24], and an enhancement of spontaneous glutamate release from neurons [25]. These effects result in an increase in glutamate concentration at the synaptic cleft. MeHg has also been found to impact postsynaptic N-Methyl-D-Aspartate (NMDA) receptors."   

Neurotoxic effects of postnatal thimerosal are mouse strain dependent 

"Neuronal glutamate transporter immunoreactivity patterns are abnormal in the hippocampi of thimerosal-treated SJL mice."


And autism connections?   Autism Linked to Excess Neurons 

"Children with autism appear to have bigger brains with more neurons than normal for their age, a small preliminary study affirmed....What may be happening is unchecked proliferation of neurons, or a failure of the normal process of neuronal pruning....

These signs and more have become increasingly evident since Kanner's description seventy years ago. We will continue to inform, connect and  sound the alarm on mercury, especially Thimerosal in prenatal and postnatal vaccines.  Another clue Kanner did not connect from those children exposed to mercury but we can see clearly today:

“Physically, the children were essentially normal. Five had relatively large heads.”



My son's mercury contact was in the womb in 1980, when I was pregnant downwind of a coal-fired paper mill. He is one of the rarer ones that reached adulthood almost 15 years ago. The need for an adult "safety net" is already here.

White Rose

"wondering too" ...

I have been wondering for a while if the obesity crisis could be anything to do with vaccines , and your hypothalmus discussion leads me to believe this might be possible . And indeed I have noticed amongst the limited numbers of autistic children that I see , they seem to present at either one extreme or the other , either very underweight , or very overweight , suggesting a chemical switch may have been tampered with the poison in the vaccine

White Rose

"wondering too"
Thanking you greatly for the information . Invaluable

IAngus Files

White Rose. Just superb how they now turn on Kaner and make it ,mad science ....when at the time it was rammed down every medical paper, doctors, jouno`s Gob!.. even I couldn't list Refrigerator Mothers as it has been officially debunked...why I don't know ?

looking to the future they will probably apply the same tact to all the points listed ,in the list this end the answers haven't been born yet..

White Rose

Bob Moffitt : I couldnt agree more with you . X factor , Big Brother , American Idol ......all this nonsense is almost put their to divert the masses attention .
TV , 95% of it , is total sh^ite . And I question the intelligence of people who dont actively seek out the 5% of it that is worth viewing\assimilating.

I used to care about sport and a few other trivial things before autism . Now I believe I'm close to a truer fuller understanding . Sport is total nonsense - a waste of people's valuable time - time that should be spent educating and concentrating . And furthermore my heroes have changed because of autism . People like Russell Blaylock are the new heroes , Stephanie Cave , Boyd Hayley of course , Liz Birt RIP & Bernadine Healey RIP . The list goes on , there are so many ! You know who you are !
"children with starving brains" by jaquelyn mccandless md
deserves a mention , what a brilliant and brave book.
And dont forget the militant brave parents - there should be so many more of us - when the critical mass gets large enough - we will win - and then will come the justice.

Bob Moffitt

@ Barry

Mea Culpa .. you are quite correct .. it IS the general public that has swallowed whole the media's promotion of the public health mantra there is "no evidence of a link between vaccines and autism".

Unfortunately, there are too many in the general public that are more concerned about absolutely meaningless issues .. such as .. Snookie's life on the Jersey Shore .. who won American Idol or Dancing with the Stars .. than they are on issues .. to many to name .. that are of far greater importance to them, their future and our country.

I have been blessed with exceptional grandchildren .. and .. through them .. I have great hope in the future generations .. but .. as Thomas Paine said .. "These are times that try men's souls ... "

White Rose

Cherry Sperlin Misra :

I couldnt agree more with your idea of keeping that list .

Although I'd prefer to call it the list of the guilty collaborators !

Thanks Angus the links to support my claims


It is amazing how easily the "media" has swallowed whole the now .. decades old .. public health mantra .. "we have no evidence of a link between vaccines and autism" ..


The media hasn't swallowed it Bob, the media has knowingly perpetuated it. And they're just doing what they've been created to do.

Unfortunately, it's the general public that has swallowed it whole.

Cherry Sperlin Misra

An old statement by Boyd E. Haley, Chemist, comes to mind: What would be amazing would be if Thimerosal DIDNT cause damage in infants . (Not exact quote)
Teresa and others, How about we make a list of all the GREAT FOOLS OF SCIENCE and keep updating it. Rather a long list , I imagine.

wondering too

And where does this all begin - what is this mercury, aluminum, organophosphate, Diphtheria Toxin, pertussis toxin, Mumps, and measles vaccine targeting?

The hypothalamus:

1.) responsible for metabolic processes
2.) control of blood sugar - DIRECTLY as well as later on --down stream at the pancreas. Cushing's syndrome/insulin resistence.

3.) Hypothalamus synthesizes and secretes certain neurohormones. Messing up for one thing fine motor skills.

4.) Hypothalmus controls the pituitary hormones. Enlarged Pituitary sizes have been noticed in teens with bipolar

5..) hypothalamus controls the production of the adrenal glands/ cortisol involves aggression- as in full blown Cushings

6.)The hypothalamus controls body temperature to help fight off pathogens but when it is messed up As in my kids -- we get 105-106 temp during Kawasakis.

7.) Controls hunger, and it can go either way - best for the vaccine manufacturers to have it go the fat way, and blame it on the victims by claiming they are committing the deadly sin of gluttony and not on vaccines as a cause.

8.) If it had gone the other way as in the starvation - the public would have gotten suspicious sooner than 40 years later. Hmmm the other way - Back in the 80s and early 90s there were a glut of teen girls that were having trouble eating. But it was blamed on their desire to be perfect, remain little girls forever, or admiring beauty queens and models. This is probably what really claimed Karen Carpenter's life. She may have been around longer to sing more heart moving songs if not for a DPT shot. Her brother had a drug addition problem which brings us to number 9..

9.) One of the biological causes of depression is imbalance of neurotransmitters controlled by the hypothalamus

10.) Imbalance of neruotransmitters can cause seizures. As in epilepsy for my son.

11. Hypothalamus -controls important aspects of parenting and attachment behaviors. Something they claim kids with autism do have trouble with. I have not seen in mine, it is one of Dr. Kanner's listing of symptoms of austim..

12.) thirst, If you eat too much salt or too much sugar it is the hypthalamus that calls for water to dilute and get rid of the excess. I have several in the family that are handicapped having only one hand (the other hand always has to hold a drink of water, or pop).

13.) Hypothalamus controls Fatigue, as in ADHD or ADD - that is why a stimulant helps. Oh, and let us not forget our chronic fatigue friends.

14.) Hypothalamus controls sleep, and circadian cycles-- This can go either way as in not sleeping in mania phase of bipolar, This can lead again to drug addition as they seek help to sleep as well as going into psychosis.

15.) or falling asleep in the middle of laughing or eating as the kids in Europe and Africa are doing. and our Chronic Fatigue syndrome friends will tell us they can sleep 24 plus hours a day.

16.) It controls our Sexuality. What we perceive or attracts us as the opposite sex also depends on the hypothalamus. Who knew!


Swaab first reported on the relationship between sexual orientation in males and the hypothalamus's "clock", the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). In 1990, Swaab and Hofman[20] reported that the suprachiasmatic nucleus in homosexual men was significantly larger than in heterosexual men. Then in 1995, Swaab et al.[21] linked brain development to sexual orientation by treating male rats both pre- and postnatally with ATD, an aromatase blocker in the brain. This produced an enlarged SCN and bisexual behavior in the adult male rats. In 1991, LeVay showed that part of the sexually dimorphic nucleus (SDN) known as the 3rd interstitial nucleus of the anterior hypothalamus (INAH 3), is nearly twice as large in heterosexual men than in homosexual men and heterosexual women, in terms of volume.

17. ) Thyroid trouble can begin here in the hypothalamus - DIRECTLY as well as on down stream to the thyroid. How many of us -mothers with kids that have autism have thyroid trouble?

18.) Eye moments are not part of the hypothalanus -- but is only a hairs distance away on the brain stem from the hypothalamus.
Eye movements only six muscles control the position of each eye,The muscles of the eye are designed to stabilize and move the eyes. All eye muscles have a resting muscle tone that is designed to stabilize eye position. Evidence of vertical nystagmus (a sign of brain stem vestibular damage) and can determine the integrity of the midbrain center for vertical gaze (which may be defective despite adequate individual muscle activity).

My son looked out of the corners of his eyes for a very long time. Still does at times, and when he does look at you directly - there is something about his stare-- perhaps it is a quiver in his eyes. We are blessed it is mild.

19.) The hypothalamus controls inflammation and by inflaming blood vessels - it controls blood pressure too, the dilation and constrictions causing damage farther up into the brain affecting balance, speech, Alzheimer's or the pancreas, kidneys, heart and lungs and probably the stomach.

Now what I want to know is back in the mid 70s there was tons of literature on damaged hypothalamus of Rats, mice, dogs, cats, horses, and cows. How could the vaccine manufacturers and the government not have know?


Interesting about the hydrogen peroxide, too. Maybe someday, skin and hair will be an indicator of whether or not an adult getting ready to have children should stop and take the time to reverse some major oxidative damage prior to conceiving. Maybe going prematurely grey is a clue about epigenetics at work and folks can take heed. Maybe a test for high hydrogen peroxide levels at birth, like in a heel test, will be helpful.


IAngus Files

Continued from AOA please add to it anyone ..

This is a list of the ideas the mainstream media has offered over the last 2 years (particularly the joke factory being run by the BBC).

Possible explanations or the current scientific theories on the Autism epidemic :

1. Older Fathers

2. Older Grandfathers

3. Watching too much TV,8599,1548682,00.html

4. Near major Road traffic

5. Mother was abused as a child

6. Because we saw the film Rainman when we were young , Uta Frith (a scientist with 40 years experience in the autism field)

7. Sunlight levels

8. Genetic heritable condition

9. Obese Mothers

10. Using Facebook & the Internet

11. Placenta folds may predict autism risk

12. Babies born weighing more than 9lb 14oz or under 5lb 5oz have a higher of developing autism

13. Risk of autism is up to 50% higher in children exposed to traffic fumes and air pollution
Women who live in polluted areas have double the risk of an autistic child
The strongest link is between diesel and mercury pollution and autism
There is a stronger link between pollution and autism in boys, than girls
Read more:

14. Infertility treatments.,8599,1990567,00.html.

15. The mother drinks too much during pregnancy,

16. Study Ties Low-Birth Weight to Increased Autism Risk
Read more:,2933,362143,00.html#ixzz2Weqgoyq1


Great work Teresa,

Of course all of these studies can be "debunked" by one fugitive PHD felon who starts his own university... or at least a university bank account...

Who finds "Autism rates about the same" for those who get 30 vaccines compared to those with 28 vaccines... and then applies for more funds to study the same exact thing again... This is called "Science" by dr. nancy

Bob Moffitt

It is amazing how easily the "media" has swallowed whole the now .. decades old .. public health mantra .. "we have no evidence of a link between vaccines and autism" .. in spite of the mountain of evidence cited in just this single article .. regarding the possible "causation" of the explosion of autism during the "thimerosal years"?

Has ANYONE in the main-stream media .. I am speaking specifically of all those pretending to be "health reporters" .. heard of GOOGLE?

White Rose

I'm printing this out for safe keeping .....brilliant

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