Colbert man hospitalized for mercury poisoning, dies
Colbert man hospitalized for mercury poisoning, dies

By The Associated Press
Published: April 1, 2008

DURANT, Okla. -- A Colbert man who suffered mercury poisoning while using mercury to remove gold from electronic equipment has died.

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Durant/Bryan County Emergency Management Director James Dalton says 55-year-old Tony Winnett died at a Tulsa hospital.

Dalton also says the home where Winnett and Melissa Lake used the mercury is so contaminated it's now uninhabitable.

Lake also suffered mercury poisoning and was treated and released at a hospital in Durant.

Authorities say the technique of using mercury to separate gold once was used by industrial miners in the American West but was banned because it's so dangerous.


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Bob, it seems you might have gone a bit off course here. LOL..sorry just didn't really expect to read a comment about mercury tainted lightbulbs.
kandice, moore - Apr 2, 2008 at 1:03 am
I just read the article about the Mercury poisoning death and the hazards of mercury.It is tragic and should remind all of us the hazards of mercury. With this in mind is it fesiable to use mercury ladened fluorescent light devices in our homes. True the light sources have been used for some time in homes but the present push to use these would create possible increase of mercury contamination in our homes. I wonder if it would be a more healthy approach to protect my personal enviroment in not using these light fixturs rather than to protect that of a "tree" or whatever.I will opt to stock-up on the safe incandescent light bulb while the rest of the world will be calling a "Haz-mat"team in to clean-up a broken light bulb. But what the heck you can always feel good that you are protecting the enviroment just not yours, in your home , with your kids.
bob, meeker - Apr 1, 2008 at 3:50 pm
Report as inappropriate or
Ignore bob