Introduction
Grade Category: 10-12
Team Size: One (1)
Subject Area: Chemistry
Project Type: Experimental
Language: English
Name: Bhavya Kashyap
Summary
Taken a shot lately? A flu-shot? A meningitis-shot, maybe? It probably is a good idea to get innoculated every so often, to keep yourself protected from unwanted viruses or diseases, but you might want to think twice when you discover what else gets injected into you along with your shot.
Thimerosal, which is approximately 50% mercury by weight, has been one of the most widely used preservatives in vaccines.
It is mostly comprised of ethylmercury(C2H5Hg+). Ethylmercury is a cation that forms organomercury compounds. Ethylmercury is a toxic and bioaccumulative organic compound, and such organomercurial compounds can take a dangerously heavy toll on the body.
This project was designed to test the total thimerosal and, subsequently, mercury content of vaccines known to contain the compound, and compare them to their published mercury contents, and the standard amount of mercury ingestion before apparent symptomatic behaviour.
Tools and Software
Microsoft Notepad: For basic HTML coding.
Adobe Photoshop CS: For site graphics.
Filezilla: For file-uploading to the VSF server.
Skills Needed
Basic HTML coding skills
Basic Knowledge of Javascript.
Knowledge of Adobe Photoshop CS and basic design principles.
Source of the Idea
My source for the idea actually stemmed from my interest in the element Mercury (Hg), and my fascination with organomercurial compounds; the interaction of Mercury and its compounds with living organisms has always intrigued me, and I wish to learn more about what regularly used compounds contained Mercury and their subsequent effects.
(c) Bhavya Kashyap, 2006