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+--- Thread: mercury in telescopes? (/showthread.php?tid=21330)
mercury in telescopes? - kalianna - 11-12-2019
I was talking to someone who swore that the telescopes on Mauna Kea use mercury so I did a little research and didn't see anything about liquid mirror telescopes on this island. Can anyone verify this? And if there is mercury in the telescopes, how much is there and what safety procedures are in place? has there ever been a spill? This sounds like something that needs debunking but I'm trying to get my facts straight first. Thanks, Tom. [
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RE: mercury in telescopes? - kalakoa - 11-12-2019
has there ever been a spill?
Vehicles have probably spilled more contamination than the telescopes.
RE: mercury in telescopes? - randomq - 11-12-2019
CFHT – had 1 leak in 1990 consisting of 250ml (18 tablespoons) but was contained in the facility and cleaned up. Nothing reached the soil.
KECK – 3 spills in 1995 totaling 115 ml (8 tablespoons) which were also contained and cleaned up. Nothing reached the soil.
RE: mercury in telescopes? - HereOnThePrimalEdge - 11-12-2019
Take a few hundred retirees on Big Island and they probably have as much mercury in their teeth as any telescope spill.
Now ask yourself this question. When people die, is that mercury “cleaned up” before they’re buried or cremated, or does it go into the ground and into the air? Does any race treat their contribution to this mercury contamination problem more seriously than any other?
RE: mercury in telescopes? - Guest - 11-12-2019
Trying to compare the mercury that is locked into the amalgam of dental fillings to liquid mercury that may have been used to coat a mirror*, imo, seems like a long stretch. Maybe a bit too long to be creditable. But hey, what do I know, other than even the toxicity of the amalgam in oral fillings is still in question with most falling on the side of it is not. Though as per my personal dentist's concerns I had all mine removed.
I sense the argument itself isn't as valid as maybe it was in some bygone days but I am not the one to ask. Though, I suspect, there are safer metals to use these days. I do remember a time when the Gemini guys announced a successful coating of their mirror with silver, but am not hip to what the state of the art is at present.
Straight Mercury is mean stuff.. but even if some spilled at one of the telescope facilities I doubt it would get to the outside world.
As to Liquid Mirrors. I think that technology is very limited (the mirror has to remain horizontal I believe) and not applicable to the scopes on MK.
*Im assuming the original question has to do with mercury being used to coat a mirror. Is there another application of mercury on MK?
RE: mercury in telescopes? - HereOnThePrimalEdge - 11-12-2019
hokuili,
The point of my post was to suggest that if a person is concerned about mercury contamination, wouldn’t they be concerned with all mercury contamination? Not just a small amount in one isolated area, where if it was released into the environment, which it wasn’t, it would affect very few people. It did however affect no one as it was contained and removed.
On the other hand, we have a crematorium in populated Hilo which releases free mercury on a regular basis. Where are the protests?
When a person with amalgam fillings is cremated, the dental mercury is heated up and released as vapor from the crematorium. The mercury pollution from cremation is released into the air and eventually reaches other parts of the environment as well where it can contaminate wildlife, water bodies, people and our food supply, especially fish.
https://thesmartchoice.com/dental-mercury-amalgam-fillings-cremation/?amp
It’s a lot, read the link.
RE: mercury in telescopes? - kalakoa - 11-12-2019
wouldn’t they be concerned with all mercury contamination?
They are only concerned with possible "contamination" where it supports their cause; crematoriums are not being protested.
Oahu still burns coal to make electricity. Burning coal releases toxic contaminants into the environment. How many gas-powered cars in that "rolling convoy"? Production and consumption of gasoline both pollute the environment. Let's not even consider the environmental impact of tourism, our only profitable industry...
RE: mercury in telescopes? - Guest - 11-12-2019
"The point of my post was to suggest that if a person is concerned about mercury contamination, wouldn’t they be concerned with all mercury contamination? "
In an ideal setting sure, but in the real world, I think that attempt at logic fails as well. To say my concerns about something are invalid based on the fact that the same thing is going on elsewhere doesn't work for me.
Let's take coal. In some parts of the world they are still building coal fired power plants, pleading their need to get power no matter. Whereas in the USA we are weening ourselves from coal. Should we not move to cleaner sources of energy based on the fact that some country in Africa isn't? If you want to get more graphic you could compare a culture that still slaps kids around compared to our's which is outgrowing the practice. Should we not strive for our betterment wherever?
But hey, you can beat this horse any which way you want. I still don't think it discounts someone's concerns about environmental issues on MK.
RE: mercury in telescopes? - kalakoa - 11-12-2019
concerns about environmental issues on MK
Selective concerns.
RE: mercury in telescopes? - HereOnThePrimalEdge - 11-12-2019
beat this horse any which way you want.
Potential mercury on Maura Kea vs actual mercury in Hilo, 20 miles away.
Phased out coal use in Honolulu vs increased coal demand on the other side of the planet.
I’ll beat the local horse. Figuratively, because I support the paniolos.