[Slraep]

Originally Posted by CortezPearls

On our experience farming pearl oysters I can only say that weakened/sick animals will usually display a more yellow (some would say "golden") coloration, because they deposit less nacre and a bit more protein. One of the reasons I think why Japanese Akoya are yellow is due to water pollution...I guess the poor creatures can barely survive under those conditions and produce "sickly pearls".

But I haven't found any real lead (not the metal Lead).

I need more time, sorry.

Hi Douglas,

That's really interesting about the yellowy colour due to pollution. I never thought it might be because the molluscs are sick. Do you think it is the mercury,PCBs or pesticides? These three things seem to be THE major water pollution players.

Can you imagine, on top of everyday survival(tough enough), battling nucleation mortality and being subjected to antibiotics and growth hormones, the poor oyster can't even get a steam of fresh water to filter. It hurts to think about it.

Don't worry, you don't need to get the lead out for me! Anything you can come up with is greatly appreciated. No rush.

Slraep

[Slraep]

Originally Posted by CortezPearls

Mercury: nothing can save us. Regardless of salt or fresh, cold or warm, waters...

At the risk of sounding like a broken CD---we all need to wake up and notice the mercury. You are right, nothing can save us. The US is now starting to tighten regulation of chlorine manufacturing, of which one by-product is mercury. But what about developing countries? Nada.

Slraep

[knotty panda]

Dear Slraep: Nothing can save us ... As of Yet! ... Don't give up hope. No one thought air quality could improve and it has. It would improve quicker if there was world-wide implementation of remediation tools. One baby step at a time, unfortunately.

[CortezPearls]

Originally Posted by Slraep

Hi Douglas,
That's really interesting about the yellowy colour due to pollution. I never thought it might be because the molluscs are sick. Do you think it is the mercury,PCBs or pesticides? These three things seem to be THE major water pollution players.
Can you imagine, on top of everyday survival(tough enough), battling nucleation mortality and being subjected to antibiotics and growth hormones, the poor oyster can't even get a steam of fresh water to filter. It hurts to think about it.
Slraep

The initial news given to me by a researcher in Japan was that the close proximity of fish farms (mainly of "Fugu" or Sphoeroides) was the main responsible for causing the yellow pearls...he explained that the use of a parasite remover (many fish will have "lice", specially if kept at high densities) was very toxic for shellfish. This substance was Formaldehyde (1%), which was basically just thrown into the fish cages (which are in the ocean). Not a very smart move...there are ways to do this without damaging the environment (but at a monetary cost, of course). I can imagine the Japanese have learned and are no longer using this barbaric method.

In order to really determine if toxic/heavy metals are found in the shell or pearls, we would have to perform a detailed analytical chemistry of shells and pearls. This would allow us to have clear, concise and precise results...no need to draw conjectures.

This goes into the realm of Gem Labs...they have the people, the resources and the tools. It would be interesting to test pearls from different eras: natural, cultured from the early Mikimoto era, then 1950's, 1960's and all the way to present date. It would be an interesting project.

[wayne]

Pollution in the far east is a widespread problem. Even the most fundamental environmental controls are ignored in favor of profit. Japan's use of mercury and its dumping was captured by an American Photographer about 50 years ago (sorry do not remember his name). The photographs were some of the most heart wrenching I have ever seen. The factories were dumping mercury compounds into the bay, the fish ate the contaminated food, the people ate the fish. The number of birth defects were enormous. While taking the photographs, he was beaten multiple times, injuries from the beatings eventually contribute to his untimely death. The resulting book caused such a loss of face for the Japanese people, they "cleaned up" the bay. I put the word cleaned up in quotes because there a many learned scientific articles which say that decades are required for the elimination of mercury. The current method for cleaning heavy metal contamination is to scoop up the dirt, double seal it in high density polyethylene barrels and hope that future generations will develop a method of cleaning the contaminated material.

Metallic mercury by itself is considered fairly harmless, however, it does have a significant vapor pressure. Mercury vapors are highly toxic and cause many illnesses.

Mercury compounds, especially organo-mercury, are deadly!

Also, while reading this thread, I saw mention of radioactive compounds. The only way to cleanup radioactives is to collect them and any material they have contacted, put it in a lead lined barrel and wait ten half-lives (one half-life is the time for the radioactivity to decrease by 50%). For example, Cobalt-60 has a half-life of 5.3 year, if you house is contaminated with Co-60, it will be 53 year before you can go into you house without being exposed to gamma radiation.

Sorry about climbing on a soap box, but the mindless dumping of waste really get to me.

Wayne Nunn. Ph.D, Chemistry
Virginia Tech, Class of '78

[Slraep]

Originally Posted by CortezPearls

The initial news given to me by a researcher in Japan was that the close proximity of fish farms (mainly of "Fugu" or Sphoeroides) was the main responsible for causing the yellow pearls...he explained that the use of a parasite remover (many fish will have "lice", specially if kept at high densities) was very toxic for shellfish. This substance was Formaldehyde (1%), which was basically just thrown into the fish cages (which are in the ocean). Not a very smart move...there are ways to do this without damaging the environment (but at a monetary cost, of course). I can imagine the Japanese have learned and are no longer using this barbaric method.

Formaldehyde? A known human carcinogen used as a de-licing agent? I guess whenever there is a problem in production(read: profit), man has the natural tendency of going for the quickest, dirt cheapest and most readily available crap as a remedie. It's just mind boggling how no one gives a thought as to the formaldehyde ending up in their own drinking water and food. And their children's and grandchildren's too. And the rest of us.

Slraep

[Slraep]

Originally Posted by wayne

Sorry about climbing on a soap box, but the mindless dumping of waste really get to me.

Wayne Nunn. Ph.D, Chemistry
Virginia Tech, Class of '78

Hi Wayne,

That makes you, me and a WHOLE LOT of other people mad about the mindless use of pollutants too. Anytime you want to climb on a soapbox, we'll be listening.

The use of radioactives and their "problematic" disposal is another maddening issue. Some facilities in the US contain large amounts of contaminated crap -- machine parts, scrap metal and tools, concrete, -- some of which will remain radioactive for years and years and years. How to clean this wonderful stuff up?? Well, the Department of Energy, a couple of years ago, proposed an inceredibly thoughtful way to get rid of the slightly radioactive crap: Recycling and resale, of course!! Both the DOE and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) are still revising this plan. The slightly radioactive crap metal could be used to make bicycles, cooking utensils, hot water heaters, window casings.......hmmm, maybe computers and cell phones too. Great idea, eh? Oh those government people are just sooooo smart.

Slraep