There are hair sampling programs starting around the country, but since I just wrote about Kentucky, this popped onto my radar from a great piece by Lauren McGrath.
Hair sampling for mercury
When: 1 p.m. March 24
Where: The Hive Salon, 156 Deweese Street, Lexington, KY
“You can have your mercury level tested Thursday at the Hive Salon in downtown Lexington.
Last spring I had my mercury levels tested at a public hearing; the hair sample was mailed to a lab. To my surprise (heck, I eat mostly organic and exercise every day), the results came back showing levels beyond what the EPA considers safe.
So where’s the silver lining? Even if you have high mercury levels, you can lower them by avoiding fish and other sources of mercury (like, say, coal ash) over the course of a few months.”
Lauren McGrath works in Lexington for the Sierra Club on energy advocacy and policy issues and is training to become a “doula,” or certified birthing assistant. Reach her at lauren.mcgrath@sierraclub.org.
We’ll let you know, on our Moms Clean Air Force site, about hair sampling events in other states as soon as we hear about them. If you know of any, please tell us in the comments!