Completely and totally off-topic and without any meritwhatsoever

[William Donzelli]

> That's because of *chronic* exposure.  The risk from a single small
> dose is not very high (though obviously it depends on the dose);

Those poor South Americans sometimes received quite a bit more than a
small dose!

I suppose it is all relative - you sitting in a room with an exposed cup
of mercury for an hour isn't too bad at all, but you sitting in a room
with an exposed cup of mercury boiling away on a hot plate is bad news.

William Donzelli
aw288 at osfn.org