November 2009

Transcription

November 2009

INSIDE THIS
ISSUE:
Wi-Fi Safety
2
MCSA NEWS
VOLUME 4
ISSUE 11
Questioned
Walkup Talks
11
Disability
MCS in
13
Toxicology Book
Healthy & Sacred 15
Spaces
A Warm
19
Thanksgiving
Thimerosal
22
Linked to Neuro
Chemical & Brain 23
Function Changes
MCS Impacts Life 24
and Function
CFS Linked to
25
Retrovirus
SSDI Awarded
26
for Mold
Aluminum Hy-
27
droxide in VacPatient
28
Resources
Community
36
News
Research
37
Studies
Copyrighted © 2009 MCS America
NOVEMBER 2009
PAGE
2
Feature Article
Wi-Fi Safety Questioned
“Simon’s
statement is
designed to
elicit the
belief that
Wi-Fi is
safe…”
Scientists in the UK at the Health Protection Agency (HPA) recently completed a
research project on wireless local area
networks (WLAN). The HPA issued a
press release which was reported by
Medical News Today on September 15,
2009. Dr Simon Mann presented the
team's findings and is quoted as saying,
"Our findings are consistent with the HPA
position that exposures to the radio
waves from Wi-Fi equipment are expected to be well within internationallyaccepted exposure guidelines and less
than levels from mobile phones."
“There is no consistent evidence to date
that exposure to RF signals from Wi-Fi and
WLANs adversely affect the health of the
general population”.
It is muddled because it confuses two
completely separate issues.
1. Is there any evidence that Wi-Fi is
harmful to health?
The answer to this is DEFINITELY
YES.
2. Is the whole population affected?
Simon’s statement is designed to elicit the
belief that Wi-Fi is safe, yet being within
some randomly set exposure guideline
does not in any way guarantee safety or
lack of human health effects. Andrew
Goldsworthy BSc PhD, a retired lecturer in
biology at the Imperial College London
explains why.
The answer to this is SEEMINGLY
NOT.
It is misleading because it is written in
such a way as to imply that Wi-Fi is
safe for EVERYONE and there is no
reason why it should not be used universally in schools. What about the
Comments by Andrew Golds- health of the students and staff who are
affected? Do they not care?
worthy on September 20, 2009
The following quote from the notes to The use of the word “consistent” in
editors is muddled and deeply mis- the quote is also worrying since it suggests that physicists and engineers, posleading.
sibly from the mobile phone and Wi-Fi
industries, rather than biologists and
health experts, are in control.
No trained biologist or medical practitioner would ever expect the same
level of consistency from experiments
with complex living organisms as is possible with simple physical systems.
MCSA
NEWS
PAGE
3
“These
guidelines
are
not
universally
agreed.”
MCSA
Apart from identical twins, each one of
us is genetically and physiologically
unique and we do not all respond in
the same way to metabolic insults. Not
everyone who smokes dies of cancer,
and we do not all suffer the same side
effects from taking a medicinal drug.
Even the same person may not be
equally susceptible all of the time. For
example, if we are ill, our resistance to
further infections is usually lowered.
Anyone who says that we must all
show the same response to electromagnetic radiation before its effects
can be regarded as real must have a
very limited knowledge of biology.
They are certainly not qualified to sit in
judgement on important health issues
that are likely to affect billions of people worldwide, let alone the health of
unsuspecting UK school children and
staff who have no choice.
GUIDELINES ARE NOT UNIVERSALLY AGREED and many other
countries such as Russia, China, Italy, Switzerland and the USA (i.e.
much of the industrialised world) are
much more cautious than the UK, and
set their safety limits between ten and
one
thousand
times
lower
(www.bioinitiative.org ).
These Guidelines Do Not Include
Non-Thermal Effects
The guidelines that the UK Health Protection Agency refers to are based on
those proposed by ICNIRP, using research that is at least a decade out of
date. In particular, they make the assumption that the only way that nonionising radiation can damage living
cells is due to its heating effect. They
do not include the direct electrical effects on cell membranes, which can
Not Every Country Agrees On occur at radiation levels that are hundreds or even thousands of times
The Safety Guidelines
lower.
The press release is also misleading
when it says that the electromagnetic It Just Should Not Have Hapradiation from wireless laptops and pened
mobile phones fall within internationally agreed Safety Guidelines. It says Many of these non-thermal effects are
nothing about the fact that THESE catalogued in the Bioinitiative Report,
which was drawn up by a team of expert scientists in 2007. They examined
over two thousand peer-reviewed scientific papers on the effects of nonionising radiation and found that over
two thirds of them showed some sort
of biological effect that could not be
explained
by
heating
(www.bioinitiative.org ). Not all were
directly concerned with health, but if
the ICNIRP guidelines were valid, none
of them should ever have occurred.
We cannot therefore assume that radiation that falls within the ICNIRP
guidelines is necessarily safe.
NEWS
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4
What
Causes
These
Thermal Electrical Effects?
“Low
frequency
electromagne
tic fields...
can remove
calcium ions
from the
membranes…
of living
cells.”
Non- The Mechanism Of Calcium Removal
Most of the non-thermal effects of
electromagnetic radiation can be explained in terms of the leakage of cell
membranes following the electromagnetic removal of structurally important
calcium ions. It has been known since
the work of Suzanne Bawin and her coworkers in 1975 (Bawin et al. 1975.
Ann. N.Y. Acad Sci, 247: 74-81) that
otherwise harmless radio waves could
remove calcium ions from brain cell
membranes when they were amplitude
modulated at a low frequency; i.e. when
the strength of the radio signal rose
and fell in time with the low frequency.
These experiments have been repeated
many times and also with other tissues
such as heart muscle (For a review, see
Blackman 2009. Pathophysiology, 16:
205-216).
The general conclusion from these and
many similar experiments is that low
frequency electromagnetic fields, or
radio waves that are amplitude modulated at a low frequency, can remove
calcium ions from the membranes of
some but not all kinds of living cells.
Pulses are more effective than sine
waves, possibly because their sharp
rise and fall times are more effective at
jerking the calcium away from the
membrane and also allow more time
for it to be replaced by
other ions before the
field reverses. Pulses
carried by microwaves
should be particularly
effective because the
high frequency of the
carrier permits faster
rise and fall times for
the pulses.
MCSA
Living tissues can absorb non-ionising
radiation and convert it into alternating
electric currents, just like the antenna
of a radio set. The only real difference
is that, in living tissues, these currents
are carried by ions (electrically charged
atoms and molecules) rather than electrons. When these currents impinge on
cell membranes, which are normally
negatively charged, they vibrate like
miniature loudspeakers in time with
the signal. This loosens some of the
positive ions bound to them since they
are driven in the opposite direction.
If the signal is strong, all the ions
bounce on and off the membrane more
or less equally, but if the signal is weak,
only the more strongly charged ions,
such as calcium (which has a double
charge) are pulled off. Ions with only
one charge, such as potassium then
take their place. Very little energy is
needed, since the ions have only to be
moved by molecular dimensions and
the effect is simply to change the natural chemical equilibrium between the
different ions bound to the membrane.
However, the effect can be devastating.
Only Weak Signals Do This
Only weak signals can selectively remove calcium in this way. Even then, it
can only occur in narrow ranges of signal strength called amplitude windows,
above and below which there is little
or no effect. The exact positions of
these windows are indeterminate since
they depend on the nature of the
membrane, the availability of other ions
to replace the calcium and how well
the tissue is acting as an antenna.
NEWS
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5
“Many
of the
so-called
“modern
illnesses”
that have
increased...
can be
linked to
cell membrane
leakage
due to..
non-ionising
electromagnetic
radiation.”
Cells Are Constantly Moving In have an especially strong attraction to
the negatively charged membrane comAnd Out Of Their Windows.
ponents on either side and bind them
Living tissues are dynamic systems and together just as mortar binds together
their characteristics, including their the bricks in a wall. However, the ions
electrical characteristics, are constantly with only one charge that replace them
changing, which means that they will do this less well, so the membrane may
not always be equally efficient as anten- now develop temporary pores and
nas. Also, as we go about our daily leak. This leakage can then cause all
business, our exposure to electromag- sorts of harmful effects.
netic fields and our orientation to
them are constantly changing so that The Biological Effects Of Memindividual cells may not stay long brane Leakage
enough in their windows to do signifiMany of the so-called “modern illcant harm.
nesses” that have increased, sometimes
However, all this changes when the dramatically, in the last few decades
source and orientation of the field is can be linked to cell membrane leakage
constant, such as when using a mobile due to our increasing exposure to nonphone or sleeping near a base station. ionising electromagnetic radiation.
Some cells may then be in their win- More details of these, together with
dows for long enough to do significant journal references, can be found at
damage. The important thing to note is http://tinyurl.com/5ru6e6 but I will outthat any assertion that Wi-Fi and mo- line a selection of them here.
bile phones must be safer than other
forms of electromagnetic radiation just Electromagnetic hypersensitivity
because the signal is weaker is both (EHS)
false and dangerous. Mobile phones
and Wi-Fi laptops, by leaving individual Electromagnetic hypersensitivity is a
cells for prolonged periods in their am- condition in which people experience
plitude widows may do more damage physical symptoms such as rashes and/
than general electromagnetic pollution. or a wide range of unpleasant sensory
Under some circumstances, a weaker disturbances during or shortly after
signal may even drive more cells into exposure to electromagnetic fields. It
their amplitude windows and make can develop in previously healthy peomatters worse.
ple after prolonged exposure and appears to be largely irreversible. It was
How Calcium Loss first noticed in radar technicians, when
Makes Cell Mem- it was called microwave sickness, but it
branes Leak
has increased dramatically in recent
years in the general population. About
The calcium ions lost three percent of the population are
due to electromagnetic now affected in this way, and its inciexposure were impor- dence often appears to be associated
tant. Because they have with prolonged exposure to microa double charge they wave based telecommunications.
MCSA
NEWS
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6
Virtually all of the symptoms can be
explained
by
electromagneticallyinduced cell membrane leakage. Sufferers are characterised by already having
unusually leaky cell membranes as
measured by skin conductance. This
makes them more prone to the consequences of additional electromagnetically-induced leakage. When their skin
cells leak, it can result in inflammation
and rashes. When their sensory cells
leak, it can result in numerous unpleasant sensory disturbances.
“Babies
exposed to
the radiation
from cordless
baby
monitors may
be
particularly
at risk .”
MCSA
We all have many different kinds of
sensory cells, but they all work by
“deliberately” leaking ions through
their membranes when they sense
whatever they are programmed to
sense. This reduces the natural voltage
across their external membranes,
which in turn triggers the release of
neurotransmitters
that
stimulate
neighbouring nerve cells to send signals
to the brain. Unscheduled leakage due
to electromagnetic exposure can
therefore trigger false sensations such
as pins and needles, heat, pain and
pressure, depending on which
cells are most affected. When
the hair cells of the inner ear
are affected, it can cause tinnitus, which is a false sensation of sound. When it affects
those concerned with balance, it can cause dizziness
and trigger symptoms of motion sickness, including nausea. Prolonged exposure to
the radiation seems to damage these cells permanently
so they become even more
inclined to leak and the person becomes sensitised for
life.
Brain Hyperactivity
When cells of the brain and nervous
system leak, free calcium ions can enter the neurons from outside. In normal circumstances, neurons require a
“deliberate” brief inflow of calcium ions
to trigger the release of neurotransmitters so that they can send signals to
neighbouring neurons. Unscheduled
steady calcium inflow due to electromagnetic radiation makes them more
likely to release neurotransmitters,
some of which will send false messages.
This in turn can trigger brain hyperactivity leading, amongst other things, to
sleep disturbances, loss of concentration (giving rise to ADHD) and stress
headaches.
Autism
Electromagnetically-induced brain hyperactivity and confused thought during
early childhood may cause autism
(which has gone up 60-fold in the last
thirty years). Basic social skills are
learnt during the first 18-months of life,
after which they become hard-wired
into the child’s psyche by pruning under-used synapses. This enables them
to become automatic and require very
little thought. However, this mass cull
of under-used synapses is a normal
stage in development that occurs only
once at around 18 months. If the initial
learning process has been disrupted by
brain hyperactivity, many social skills
may remain poorly learnt by the time
the synapses are pruned, and the child
may become irreversibly autistic. Babies exposed to the radiation from
cordless baby monitors may be particularly at risk but this has not been
tested.
NEWS
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7
Dementia
“Autoimmune
Diseases…
These include
type-1 diabetes,
multiple
sclerosis and
Dementia in the elderly also seems to
be on the increase, and some of it can
be attributed to electromagnetic exposure. Salford and co-workers (Salford
et al. 2003. Environmental Health Perspectives 111: 881-883) showed that
extremely weak electromagnetic radiation such as that from mobile phones
could disrupt the blood-brain barrier
and allow unwanted materials, such as
albumin from the blood stream to enter and kill neurones. Although the effect may not be immediately noticeable, prolonged exposure is likely to
lead to early dementia.
Allergies
celiac disease,
all of which are
on the
increase.”
All of our body surfaces, both inside
and out, are normally protected from
unwanted materials entering by barriers similar to the blood-brain barrier,
where the gaps between the cells are
sealed, forming what are known as tight
junctions. There is strong evidence that
these too leak in response to weak
electromagnetic radiation, which would
allow the more rapid entry of allergens, foreign chemicals and other unwanted materials. This may account for
the massive increases in asthma, allergies and multiple chemical
sensitivities that have accompanied our increasing
exposures to electromagnetic radiation in recent
years.
tes, multiple sclerosis and celiac disease, all of which are on the increase.
This has been attributed to an increased leakiness of the gut barrier
(also known as leaky gut syndrome)
and may be exacerbated by electromagnetic exposure. It allows particles
of partially digested food to enter the
bloodstream. From there, they may be
engulfed by body cells by endocytosis,
followed by an attempt to digest them
internally. However, some materials,
e.g. gluten, are difficult to digest and
may be mistaken for a virus. The cell
responds by displaying it on its surface,
which identifies it to the white blood
cells of the immune system as a cell
that must be killed to prevent the
spread of the “infection”. This triggers
inflammation, which is both painful and
attracts more white blood cells to the
area, which may make matters worse
and results in the death of perfectly
healthy cells. Celiac disease is an autoimmune response, triggered by gluten,
which causes inflammation of the gut,
but autoimmune diseases in other parts
of the body may have a similar aetiology.
Effects On Internal Membranes
And DNA
There are at least two mechanisms by
which the leakage of the cell’s internal
membranes can damage DNA. Living
cells are divided into various internal
compartments by membranes that are
all variations of the same basic structure as the outer membrane. From our
Autoimmune Diseases standpoint, the two most important
compartments are the lysosomes and
These include type-1 diabe- the mitochondria.
MCSA
NEWS
PAGE
8
when cultured cells have been exposed
to mobile phone radiation, even for
less
than
a
day
(see
www.bioinitiative.org ). It can therefore
account for the brain and other head
cancers that we are now beginning to
see in people who have been heavy users of mobile phones for ten years or
The mitochondria are the cell’s more; with children being at greatest
power stations. They carry out the risk (Hardell et al. 2009 Pathophysiology
controlled oxidation of materials de- 16: 113-122).
rived from our food to generate ATP,
which is the main energy currency of Thyroid Cancer
the cell. This oxidation actually goes on
in groups of enzymes embedded in There has also been an unexplained
their membranes and involves highly increase in thyroid cancer in recent
reactive chemicals called free radicals. years (the thyroid gland is in the neck;
Damage to these membranes is likely just inches from where you hold your
to release of some of these free mobile phone) and may have a similar
radicals that can then react with aetiology to brain cancer.
and destroy other cellular components, including DNA. It’s like Mobile phones may make you fat
blowing up a furnace scattering
burning embers everywhere.
Another consequence of DNA damage
is a partial loss of function in the exThere is even some similarity to posed organ. For example, Rajkovic
blowing up a nuclear power sta- and co-workers (Rajkovic et al. 2003
tion since, although no radioactiv- Tissue & Cell 35: 223–231) showed that
ity is involved, the free radicals that are exposing rats to power line frequencies
normally locked safely away in the mi- for over three months caused a seemtochondrial membranes, have very ingly permanent loss of thyroid funcsimilar activities to those that do most tion. If this were to occur in humans as
of the damage when a cell is irradiated a result of the radiation from wireless
with gamma rays. Indeed, many con- telecommunications, we would expect
cerned scientists have noted the simi- to see widespread symptoms of hypolarity between the biological effects of thyroidism, which include fatigue, loss
non-ionising radiation and gamma rays. of muscle tone and obesity. It may be
Non-ionising radiation should there- no coincidence that about thirty perfore be treated with as much caution cent of our population is now either
as ionising radiation until much more is overweight or clinically obese (with all
known about its biological effects.
the extra risks to health that this implies) and the number of teenagers on
Brain Cancer
anti-obesity drugs has gone up 15-fold
in the ten years since the use of mobile
DNA damage has been found in many phones, DECT cordless phones and
experiments in many laboratories Wi-Fi became almost universal.
The lysosomes are membrane-bound
structures full of digestive enzymes
that digest cellular waste ready for recycling. Membrane leakage here releases these enzymes, which can digest
and damage the rest of the cell, including its DNA.
MCSA
NEWS
PAGE
9
Effects on Fertility
“There have
been several
studies
showing that
mobile phone
use reduces
male
fertility.”
MCSA
There have been several studies showing that mobile phone use reduces
male fertility. One of the more recent,
by Agarwal and co-workers (Agarwal
et al. 2008 Fertil Steril 89: 124-8)
showed that using a mobile phone for
more than four hours a day caused a
reduction in sperm numbers, motility
and viability, each of around 25 percent. The prolonged use of a Wi-Fi laptop computer on or near the lap could
have even more serious consequences
for male fertility. Effects on female fertility have not yet been studied but,
since all the eggs that a woman will
ever have were already in her ovaries
before she was born, the cumulative
effect could be considerable. All of
these effects can be attributed to electromagnetic DNA damage, which could
also lead to miscarriages, deformities in
the offspring and genetic mutations
that may not appear for several generations. Anyone who considers Wi-Fi
to be safe should think again.
to carry information (Blackman 2009.
Pathophysiology, 16: 205-216). This
makes them much easier to solve just
by changing the way in which the signals are encoded. In particular, we
need to remove all vestiges of low frequency amplitude modulation or anything that might be perceived by a cell
(or a simple diode) as low frequency
amplitude modulation.
It is well established that low frequency
electromagnetic fields, including those
from power lines, can have adverse
biological effects. It is also clear that
living cells can demodulate amplitude
modulated radio signals (including microwaves) to extract the biologicallyactive low frequencies. Little work has
been done on how they do this, but
the most plausible mechanism is that
the countless ion channels that pierce
virtually all cell membranes act as electrically-biased point-contact diodes capable of rectifying and therefore demodulating the signals. The normal
voltage across a typical 10nm-thick cell
membrane is of the order of 100mV,
giving a voltage gradient of around ten
On The Brighter Side
million volts per metre. This should
We do not have to abandon mobile provide adequate bias.
telecommunications; all we have to do
is make them safer by a wiser use of An interesting example of this effect
technology that takes into account the can be found at http://tinyurl.com/
vagaries of biological systems. The m4u75o , where you can see and hear
problems that a complete radio set constructed from
arise are not a single carbon nanotube of similar didue to the ameter to a cellular ion channel. It is
heating effect capable of amplifying and demodulating
of the radia- radio signals even at microwave fretion. Instead, quencies. If the analogy with the living
they are largely cell is valid, the extracted, and possibly
due to the way amplified, low frequency components
in which the would appear across the cell memradio
signals brane where they could do most dam
are modulated age.
NEWS
PAGE
10
Sources Of Low Frequency Am- ceiver is programmed to recognise as
blank spaces, but still look to a cell as if
plitude Modulation
it were a continuous transmission, we
In the case of digital transmissions, the may be well on the way to achieving a
equivalent of low frequency amplitude relatively safe means of wireless telemodulation may arise from low fre- communication.
quency beacons, traffic where individual packets of information are trans- One wonders why this sort of research
mitted separated by long gaps, and fre- is not already under way.
quency hopping where reflections may
give different cancellation effects at difAndrew Goldsworthy BSc PhD
ferent frequencies.
Lecturer in Biology (retired)
Perhaps all we need do is to take a les- Imperial College London
son from DNA, where the gaps between genes are filled with DNA that Reference
codes for nothing, with the beginning Scientist probe laptops Wi-Fi Emisand end of each gene denoted by a sions. Medical News Today. 15 Sep
special coding sequence. In the case of 2009 - 20:00 PDT. Retrieved on Octodigital communications, if we can fill ber 18, 2009 from: http://
the gaps between transmitted pulses www.medicalnewstoday.com/
and packets with code that the re- articles/163988.php
Andrew Goldsworthy was born in 1939. After a conventional Grammar
School education he obtained a First Class Honors Degree in Botany
followed by a PhD for research into plant physiology and biochemistry
at the University of Wales. He went on to lecture at Imperial College
London, where he spent the rest of his career. He has had many teaching and research interests, ranging from the biochemistry of photorespiration to the biology of space flight. He retired in 2004 but remains as
an honorary lecturer. He was also a scientific advisor to the European
Space Agency and is currently a scientific advisor to several European
charities concerned with the environment and electromagnetic fields, including the Bio Electromagnetic Research Initiative, the Radiation Research Trust, and Electrosensitivity-UK. He has
always had a strong interest in how living organisms use internally-generated electric currents
to control their growth and metabolism, and in their disruption by externally-applied currents
and fields. In his retirement, he pieced together nuggets of information from a wide range of
scientific journals and created simple layperson’s explanations of how weak electromagnetic
fields affect us all. Some of these can be found on the www.bemri.org website at:
http://tinyurl.com/L7dbps,
which corresponds to
http://bemri.org/archive/hese-uk/en/niemr/resonance1.php.
MCSA
NEWS
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11
Column: Walkup Talks Disability
Social Security Disability
Re-Opening Denied Claims & SSI
- Michael Walkup, Attorney at Law
Re-Opening
Michael Walkup is an experienced disability practitioner with
over 25 years of experience in
the disability law field. In 2001
he became disabled due to MCS,
CFS, and FM. He is now providing a service to advise clients with
potential disability claims who
have MCS, CFS, and/or FM. As
these programs and law are usually Federal, he is able to practice
in all 50 states, so your location
does not matter.
Michael is a long time Sustaining
Member of the National Organization for Social Security Claimants’ Representatives (NOSSCR),
the only national body for disability representatives. He is also
certified as a Federal Trial Lawyer
and is admitted to the U.S. Court
of Appeals for Veteran’s Claims.
Michael would welcome the opportunity to try to help you with
your legal claims. His web site
may
be
found
at
www.MCSLegalHelp.com, or he
may be contacted at
[email protected], or at
866-880-HURT (4878).
MCSA
lated from the first denial letter you
received on your claim, not the ALJ
Many MCS sufferers have older dis- decision or Appeals Council decision.
ability applications that they did not
appeal, or they tried to return to
work and dropped their claims. In SSI
some circumstances, these earlier
applications can be reopened. If In addition to or instead of benefits
you file a new application for bene- under SSDI or Title II of the Social
fits that is considered to be a con- Security Act, you may be entitled to
structive request to re-open any Supplementary Security Income beneprior claims. If you re-file within fits, or SSI.
one year of the Initial Denial decision, the claim is automatically re- SSI is basically a welfare program and
opened. The prior claims can also allows people who are disabled and
be re-opened if a new application is also are poor enough to fall under
filed within four years of the Initial the federal poverty guidelines, to reDenial and you submit new and ma- ceive benefits if they are unable to
terial evidence that was not available work. People over 65 who do not
at the time of the original applica- have other income or resources
tion or was not obtained and used automatically get SSI.
in the decision. You can also reopen at any time if there is a severe An important difference between the
mental impairment which prevented SSI benefits and the SSDI program is
you from acting in your own behalf. that for SSI you do not have to have
enough “current credits” in covered
The advantage of re-opening is that employment or to ever have had a
all of the benefits which had accrued work history. This can be an advanduring the original application can be tage to those people who may only
obtained if you are successful, not have worked a short time, were
just the ones that accrue after filing homemakers for many years before
the new application. This can mean becoming disabled, or who did a lot
a fairly large award can be obtained. of part time work or work in which
they were paid in cash or were self
Bear in mind that the time is calcu- employed and did not pay taxes.
NEWS
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12
However, to get SSI benefits you have
to also be poor enough, which tends
to preclude people who are married
with working spouses. Also, if you are
receiving “in kind” support, such as
having your rent covered by a friend or
relative, it will reduce the amount you
may receive.
Another advantage of the SSI benefits
is that there is no “waiting period” between the time you became disabled
and first month in which benefits can
be paid. However, there is also no
payment for retroactive benefits prior
MCSA
to the month in which the SSI application is made, whereas with SSDI you can
get retroactive benefits for up to a year
before the month in which you applied.
Medicaid is available if you are approved
for SSI, but not Medicare.
If your SSDI monthly payment is less
than the current SSI monthly amount,
you can receive enough SSI in combination with the SSDI to bring you up to
the SSI payment amount if you otherwise qualify.
NEWS
PAGE
13
Press Release
Epidemic of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
A Disease Caused by Toxic Chemical Exposure
Featured in Toxicology Reference Book
“MCS
is a
Professor Martin L. Pall’s research on multiple chemical sensitivity has been featured and published as a 52 page chapter in a prestigious reference work for professional toxicologists, "General and Applied Toxicology, 3rd Edition" (John Wiley &
Sons).
Pall's paper, entitled Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: Toxicological Questions and Mechanisms, establishes five important facts about MCS:
stunningly
common
disease,
even more
common
than
diabetes.”
1. MCS is a stunningly common disease, even more common than diabetes. This
has been shown in a series of nine epidemiological studies from the U.S. and one
study each from Canada, Germany, Sweden and Denmark. In the U.S., approximately 3.5% of the population is affected by severe MCS, with much larger numbers, at least 12% of the population, being moderately affected. MCS is, therefore,
a very large international disease epidemic with major implications in terms of
public health.
2. MCS is caused by toxic chemical exposure. Cases of MCS are initiated by exposure to seven classes of chemicals. These include three classes of pesticides and
the very large class of organic solvents and related compounds. In addition, published studies implicate mercury, hydrogen sulfide and carbon monoxide as initiators. All seven of these classes of chemicals have been shown in animal studies to
produce a common response in the body, excessive activity of a receptor in the
body known as the NMDA receptor. Furthermore animal studies have demonstrated that chemicals belonging to each of these seven classes can have their toxic
responses greatly lowered by using drugs that lower this NMDA response. Because excessive NMDA activity is implicated in MCS from
other studies, we now have a compelling common response
that explains how such diverse chemicals can produce the disease that we call MCS.
Martin L. Pall
MCSA
NEWS
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14
3. The role of chemicals acting as toxicants in MCS has been confirmed by genetic studies. Four such
studies have shown that genes that determine the rate of metabolism of chemicals otherwise implicated in
MCS, influence susceptibility to becoming ill with MCS. These four studies have been published by three
research groups in three countries, the U.S., Canada and Germany, have collectively implicated six genes
in determining susceptibility to MCS. Each of these six genes has a role in determining the rate of metabolism of MCS-related chemicals. The German studies by Schnakenberg and colleagues are particularly convincing on this because of the extremely high level of statistical significance of their studies implicating four
of these six genes. There is only one interpretation for the role of these six genes in determining susceptibility to MCS. It is that chemicals act as toxicants in initiating cases of MCS and that metabolizing these
chemicals into forms that are either less or more active in such initiation, influences therefore, the probability that a person will become ill with MCS. It is clear, therefore, that MCS is a toxicological phenomenon, with cases being caused by the toxic response to chemical exposure.
4. We have, a detailed and generally well supported mechanism for MCS. This mechanism explains both
the high level chemical sensitivity that is the most characteristic symptom of MCS, as well as many other
symptoms and signs of this disease, can be generated. This mechanism is centered on a biochemical vicious cycle, known as the NO/ONOO- cycle, which interacts with other mechanisms previously implicated in MCS, notably neural sensitization and neurogenic inflammation. These act locally, in various tissues of the body, to generate local sensitivity in regions of the brain and in peripheral tissues including
lungs, upper respiratory tract and regions of the skin and the GI tract. Because of this local nature, different MCS patients differ from one another in their sensitivity symptoms, because the tissues impacted differ
from one patient to another. In addition to the evidence discussed above, this general mechanism is supported by various physiological changes found in MCS and in related illnesses, by studies of MCS animal
models, by objectively measurable responses of MCS patients to low level chemical exposure and by
therapeutic responses reported for MCS and related illnesses.
5. For over 20 years, some have falsely argued that MCS is a psychogenic disease, being generated in their
view by some ill defined psychological mechanism. However this view is completely incompatible with all
of the evidence discussed earlier in this release. While such incompatibility is more than sufficient reason
to reject these psychogenic claims, the MCS toxicology paper lists eight additional serious flaws in the psychogenic arguments. There is a long history of false psychogenic claims in medicine, where such diseases
as asthma, autism, Parkinson's disease, ulcers, multiple sclerosis, lupus, interstitial cystitis, migraine and ulcerative colitis have been claimed to be generated by a psychological mechanism. The 2005 Nobel prize in
physiology and medicine was give to Drs. Robin Warren and Barry Marshall for showing that ulcers are
caused by a bacterial infection, and are not of psychogenic origin. It is clear, now, that MCS is physiological disease initiated by toxic chemical exposure that has been falsely claimed to be psychogenic.
Martin L. Pall is Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry and Basic Medical Science, Washington State University
[email protected]
503-232-3883 Pacific Time
www.thetenthparadigm.org
*Reprinted and edited from a press release with permission.
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Stephen’s Healthy Housing Column
Healthy
and
Sacred
Spaces
Stephen Collette, BBEC, LEED AP
Stephen Collette is a Certified Building Biology Environmental Consultant (BBEC). This
lengthy certification analyses the built environment and how it impacts people’s health.
Stephen was a natural builder for 5 years specializing in straw bale construction. Stephen has
an engineering background and training which enables him to understand the various processes occurring within the home and how they can interact. Applying these skills and knowledge to the standard home and small office enables Your Healthy House to find the reasons
for poor indoor air quality and to create solutions to help create your healthy house.
Stephen Collette is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design - Accredited Professional (LEED AP), which allows Stephen to use the Canada Green Building Council’s guidelines and method to ensure a quantitative approach to building green.
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Stephen’s Healthy Housing Column
Healthy and Sacred Spaces
Stephen Collette, BBEC, LEED AP
“To come
together in
sacred spaces
and share in the
magic of the
universe with
others who
share the same
belief is how
communities are
built.”
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Our desire to express our religious
beliefs and carry out rituals defines us
as a species. To come together in sacred spaces and share in the magic of
the universe with others who share
the same belief is how communities
are built. But what if being in that nurturing space made you sick? What if
there was something so toxic to you
that you would become ill in that
space and it became inaccessible to
you? Would that be something a community would want to resolve?
People diagnosed with environmental
sensitivities actually equal the number
of people in Ontario with mobility
disabilities at 6%. As good community
stewards we spend large amounts of
money to make our sacred spaces
mobility barrier free (as we should).
No person should be denied access to
a sacred space to express their beliefs,
yet it happens regularly for those with
chemical sensitivities. Understanding
how faith communities can help is easy,
and so is the ability to open your
doors to a greater community.
Environmental sensitivities are a recognized disability according to the Ontarians with Disabilities Act. This is the
act that looks at how to make spaces
accessible to all Ontarians. Chemical
sensitivities are a one form of environmental illness and it is a biological reaction to the toxicological exposure to
volatile chemicals. The body’s immune
system is unable to handle and process
these toxins as most people can. The
result is typically respiratory and neurological impacts affecting the individual enough that they must seek refuge
elsewhere and may take days to recover.
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17
“Cleaning
products are
so toxic that
many come
with
hazardous
warnings on
them.”
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The causes of such terrible events are
the chemicals we use in our everyday
lives. Perfumes, cleaning products, solvents, caulking, glues, and pesticides
are just a short list. It is mainly petroleum based products as they are highly
volatile, which means that they off gas
fumes. Think of perfume. It contains
approximately 75-100 volatile organic
compounds (petroleum products)
whose job is to off gas enough to numb
the brains of the one’s you are trying
to attract. That unfortunately is really
what is happening!
Cleaning products are so toxic that
many come with hazardous warnings
on them. If we were to sit back and
consider this idea, it’s unimaginable
that we would consider using these
products with such toxic warnings. Of
course one says, well it hasn’t killed me
yet. That is unfortunately only partially
true. Cancer rates are the highest in
our history. Asthma rates in children
have more than doubled since the
1980’s and children with allergies has
skyrocketed as well. We are seeing
childhood cancer rates manifest
younger and younger. This is because
we now know that these toxic chemicals that we use daily are actually passing through the placenta during pregnancy and impacting the fetus and it’s
development. Our children are growing up with a weaker immune system
because of the exposures we have had
in our lifetimes and unknowingly exposed them to.
So how do we make changes? Scent
free spaces are the first step in showing
your fellow community member that
they too are important in your sacred
space. Scent free means no perfumes,
or scented fabric softeners on your
clothes. This is easily achievable and
will dramatically open the doors to
more people. There are many organizations, companies, jurisdictions, and
faith communities that have done so
already, and finding them for resources
is only a web search away.
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Cleaning products have a massive impact, both on
the users in the faith community and those in the
space. Highly volatile and toxic cleaning products
are simply not necessary for most of the cleaning
required in a faith community. Kitchen spaces
used do require a certain level
of cleanliness as public health
dictates. There are a few cleaning products available that are
significantly safer than chlorine
bleach (chlorine gas was used in
World War One as a nerve
agent) such as essential oil of
thyme based products and hydrogen peroxide based products. The products with a
Health Canada certification can
be used in place of bleach for
food preparation spaces. Also
remember that hot water is an
acceptable solution as well according to the guidelines. Talk
to your public health inspector
on healthier options and they may have solutions
that others in your area have used. Share with
your Greening Sacred Spaces network as well
about what you have learned. Educate your own
people. Many times older members will use a
toxic product because they always have. That
doesn’t make it safe, just ill informed. No one
wants to hurt others with something as simple
and inexpensive as cleaning products, so educate
and change. If you are getting your supplies from a
cleaning company, ask them for better solutions.
You can even make your own recipes with baking
soda and vinegar, which is something multigenerational activities are all about. The best part
about switching cleaning products to more natural
based ones is that it is typically cheaper, so saving
money, the environment (less toxins down the
drain) and making the place healthier for others is
a great solution.
For some faith communities the burning of candles or incense is common. Candles are typically
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made from paraffin, which is petroleum, with
more petroleum products to give color and smell,
with a lead dipped wick to finish it off. Consider
the dark black smoke that rises when you blow a
candle out. Have you ever seen a transport truck
pull away from the corner and
the same dark black smoke? It’s
the same thing. Switch to beeswax or soy based candles for a
healthier option. Incense can be
a sensitizer and using the higher
quality incense can help, as
there are many toxic additives
in the cheaper kinds that could
cause a reaction. Ideally there
may be times or parts of the
space that incense is not burned
so that those with sensitivities
can still attend and not be impacted.
There will still be people who
are more sensitive and these
measures may not be enough. Solutions can be
found for those communities who are inclusive
and interested in reaching out to their congregation, ensuring every one of their members have
the ability to attend and share in their sacred
community.
*Reprinted with permission.
www.faith-commongood.net.
Original source http://
Stephen Collette is an Environmental Building
Consultant and owner of Your Healthy House.
Stephen carries out indoor environmental inspections and building consulting to make spaces
healthier and greener for all to enjoy. Stephen is
also part of Faith and the Common Good.
Stephen can be reached at
www.yourhealthyhouse.ca
[email protected]
705-652-5159
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19
Article
A Warm Thanksgiving
"For an
estimated 46
million
Americans,
chemical
sensitivity
throws another
wrench in the
works.”
The holidays bring many emotions.
Most people look forward to sharing
joy with children and family. Some feel
sad as they remember deceased relatives or a partner from a broken relationship who attended celebrations in
the past. Shopping, travel, traffic, and
preparations can often add extra anxiety and stress. And it doesn’t stop
there.
For an estimated 46 million Americans,
chemical sensitivity throws another
wrench in the works. Roughly 15% of
the population experiences some level
of sensitivity to multiple chemicals
which reduces blood flow to the brain
and leads to various neurological, endocrine, and immune symptoms upon
exposure to common
fragrances,
pesticides,
and other toxic chemicals.
The exposure need not
be great. The definition
of MCS is such that
symptoms occur to small
amounts of chemicals
normally deemed as a
safe exposure level. Another person’s perfume
or scented lotion, as well
as a recent pesticide application, could bring on
symptoms.
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Of the 46 million Americans who experience chemical sensitivity, approximately 9 million have been diagnosed
with multiple chemical sensitivity
(MCS). For those diagnosed with
MCS, the condition has generally advanced to a disabling point. Many are
no longer able to tolerate work, shopping, school, and church environments.
Thanksgiving brings everyone joy, sadness, stress, anxiety, and other emotions. Besides all of this, a person with
MCS also struggles to merely be a part
of the festivities.
For those with MCS, Thanksgiving may
also bring profound rejection and
loneliness.
Rejection occurs when
family and friends are not willing to
make small changes to accommodate a
person with MCS. If loved ones are
willing to make accommodations, they
are not always successful for various
reasons. Loneliness occurs, as a result
of rejection when person with MCS is
not accommodated for one reason or
another or is unnecessarily excluded
from celebrations.
Sometimes exclusion includes denigration and harsh accusations of making
more of exposures than there really is.
Many people with MCS recount being
told that they just don’t want to attend. Far from the truth, most very
much want to participate in life, work,
school, and social gatherings.
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Ten Holiday Ideas to Accommodate People with MCS
“Ask the
person with
MCS what
you can
1. Make the gathering a fragrance free event for everyone’s health.
• No perfume, cologne, scented lotions, aftershaves, and hair products.
• Provide showers and unscented soap for guests in case they forget.
• Provide unscented robes or cover-ups in the event clothing is
scented.
• Remove all air fresheners, candles, and other scented items from the
home/facility.
2, Hold the even outdoors if weather permits.
3, Run an air filter to help filter chemicals out of the air.
prepare
4, Open opposite windows for cross ventilation and air exchange. Turn the
heat up if necessary.
especially for
5. Ask the person with MCS what you can prepare especially for them with any
food sensitivities in mind. You may find that everyone loves it!
them with
6. Make an extra effort to include the person with MCS and make them feel
welcome while treating them normally (they have MCS, but they also have other
interests).
any food
sensitivities in
mind.”
7. Do not tell a person to remove a needed mask or oxygen supply for the
comfort of other guests. Allow the person with MCS to wear a mask or respirator and alert guests ahead of time so they are prepared.
8. Watch for reactions to chemicals and be careful not to misinterpret the behavior of person with MCS. Nervous appearing behavior, excessive talking,
grogginess, repetitive movements, leaving the room, and other unusual behavior
may be a sign of a reaction to the environment.
9. If a person with MCS does have a bad reaction, ask what you can do to help.
10. Have fun!
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Ten Holiday Ideas for Those with MCS
“Speak
1. Start planning and shopping early by making a to do list.
2. Avoid the stress, crowds, exposures, and hassles of shopping by employing
alternatives such as buying gifts online.
to
your
friends
and
family
in advance
to outline your
needs
and make
plans.”
3. Take care of yourself by sticking to your normal foods and routine.
4. When entertaining, stipulate the rules on party invitations.
• If no fragrances are allowed, provide safe clothing and shower access for
guests to use when arriving.
• If you don’t want to entertain all night, be sure to specify the time the
party ends.
• Ask guests to bring a pot luck dish to reduce energy expended cooking
and cleaning up.
• Ask guests to help out.
5. When going to a gathering away from home:
• If dietary needs may not be met, bring a dish of food that you tolerate to
eat and share with others.
• Bring your own vehicle and make a short appearance at a gathering if you
are unable to stay for the duration or your family wishes to stay longer.
• If fragrances are of concern, wear layered clothing or a cover-up and
bring a mask. A paraplegic would not show up without a wheel chair.
You should not show up without your medical equipment either.
6. Plan to do nothing or lighten your schedule a few days before and after an
event.
7. Just say no. It’s okay to pass on activities and outings, especially
if accommodations will not be made for you. Your first priority is
you.
8. Speak to your friends and family in advance to outline your
needs and make plans.
9. Avoid making commitments you may not be able to keep. This
will lessen the pressure you feel and you’ll win more points if you
say maybe and no show than if you say yes and no show. And if
you happen to show up in spite of “maybe”, everyone will be delighted.
10. Pace yourself. It’s better to enjoy only one activity than be in
bed for two weeks because you attempted several activities.
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Scientific Study
Thimerosal in Vaccines Linked to
Slowed Neurological Response
Just days after receipt of a 2009 flu shot, Desiree
Jennings, a Washington Redskins Ambassador,
developed dystonia brought on by the vaccine
according to her doctors at John’s Hopkins.
Dystonia is a rare, incurable neurological condition which causes body jerks and abnormal or
repetitive movements that is brought on by infections, brain trauma, or a reaction to medications.
of the adverse effects of mercury on the brain,
where mercury collects and stores.
Previously, blood mercury level was thought to
be a good indicator for whether the body cleared
mercury. Since mercury leaves the blood readily,
thimerosal was thought to be a safe vaccine preservative. However, studies have now shown
that blood mercury may not be a good indicator
Burbacher, TM, Shen, DD, Liberato, N, Grant KS,
Cernichiari, E, Clarkson, T. Comparison of Blood
and Brain Mercury Levels in Infant Monkeys Exposed toMethylmercury or Vaccines Containing
Thimerosal. Environmental Health Perspectives. August 2005, 113(8):1015.
Thomas Burbacher and colleagues cite, “Although
little accumulation of mercury in the blood occurs
over time with repeated vaccinations, accumulation
of mercury in the brain of infants will occur. Thus,
conclusion regarding the safety of thimerosal drawn
from blood mercury clearance data in human inDespite repeated denials from pharmaceutical fants receiving vaccines may not be valid, given the
companies, thimerosal, a mercury containing vac- significantly slower half-life of mercury in the brain
cine preservative, remains suspect in autism, as observed in infant macaques."
dystonia, and other neurological disorders which
commonly result from the administration of vac- Just one study was done on the safety of
cines. Though the public is led to believe vac- thimerosal in humans back in the 1920’s and the
cines are safe, an examination of the inserts that use of thimerosal has been based on an assumption,
come with vaccines from the manufacturers re- rather than a proof, that it is safe. Parents ought to
veals the risks may be much greater than com- closely examine the safety and ingredients of vaccines and the availability of alternate preparations
monly purported.
before consenting to vaccination of their child. Full
A new study has replicated previous studies, information and disclosure is paramount to inshowing that rhesus macaques monkeys given formed decisions.
single neonatal dose of thimerosal containing
Hepatitis B vaccines have abnormal neurological References
reflexes when compared to monkeys given a sa- Hewitson, L, House, LA, Stogg, C, Sackett, G,
Tomko, JL, Atwood, D, Blue, L, White, W, and
line placebo or no injection.
Wakefield, AJ. Delayed Acquisition of Neonatal
Lower gestational age and lower birth weight Reflexes in newborn Primates receiving A
both worsened the negative health effects of the Thimerosal-containing Hepatitis B Vaccine. Neutox
1068. doi:10.1016/j.neuro.2009.09.008
vaccine.
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Scientific Study
Chemical Induced Brain Dysfunction
Shown in Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
Some of the earliest research done on people with
multiple chemicals sensitivity (MCS) involved brain
images taken before, during, and after chemical
exposure.
These early studies consistently
showed lower baseline blood flow
to the brain which worsened during low-level chemical challenges,
leading to the conclusion that
chemical exposure caused neurocognitive impairment in this population.
Researchers in Spain repeated this
procedure with chemical products
at non-toxic concentrations and
compared patients diagnosed with
MCS to those without MCS.
The MCS patients consistently
showed reduced baseline blood flow to the brain,
which worsened after the chemical challenge, again
supporting the earlier findings.
People with MCS experience neurological and
other symptoms upon exposure to minute
amounts of chemicals found in fragrances, pesticides, and other common chemicals.
perfusion (blood flow).
Individuals with chronic symptoms show long-term
reduced blood flow to the brain and
reduced ability of the brain to take
up a tracer substance in the early
phase of injection, indicating a pattern
of neurotoxic metabolic abnormality.
Over 90% of MCS patients exhibit a
pattern of neurotoxic metabolic abnormalities in the brain that is consistent with toxic encephalopathy, but
that is not consistent with the changes
associated with previously implicated
psychiatric diseases.
SPECT brain scans on MCS patients
with chronic symptoms following
toxic exposure to various petrochemical, perfume, and related compounds have provided researchers evidence to support an organic, biological basis to MCS when compared with healthy control subjects.
SPECT scans have uncovered blood flow alterations
in patients with fibromyalgia, typically involving increased uptake of tracer substances, leading researchers to questions whether fibromyalgia may
also be a toxicological disease of a different nature.
Orriols and colleagues say these findings support
the “poorer quality of life and neurocognitive function at baseline, and neurocognitive worsening after chemical exposure” experienced by people
with MCS.
Chemicals appear to be capable of altering brain
function in a significant way. This alteration of brain
function seems to be responsible for the many neurocognitive effects of MCS.
The method used for the brain scans is known as
SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computerized Tomography) technology. SPECT performs brain
scans which record brain functioning by measuring
Reference
Orriols R, Costa R, Cuberas G, Jacas C, Castell J,
Sunyer J. Brain dysfunction in multiple chemical
sensitivity. J Neurol Sci. 2009 Oct 2.
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Scientific Study
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
Greatly Impacts Life and Function
“The
average
experience
with the
healthcare
system is
rated
poorly.”
MCSA
Often misunderstood as suffering from
an annoying allergy, people with multiple chemical sensitivity actually struggle with disabling neurological symptoms when they are exposed to small
amounts of perfume, fragrance, pesticides, and other common airborne
chemical products tolerated by most.
Researchers have suggested that MCS
is a chronic and disabling condition,
unlike a mere annoyance from an allergy which most of us are able to understand more easily.
Skovbjerg and colleagues were interested in the details of the impact of
MCS on everyday life in men and
woman who have had MCS for at least
one year.
symptoms by this population.
“If my doctor won’t even acknowledge
my symptoms,” says one woman with
MCS, “how can he treat them?”
Another woman says, “Since I’ve had
MCS, I find that when I go to the doctor to get treatment, they always redirect the visit to something else they
understand better that I didn’t come in
for, like blood pressure or weight. It’s
like they don’t know what to do for the
MCS, so they ignore it instead of just
saying they don’t know or referring me
to a specialist who might know. It’s
frustrating and dehumanizing. The doctor’s lack of knowledge affecting his
psyche is not of my concern. He
should be honest if he’s inexperienced
in toxicology.”
Skovbjerg says, “MCS may severely
influence different aspects of everyday Skovbjerg says further research is
life, including lifestyle, social relations, needed to add to professional understanding of MCS in order to provide
and occupational conditions.”
more satisfactory healthcare. In the
The most common coping strategy is meantime, many with MCS are left to
to avoid common airborne chemicals keep trying new doctors and fend for
and create a chemical-free living space. themselves while in a chronically disThis involves a reduction of both work abled state.
and social activities, not to mention
Reference
daily tasks of living such as shopping.
Skovbjerg S, Brorson S, Rasmussen A,
The average experience with the Johansen JD, Elberling J. Impact of selfhealthcare system is rated poorly reported multiple chemical sensitivity
among people with MCS, largely due on everyday life: a qualitative study.
to physician’s lack of adequate training Scand J Public Health. 2009 Aug;37
in toxicology and, thus, dismissal of the (6):621-6. Epub 2009 May 1.
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Scientific Study
CFS Linked to Retrovirus
“CFS/ME
has been
linked to a
newly
discovered
retrovirus
known as
XMRV.”
MCSA
By now the news that chronic fatigue
syndrome (CFS), also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), has been
linked to a newly discovered retrovirus known as XMRV.
until now has been a diagnosis of exclusion with no specific diagnostic
tests. Though many tests for cytokines
and chemokines, among others can
point to CFS/ME, it has only recently
enjoyed better recognition.
Researchers from the Whittemore
Peterson Institute (WPI) at the University of Nevada and the Cleveland
Clinic just published their finding in
the journal, Science.
There have been many cases of sufferers being accused of faking and being
left unable to care for themselves in
the mistaken belief that when they are
hungry or have to go to the bathroom,
“CFS/ME is a debilitating disease that they will get up. The identification of a
affects millions of people in the United virus not only holds hope for better
States,” according to the National In- diagnostics and less abuse of patients,
but also for a possible cause and treatstitute of Health.
ment to return patients to functioning.
"We now have evidence that a retrovirus named XMRV is frequently pre- Current treatments are poorly rated
sent in the blood of patients with CFS. by sufferers, largely because they are
This discovery could be a major step only energy management and coping
in the discovery of vital treatment op- techniques and not genuine medical
tions for millions of patients," said treatments.
Judy Mikovits, Ph.D., director of research for On the other hand, there is concern
that the identification of XMRV is just a
WPI.
ploy for the pharmaceutical industry to
The catch is that though sell expensive retroviral drugs. While
there is an association this is possible, it’s unlikely as the founbetween XMRV and der of WPI has a daughter who has
CFS, it is not yet proven suffered with CFS/ME for many years.
that XMRV causes CFS. Part of the reason Whittemore
founded the WPI was due to the lack
This news brings mixed of understanding and lack of diagnostic
reviews from the com- biomarkers for CFS/ME.
munity.
Whittemore has clearly cautioned that
Some are enthusiastic this discovery in no way assures that
that it may lead to an XMRV is the cause, just that it occurs
easy blood test for diag- in a significant proportion of CFS/ME
nosing CFS/ME, which patients when compared to controls.
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Legal
SSDI Awarded for Mold Toxicity
In a landmark case, a Social Security judge granted benefits for Kristina Townsend for a mold exposure which resulted in her disability in 2007.
Townsend suffered both physical and cognitive impairments as a result of toxic
mold exposure and is no longer able to work in any substantial gainful activity.
She was awarded benefits dating back to 2007.
Townsend’s physician testified that she was colonized with mold from a contaminated residence her employer provided while she was away from home on
a temporary work assignment. A mycotoxin report confirmed elevated levels
of trichothecene in the residence.
Toxic mold exposure resulted in mycotoxiciosis, or toxic mold poisoning.
Townsend now suffers form chemical sensitivity, fatigue, cognitive dysfunction,
and other related injuries.
Townsend was cleared of any primary mental health disorders in an assessment.
Her symptoms have improved slightly and she is scheduled for a disability review next year.
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Scientific Study
Aluminum Hydroxide in Vaccines
Linked to Neurological Damage
“Evidence
shows that
aluminum
hydroxide,
a vaccine
adjuvant,
leads to
motor deficits
and motor
neuron
degeneration.”
MCSA
Just days after receipt of a 2009 flu
shot, Desiree Jennings, a Washington
Redskins Ambassador, developed
dystonia brought on by the vaccine
according to her doctors at John’s
Hopkins. Dystonia is a rare, incurable
neurological condition which causes
body jerks and abnormal or repetitive
movements that is brought on by infections, brain trauma, or a reaction
to medications.
most likely culprit appears to be aluminum hydroxide,” says Shaw and Petrik,
researchers at the Departments of
Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences,
University of British Columbia, Canada.
Aluminum-treated mice in a new study
showed significant neuronal degeneration and the presence of aluminum in
the spine cord and cortex after being
treated with aluminum hydroxide
preparations. This resulted in motor
As autism and Gulf War veterans with function impairment and reduced spafatigue and ailing health also abound, tial memory capacity.
Americans increasingly question vaccine safety in the face of a pharmaceu- Shaw says the treated mice showed a
tical industry and government which consistent “pathological hallmark of
consistently dismiss their concerns various neurological diseases, including
without providing any real evidence of Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia. The demonstrated neuvaccine safety and efficacy.
rotoxicity of aluminum hydroxide and
Now, scientific evidence shows that its relative ubiquity as an adjuvant sugaluminum hydroxide, a vaccine adju- gest that greater scrutiny by the scienvant used to increase the response of tific community is warranted.”
the immune system, leads to motor
deficits and motor neuron degenera- Aluminum hydroxide is a common vaction, which may be linked to Gulf War cine adjuvant and can be found, along
Syndrome and amyotrophic lateral with mercury, in some flu vaccines.
sclerosis (ALS), a multi-system disorder afflicting vet- Parents ought to closely examine the
erans the 1990- safety and ingredients of vaccines and
1991 Gulf War.
alternate preparations before consenting to vaccination of their child.
“Possible causes
of GWS include Reference
several of the Shaw CA, Petrik MS. Aluminum hyadjuvants in the droxide injections lead to motor defianthrax vaccine cits and motor neuron degeneration. J
and others. The Inorg Biochem. 2009 Aug 20.
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Resources
Patient Support & Resources
MCS Nebraska
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/MCS-Nebraska
Open to the general public residing in Nebraska to discuss support,
MCSA Public
ideas, information, announcements, and/or share personal activhttp://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/mcsa-public/
ism. No application is required. This list is operated in part by a
Open to the general public open to discuss MCS, support, ideas, state subsidiary volunteer who resides in the state.
information, announcements, news and activism.
or subscribe at:
MCS America Forums
MCS America Members Activist/Support
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/mcs-america-members-support
MCS Michigan
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/mcs-michigan
Open to the general public residing in Michigan to discuss support,
ideas, information, announcements, and/or share personal activism. No application is required. This list is operated in part by a
state subsidiary volunteer who resides in the state.
This group also fulfills the function of discuss support, ideas, information, announcements, and/or share personal activism like the
MCSA-Pubic group, only with a closed membership that requires a
membership application. This group also has the added benefit of
being a place where individuals and other organizations and activists
can engage in collaborative efforts with MCS America and being
recipient to all the news feeds (see MCSA Feeds below). Members
of this group are considered associate members of MCS America. Members do not operate MCS America in any way, but rather
collaborate with the organization and are privy to some internal
operations, activities, and events.
4Mom
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/4MOM/
MCSA Feeds
According to Mt. Sinai Medical School, there are many illness'
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/mcsafeeds
caused by toxic substances such as pesticides. They are studying the
The purpose of this public access group is to receive daily distribu- role other toxins play on the new childhood diseases triggered by
tion of news and research studies on multiple chemical sensitivity, environmental factors. They call this the new epidemic. Mothers of
chemical injury, environmental concerns, and other related environ- Many is for all parents with children who are ill and are affected by
mental illnesses and disorders. Anyone can join without an applica- toxic chemicals such as Attention Deficit Disorder, Asthma, Cancer,
tion. Only the moderator posts to this group. This is not a discus- Autism, Tourettes Syndrome, Multiple Chemicals Sensitivities
sion group. This group distributes about 15 articles on average (MCS), Parkinson's, and any other condition affected.
each day.
Bay Area MCS
MCS Salvage and Share
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/bayareamcslist/
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/MCSA-safer-salvage-and-share Classified ads and notices for people with MCS (Multiple Chemical
A public access group similar to Freecycle, except it's a free recy- Sensitivity) in the San Francisco Bay Area.
cling program for safer reusable's geared towards individuals with
MCS, CFS, FM, and other related disabilities correlated with the CFS CFIDS ME
environment. The purpose of this program is to find, give, and recy- http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/CFS_CFIDS_ME/
cle needed "safe" or "safer" items. All items are exchanged for free. This Group is to promote friendly discussion about places where
Shipping cost are arranged between donor and recipient. Anyone people have gone and feel more or less recovered from CFS/ME/
can join without an application.
CFIDS.
Support Forums Outside the
MCS America Network
Multiple Chemical Sensitivities and Toxic Injury
http://groups.google.com/group/mcs-ti
This is a small non-Yahoo based group open to the general public to
discuss MCS, support, ideas, information, announcements, news and
activism.
MCS Hawaii
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/mcs-hawaii
Open to the general public residing in Hawaii to discuss support,
ideas, information, announcements, and/or share personal activism. No application is required. This group is currently recipient to
all the news feeds (see MCSA Feeds above). This list is operated in
part by a state subsidiary volunteer who resides in the state.
MCSA
Chemical Disability Australasian NETwork
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CDANET/
A Discussion/Chat/Mutual help list run by and for the chemically
disabled.
CMCS-EI Christian MCS, CFS, FM, and EI Group
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/CMCS-EI/
We are a Christian group who have invisible illnesses.
Creative Canaries Community
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/CreativeCanariesCommunity
This group is an online meeting place for creative artists with
Chemical Sensitivities.
NEWS
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29
Detox
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/mcs-america-membersLive Chat at the Health and Environment Resource Center
support
http://www.herc.org/chat
"Detox" is a group to serve chemically injured, environmentally ill, This chat room is not associated with any group. It is unmoderated
multiple chemical sensitivity, and related illness such as chronic fa- and no password is required. Chat Times: Saturday - 7 pm ET, 6 pm
tigue, candidiasis, hypoglycemia, lupus, and others.
CT, 5 pm Mtn, 4 pm Pac; Monday - 9 pm ET, 8 pm CT, 7 pm Mtn, 6
pm Pac; Wednesday - 8 pm ET, 7 pm CT, 6 pm Mtn, 5 pm Pac.
Disinissues
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Disinissues/
MCS Canada
The purpose of Disinissues is to share experience and advice about http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/MCS-Canada/
the processes of obtaining and maintaining Social Security Disability This group was formed to assist patients and concerned parties from
Insurance (SSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and long-term all nationalities learn to cope with environmental injury, including
disability insurance. The group is targeted mainly towards those with disorders such as MCS,ME, CFS, FM, Lyme, Lupus, GWS, PPS, as
invisible disabilities, such as CFIDS and other conditions not on So- well as related and associated illnesses.
cial Security's Listing of Impairments.
MCS Canadian Sources
EMF Refugee
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MCS-CanadianSources
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/emfrefugee/
MCS Canadian Sources is a support, information and resource exThis ML has been created with the intent of bringing refugees to- change for those living and coping with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
gether in countries around the world to form their own EMF-free (MCS), Environmental Illness (EI), or Chemical Injury (CI).
communities in natural environments where they can heal and create
healing environments for the Earth and others.
MCS Photography
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/MCSphotography/
Environmental Illness 001
MCS Photography is for those with multiple chemical sensitivity who
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/environmental_illness001/
capture and share the world and their life through photography.
This group is dedicated to curing / resolving all issues related to
Environmental Illness, including but not limited to: Multiple Chemical MCS Recycle
Sensitivity (MCS), Multiple Food Allergy, Leaky Gut Syndrome, Can- http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MCSRecycle/
dida, Epstein Barr Virus, Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, Heavy Metal The objective of this group is to be able to share with each other
Poisoning, Porphyria, endocrine system dysregulation, etc.
items that are chemical free and have been used in a non-toxic environment. This group is planet-wide.
eSens - Electrical Sensitivity
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/eSens/
MCS Safe Shelter USA
Do you feel ill when you're near computers, cell phones, fluorescent http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/mcssafeshelterusa/
lights, or wireless internet? If so, you may have "electrical sensitivity". Short-term and long-term housing for people with MCS (Multiple
Chemical Sensitivity). Check our database for listings by state. Find
Gasslist-L (Glutaraldehyde, Aldehyde, and Solvent Sensitiv- rentals, hotels, and housing to purchase.
ity)
http://www.ncchem.com/snftaas/gasslist.htm
MCS Singles
This list has been established to serve persons interested in Glutaral- http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mcs-singles
dehyde, Aldehyde, and Solvent Sensitivity, especially darkroom per- Addresses the unique challenges of living alone without help as a
sonnel, radiographers, and diagnostic medical sonographers. The single with MCS. Examines solutions, provides a place for general
purpose of the list is to promote internet-wide exchange of research discussion, and is a resource for peer support.
and information.
MCS Survivors
Green Canary
http://communityzero.com/mcsurvivors
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GreenCanary
For those who experience environmental illness or multiple chemical
This list is dedicated to a life free from toxic chemicals, and the sensitivities (MCS), here is a place to gather, exchange ideas, links to
health problems that they can cause.
helpful websites, even have live chats. Enjoy!
Immune
http://immuneweb.org/lists/immune.html
This is the list for support and information about multiple chemical
sensitivities, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, lupus, multiple
sclerosis, porphyria, allergies, asthma, and other immune-related
ailments.
Immune Parenting
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/immune-parenting/
This list is for both men and women who have Multiple Chemical
Sensitivity, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, autoimmune
disorders, or other immune system medical issues--or their partners--who are parents, pregnant, trying to conceive, or who are
thinking about parenthood.
MCSA
MCS Toxic Injuries
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/MCS-Toxic-Injuries/
MCS-Toxic-Injuries is a self-moderated, secular, apolitical newsgroup
for toxically-injured environmentally sensitive people to support one
another and exchange coping methods, treatments and experiences.
MCS Village
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/MCSVillage/
The purpose of this group is to discuss the feasibility of building a
village(s) or community in which MCS/EI patients can live safely, and
to provide a forum to discuss the legal, medical, geographic, architectural, social and funding issues.
NEWS
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MCS Writers Group
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/mcswritersgroup/
A place for writers who have chemical sensitivities (or chemical
injury) to share their stories and articles, work on and develop public writing skills, exchange editing skills and perspective, and develop
ideas in order to bring awareness and education to the published
world about what it is like to live with MCS/ES/CI/EI.
Midwest Oasis MCS E-mail Support
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/MO-MCS/
Midwest Oasis MCS E-mail Support is the e-mail arm of the Midwest
Oasis MCS Support Group. Although people from all geographical
areas are welcome to join, a partial focus of this list will be discussion of regional issues affecting MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity)
in Missouri and other Midwestern states.
those diseases that fall under the tenth paradigm. They include:
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS/CFIDS/M.E.), Multiple Chemical
Sensitivity (MCS), Fibromyalgia (FM/FMS), Post-Traumatic Stress
Disorder (PTSD), and Gulf War Syndrome (GWS).
The Sanctuary
http://www.mcs-international.org/phpBB3/
MCS-International.Org's Holistic Support Forums For sufferers of
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and all other forms of Chemical Injury
and Environmental Illness.
Toxics Discussion
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ToxicsDiscussion/
If you're keen on a toxics-safe future for the planet, then this is the
discussion group for you. Toxics are defined here as naturally occurring or man-made chemicals (elements/compounds/mixtures) that
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (Chemical Sensitivity, Porphy- have a toxic effect.
rin & CO)
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/MultipleChemicalSensitivity/
WSMCSN (Washington State MCS Network)
Discussion group where people afflicted with Chemical Sensitivity, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WSMCSN
Chronic Carbon Monoxide Poisoning &/or Disorders of Porphyrin WSMCSN is a decentralized network of groups and individuals in
Metabolism can talk about their illness, inquire with others on avoid- Washington State who share information about the issues of Multiance, methods of cleaning & products one can use for necessary ple Chemical Sensitivity.
hygiene.
Additional Forum Listing Webpage
Old Dominion MCS-FMS_CFIDS Support Group A Vir- http://ww.mcs-america.org/forums
ginia Fibro MCS CFIDS Group
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/OldDominionMCS-FMS_CFIDSsupportgroup/
Physician & Dentist Referral Lists
Too many people in Va. have Fibromyalgia, Myofascial Pain Syndrome, CFIDS, Gulf War Syndrome (GWS), ES, and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. The group owner wanted to create an informative, Physician Referral List by State
supportive group for Virginians, and others.
http://mcs-america.org/doctorlist.pdf
Some of the physicians on this list specialize in MCS, others in FM
Planet Thrive
and CFS. It is recommended that patients and doctors consult with
http://www.planetthrive.com/
A dynamic online community for those activity seeking answers and one another prior to beginning any treatment to ensure understandsupport for a variety of health concerns. A place where people ing of the patient’s needs and compatibility of patient and physician.
around the world help each other get well and stay well.
Sick Buildings
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/sickbuildings/
Toxic molds are running rampant in our homes, offices and schools.
Exposure to mycotoxins has been linked to the death of infants, as
well as immune-compromised adults. Despite increasing reports of
mold-induced illness and health problems associated with mold exposure, our public health agencies offer little, if any support or funding for research into this growing problem.
Dentist Referral List by State
http://mcs-america.org/dentistlist.pdf
Some of the dentists on this list are specifically familiar with MCS,
others are not. It is recommended that patients and dentists consult
with one another prior to beginning any treatment to ensure understanding of the patient’s needs and compatibility of patient and dentist.
Sprayno
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sprayno/
This is a list to exchange information regarding environmental issues
in the northern suburbs and NY metro area focusing especially on
encouraging activism in this area and educating the public about toxic Air Now Air Quality Reports
effects of pesticide/herbicide usage.
http://www.airnow.gov/
Air Quality Reports
Tenth Paradigm Society
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/TenthParadigmSociety/
The Tenth Paradigm Society mailing list is for the dissemination and
discussion of information concerning the NO/ONOO- cycle mechanism, a new paradigm of human disease, proposed by Martin L. Pall,
Ph.D. Dr. Pall adopted the term "Multisystem Illness" to describe
MCSA
EPA State and Regional Indoor Environments Contact Information
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/whereyoulive.html
The National Association of Clean Air Agencies 4 Cleaner
Air http://www.4cleanair.org/
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American Lung Association: State of the Air
http://lungaction.org/reports/stateoftheair2007.htm
Current Local & National Allergy Levels
http://pollen.com/Pollen.com.asp
Scorecard: Pollution Index by Area
http://www.scorecard.org/
Household Mold brochure from Quebec government
http://publications.msss.gouv.qc.ca/acrobat/f/documentation/2002/02214-01A.pdf
ILRU: Understanding & Accommodating People with MCS
in Everyday Living
http://mcs-america.org/ilru.pdf
Indoor Air Chemistry
http://mcs-america.org/indoorair.pdf
Toxmap Hazardous Waste Site Locations
http://toxmap.nlm.nih.gov/toxmap/main/index.jsp
Interior Design and MCS
http://mcs-america.org/interior.pdf
USA Smoke/Fire Pollution Map
http://www.firedetect.noaa.gov/viewer.htm
Jill Mellum: Breathe Easier, Hold the Fragrances Brochure
http://mcs-america.org/fragrancefacts.pdf
Antenna Search (USA)
http://mcs-america.org/index_files/www.AntennaSearch.com
MCS Homebuyer’s Questionnaire
http://mcs-america.org/Homebuyer'sQuestionnaire.pdf
EPA Safe Drinking Water Information by State
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwinfo/
MCS Task Force of New Mexico Brochure
http://mcs-america.org/newmexico.pdf
EPA Radon Zone Map
http://www.epa.gov/radon/zonemap.html
MCS Public Accommodations
http://www.nettally.com/prusty/PUBLIC%
20ACCOMMODATIONS.pdf
MCS Statistics
http://www.mcs-america.org/MCSStatistics.pdf
Brochures
No Scents Makes Sense Brochure
http://www.nb.lung.ca/pdf/NoScentsMakeSense.pdf
Air Fresheners & Plug-Ins
http://mcs-america.org/airfresh.pdf
Chemical in Air Fresheners Reduces Lung Function
http://mcs-america.org/lung.pdf
Consequences of Childhood Chemical Injury Poster By
Margaret S. O’Nan
http://mcs-america.org/onan.pdf
Electrosensitivity Brochure by Kato Yasuko
http://mcs-america.org/KatoYasukoElectrosensitivityBrochure.doc
Theory on the Cause of MCS: Peroxynitrite and Nitric Oxide
http://www.mcs-america.org/cause.pdf
Understanding Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
http://www.mcs-america.org/understanding.pdf
Use of Baking Soda as a Fungicide
http://mcs-america.org/fungicide.pdf
Vaccine Poster - Are We Poisoning Our Children?
http://www.generationrescue.org/pdf/080212.pdf
Fabric Softener
http://mcs-america.org/fabricsoftener.pdf
Visiting a Person with MCS
http://mcs-america.org/visiting.pdf
Fragrances
http://mcs-america.org/fragrances.pdf
Grandma’s Cupboard: General Cleaning Solutions
http://www.mcs-america.org/general.pdf
What you should know before visiting a person who has
NRLA and/or MCS
http://mcs-america.org/VisitingNRLA-MCS.pdf
Grandma’s Cupboard: Kitchen Cleaning
http://www.mcs-america.org/kitchen.pdf
Signs
Grandma’s Cupboard: Personal Care
http://www.mcs-america.org/personal.pdf
Acute Toxic Effects of Fragrances Business Card
http://mcs-america.org/acutetoxiceffectsoffragrancescard.pdf
Grandma’s Cupboard: Laundry
http://www.mcs-america.org/laundry.pdf
Chemical Awareness Ribbon
http://mcs-america.org/ribbon.gif
MCSA
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Electrosensitivity Sign - Please Turn Off Your Cell Phone
http://mcs-america.org/
KatoYasukoElectrosensitivtySignTurnOffYourCellPhone.pdf
Request for Accommodations Under the Americans with
Disabilities Act
http://www.mcs-america.org/RequestforAccomodation.doc
Facemask on Tweety
http://mcs-america.org/tweety.jpg
Public Service Announcements
Fragrance Free Sign: Brooks University
http://www.brocku.ca/oehs/graphics/Fragrance_Free_Sign.pdf
Public Service Announcement #1
Air fresheners have been pulled off thousands of shelves
nation-wide!
http://www.mcs-america.org/AirFreshenerPSA1.pdf
No Scents Makes Sense Sign
http://mcs-america.org/scentssign.pdf
When you use fragranced products, did you know you are
wearing toxic chemicals!?
http://www.mcs-america.org/
WhenYouUseFragrancedProductsPSA2.pdf
No Latex Sign by Jane Sagmoe
http://mcs-america.org/nolatex.JPG
You Could Be Next Sign
http://mcs-america.org/nextsign.pdf
Want to Put Your Friends and Family in Jail?
http://mcs-america.org/jail.pdf
Wood Smoke Trespass Flyer 8 1/2 x 11
http://mcs-america.org/woodsmokeflyer.pdf
Activist Materials
Fragrances on Mail and/or Catalogs
http://mcs-america.org/
FragrancedMailCatalogBillsLetterforActivists.doc
Air Freshener Use
http://www.mcs-america.org/customairfreshenerletter.doc
Use of Fragrance, Cologne, and Perfume
http://mcs-america.org/UseofFragranceLetterforActivists.doc
Fabric Softener Emissions
http://www.mcs-america.org/LetterAboutFabricSoftener.doc
Letter to State Representatives to Ban Woodsmoke
http://mcs-america.org/woodsmoke.doc
Letter to Doctors and Medical Boards Supporting MCS as a
biological Illness (fully cited and scientifically supported)
Website: http://mcs-america.org/MCSPositionStatement.htm
PDF:
http://mcs-america.org/MCSPositionStatement.pdf
*This work is copyrighted. Permission granted for personal use in
activism provided that original copyright and authorship are maintained. For permission to reprint, mail [email protected].
MCSA
Secondhand Fragrances are Like Secondhand Smoke!
http://www.mcs-america.org/SecondHandFragrancesPSA3.pdf
Scented laundry detergents and fabric softeners pollute
indoor and outdoor air!
http://www.mcs-america.org/ScentedLaundryDetergentsPSA4.pdf
Public Service Announcement #4 (SPANISH)
Scented laundry detergents and fabric softeners pollute
indoor and outdoor air!
http://mcs-america.org/mcsamerica/
ScentedLaundryDetergentsPSA4Spanish.pdf
Wood Smoke... The Other Secondhand Smoke!
http://www.mcs-america.org/WoodSmokePSA5BurningIssues.pdf
Fragrances undermine public health!
http://www.mcs-america.org/FragrancesPSA6.pdf
Fragranced Laundry Products Pollute Our Air
http://mcs-america.org/PSA7FragrancedLaundry.pdf
Clothing & Novelties for Activism
MCS America Store for the Environment
http://www.mcs-america.org/MCSstore..htm
Zona’s T-Shirts and Stuff Zone
http://members.shaw.ca/zonaszone/shop/tshirts.html
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Virtual & Work-at-Home Jobs
Guide, About .com
http://beaguide.about.com/
Agent, Staffing at Home
http://www.staffingathome.com/
Guide, ChaCha
http://www.chacha.com/
Agent, West at Home
http://www.westathome.com/
Home Agent, Convergys
http://www.convergysworkathome.com/
Agent, Working Solutions
http://www.workingsol.com/home.htm
Independent Call Center Agent, LiveOps
http://tinyurl.com/5xfv7n
Bolger, PayPerPost.com
http://payperpost.com/blogger_signup.html
Telemarketing, Intrep Sales Partners
http://www.intrep.com/
Call Center Representative, Accolade Support
http://www.accoladesupport.com/
Online Juror, eJury.com
http://www.ejury.com/
Call Center Representative, Overflow USA
http://www.overflowusa.com/
Online Juror, OnlineVerdict.com
http://onlineverdict.com/
Call Center Representative, Overflow USA
http://www.overflowusa.com/
Online Juror,Trial Practice Inc.
http://trialpractice.com/
Caller Employee, Customer Loyalty Concepts
http://www.customloyal.com/Employment.aspx
Third Party Verifier, BSG Payments LLC
http://tinyurl.com/4vcldx
Chef Instructor, Chefs Line
http://www.chefsline.com/
Virtual Assistant,Virtual Office Temps
http://virtualassistantjobs.com/
Customer Care,VIP Desk
http://www.vipdesk.com/info/default.asp
Virtual Services, Arise Virtual Solutions
http://www.arise.com/Content/default.asp
Customer Service, Alpine Access
http://www.alpineaccess.com/external/index.html
Writer, Associated Content
http://www.associatedcontent.com/
Editor, EditFast.com
http://www.editfast.com/
Writer, CyberEdit Inc.
http://www.cyberedit.com/
Expert, JustAnswer Corp
http://www.justanswer.com/
Writer, MyEssays.com
http://www.myessays.com/sell.php
Freelancer,Team Double-Click
http://www.teamdoubleclick.com/freelance.html
MCSA
National Telecommuting Institute, Inc.
http://www.nticentral.org/
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Environmentally Safer Housing
Seagoville Ecology Housing
15126 Beckett Road
Allergy And Environmental Health Association Of Quebec Seagoville, Texas 75159
(AEHAQ) Environmentally Adapted, Social Housing Pro- (972) 287-2059
Fax: (972) 287-7682
ject For People Suffering From Environmental Sensitivities http://www.ehcd.com/resources/ecologyhousing.html
http://www.aeha-quebec.ca/bb_housingproject.htm
The Natural Place Environmental Residence and Hotel
Barrhaven Non-Profit Housing Inc.
1962 NE 5th St.
Environmental Sensitivity Units
Deerfield Beach, FL 33441
Steepleview Crossing,
954-428-5438
3001 Jockvale Road, Nepean, Ontario, K2J 4E4
http://www.thenaturalplace.com/default.htm
(613) 823-6230
Fax: (613) 825-7724
http://ehaontario.ca/barrhaven-housing.htm
http://www.bnphi.org/es.htm
Safer Building & Regulations
Canada-wide Housing Connection
1-613-278-0463
http://ehaontario.ca/interview.htm
Alliance for Healthy Homes
http://www.afhh.org/
Ecology House, San Rafael, California (built in 1994)
375 Catalina Blvd
San Rafael, CA 94901
(415) 456-4453
http://www.tikvah.com/cc/eh
[email protected]
Escalante House
P.O. Box 652
Escalante UT 84726
Phone/Fax: (435) 826-4778
[email protected]
American Lung Association: Resources & Referrals for and
from the Master Home Environmentalist program.
http://tinyurl.com/5vvk9e
Architectural House Plans Healthy Homes Construction
Guidelines
Information: http://tinyurl.com/6dteuz
Booklet: http://www.architecturalhouseplans.com/products/
Assessment of the Indoor Air Quality of a Suite for an Environmentally Hypersensitive Occupant
http://mcs-america.org/IAQforanEIOccupant.pdf
Environmentally Friendly Housing Partnership
Pride and Joy Condos -- North
5685 South A1A Highway
Melbourne Beach, FL 32951
(321) 409-8233 - Phone
(321) 725 4883 -- FAX
http://www.prideandjoycondos.com/
[email protected]
Considerations For Safer Construction And Renovation By
Preston Sturgis
http://www.environmentalhealth.ca/w9394safer.html
Dr. Grace Ziem’s Environmental Control Plan for MCS
Patients
http://www.mcsrr.org/resources/articles/S3.html
The Eco Building Guild
http://www.ecobuilding.org/
Green Homes for Sale
http://greenhomesforsale.com/
The Effect of Housing on Individuals with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities
http://tinyurl.com/6gor7u
Safe Haven Community Housing
P.O. Box 25281
Portland, Oregon 97298
[email protected]
http://www.geocities.com/safehavencommunity/#ntact
Building for Health Materials Center
http://www.buildingforhealth.com/
The Pandora Initiative (Canada)
http://tier10.com/
Environmental Home Center
http://tinyurl.com/5ssv8a
Quail Haven - MCS Housing
Just North of Tucson, AZ
Call Diane Ensign for details:
May through January call: (406) 586-3658 (Montana).
January through May call: (520) 825-7276 (Tucson).
http://madelinx.tripod.com/
MCSA
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Heal Your Home Center
http://tinyurl.com/6dteuz
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development National Healthy Homes Conference
http://www.hud.gov/offices/lead/2008NHHC.cfm
The Healthy Housing Coalition: Basic Needs for Rental
Housing for Chemically Sensitive Persons
http://www.herc.org/hhc/Basicrentalneeds.html
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Healthy Housing Reference Manual
http://tinyurl.com/5apna5
Healthy Housing Practical Tips
http://tinyurl.com/5bfgzd
Builders and Building Material
Suppliers
IEQ Indoor Environmental Quality
http://ieq.nibs.org/ieq_project.pdf
International Institute for Building Biology and Ecology
http://www.buildingbiology.net/
LEED® Canada Green Building Rating System
http://www.cagbc.org/leed/systems/index.htm
The Medical Perspective on Environmental Sensitivities:
Building codes, regulations and guidelines
http://tinyurl.com/6ztmqh
Moving House - Things To Look For If You Suffer From
MCS
http://www.drmyhill.co.uk/article.cfm?id=147
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS): The Controversy and
Relation to Interior Design
http://www.idec.org/publication/JIDarticleMCS.pdf
Optimum Environments for Optimum Health &Creativity:
Designing and Building a Healthy Home or Office, William
J. Rea, M.D.
http://www.ehcd.com/books/home_building_designing.html
Recommended Architectural Features for Multi-Family
Housing to Better Accommodate Chemical and Electrical
Sensitivities, Susan Molloy, M.A,
http://www.ctaz.com/~bhima/recommcshous.htm
Research House for the Environmentally Hypersensitive
http://tinyurl.com/5prrv3
Safer Construction Tips for the Environmentally Sensitive
http://tinyurl.com/5tgx7l
Green Building Store
http://www.greenbuildingstore.co.uk/naturalpaints.php
Healthy Buildings, Inc (Air Quality Testing)
http://www.healthybuilding.com/html/about_us.html
Heating and Cooling Options for the Environmentally Sensitive
http://eiwellspring.org/HeatingAndCooling.htm
Resources for the Chemically Injured: Building Materials
http://www.lassentech.com/eibuld.html
Tad Taylor’s Healthy Homes, LLC
http://www.healthy-homes.com/
Other Housing Resources
Extreme Home Makeover
http://abc.go.com/primetime/xtremehome/index?pn=apply
Ontario Human Rights Code: Policy and Guidelines on Disability and the Duty to Accommodate Non-Evident Disabilities
http://tinyurl.com/6ejep8
Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program for Persons
with Disabilities (Canada).
http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/co/prfinas/prfinas_003.cfm
Understanding & Accommodating People with Multiple
Chemical Sensitivity in Independent Living, Chapter 4, The
Housing Challenge in MCS
http://www.ilru.org/html/publications/bookshelf/MCS.html#chapter4
Disclaimer
This data is for informational purposes and is not intended to replace the examination, diagnosis and treatment of a licensed physician and no such claims are inferred. MCS America will not be responsible for misuse of this information or
the misuse of any information provided by it’s member organizations. Articles, citations, links and information are not necessarily the opinion of MCS America and printing does not constitute MCS America’s endorsement.
MCSA
NEWS
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36
Community News
Subscribe to News & Media Articles
To receive free daily news and research feeds about MCS & the environment as they happen,
send an e-mail to:
[email protected]
Everyday chemicals gather in most people
http://www.adn.com/life/health/story/977595.html
US town uses goats to clear overgrown meadow through grazing, save mowing money
http://www.cbc.ca/cp/Oddities/091017/K101706AU.html
Petition takes aim at chemical drift
http://www.pjstar.com/news/x795735041/Petition-takes-aim-at-chemical-drift
Smog Tougher on the Obese
http://www.cbc.ca/cp/HealthScout/091016/6101625AU.html
How to Avoid PVC in Plastic Food Wrap
http://thesoftlandingbaby.com/2009/10/16/how-to-avoid-pvc-in-plastic-food-wrap/
Tests on Pesticides Criticized
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-dc-pesticides-omb,0,5782714,print.story
UJudge Halts Flu Vaccine Mandate For Health Workers
http://wcbstv.com/breakingnewsalerts/mandatory.h1n1.vaccine.2.1252672.html
Momentum builds for tighter regulation of industrial chemicals
http://michiganmessenger.com/27861/momentum-builds-for-tighter-regulation-of-industrial-chemicals
Common Herbicides Block Important Nutrient Sensor in Humans
http://www.beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/?p=2559
Air Pollution Worse On One Side Of The Street
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091005102643.htm
Virus Is Found in Many With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/09/health/research/09virus.html?_r=1&hpw
MCSA
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Featured Research Studies
Low home ventilation rate in combination with moldy odor from the building structure
increase the risk for allergic symptoms in children.
Hägerhed-Engman L, Sigsgaard T, Samuelson I, Sundell J, Janson S, Bornehag CG.
Indoor Air. 2009 Jun;19(3):184-92. Epub 2009 Mar 9.
Department of Building Physics and Indoor Environment, SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden,Borås, Sweden. [email protected]
There are consistent findings on associations between asthma and allergy symptoms and residential
mold and moisture. However, definitions of 'dampness' in studies are diverse because of differences
in climate and building construction. Few studies have estimated mold problems inside the building
structure by odor assessments. In a nested case-control study of 400 Swedish children, observations
and measurements were performed in their homes by inspectors, and the children were examined
by physicians for diagnoses of asthma, eczema, and rhinitis. In conclusion, we found an association
between moldy odor along the skirting board and allergic symptoms among children, mainly rhinitis.
No associations with any of the allergic symptoms were found for discoloured stains, 'floor dampness' or a general mold odor in the room. A moldy odor along the skirting board can be a proxy for
hidden moisture problem inside the outer wall construction or in the foundation construction. There
are indications that such dampness problems increase the risk for sensitization but the interpretation
of data in respect of sensitization is difficult as about 80% of the children with rhinitis were sensitized. Furthermore, low ventilation rate in combination with moldy odor along the skirting board
further increased the risk for three out of four studied outcomes, indicating that the ventilation rate
is an effect modifier for indoor pollutants.
PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: This study showed that mold odor at the skirting board level is
strongly associated with allergic symptoms among children. Such odor at that specific place can
be seen as a proxy for some kind of hidden moisture or mold problem in the building structure, such
as the foundation or wooden ground beam. In houses with odor along the skirting board, dismantling
of the structure is required for an investigation of possible moisture damage, measurements, and
choice of actions. In homes with low ventilation in combination with mold odor along the skirting
board, there was even a higher risk of health effects. This emphasizes the need for the
appropriate remediation as this is an ever increasing problem in poorly ventilated houses
that are damp.
PMID: 19298228 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
MCSA
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Elevated insular glutamate in fibromyalgia is associated with experimental
pain.
Arthritis Rheum. 2009 Sep 29;60(10):3146-3152.
Harris RE, Sundgren PC, Craig AD, Kirshenbaum E, Sen A, Napadow V, Clauw DJ.
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
OBJECTIVE: Central pain augmentation resulting from enhanced excitatory and/or decreased inhibitory neurotransmission is a proposed mechanism underlying the pathophysiology of functional pain syndromes such as fibromyalgia (FM). Multiple functional magnetic
resonance imaging studies implicate the insula as a region of heightened neuronal activity
in this condition. Since glutamate (Glu) is a major cortical excitatory neurotransmitter
that functions in pain neurotransmission, we undertook this study to test our hypothesis
that increased levels of insular Glu would be present in FM patients and that the concentration of this molecule would be correlated with pain report.
METHODS: Nineteen FM patients and 14 age- and sex-matched pain-free controls underwent pressure pain testing and a proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy session in
which the right anterior insula and right posterior insula were examined at rest.
RESULTS: Compared with healthy controls, FM patients had significantly higher levels of
Glu (mean +/- SD 8.09 +/- 0.72 arbitrary institutional units versus 6.86 +/- 1.29 arbitrary
institutional units; P = 0.009) and combined glutamine and Glu (i.e., Glx) (mean +/- SD
12.38 +/- 0.94 arbitrary institutional units versus 10.59 +/- 1.48 arbitrary institutional
units; P = 0.001) within the right posterior insula. No significant differences between
groups were detected in any of the other major metabolites within this region (P > 0.05
for all comparisons), and no group differences were detected for any metabolite within
the right anterior insula (P > 0.11 for all comparisons). Within the right posterior insula,
higher levels of Glu and Glx were associated with lower pressure pain thresholds across
both groups for medium pain (for Glu, r = -0.43, P = 0.012; for Glx, r = 0.50, P = 0.003).
CONCLUSION: Enhanced glutamatergic neurotransmission resulting from
higher concentrations of Glu within the posterior insula may play a role in
the pathophysiology of FM and other central pain augmentation syndromes.
PMID: 19790053 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
MCSA
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Quantitative volatile metabolite profiling of common indoor fungi: relevancy for indoor air analysis.
Schuchardt S, Kruse H.
J Basic Microbiol. 2009 Aug;49(4):350-62.
Institute of Toxicology and Pharmacology for Natural Scientists, University Medical
School
Schleswig-Holstein,
Kiel,
Germany.
[email protected]
Microorganisms such as bacteria and molds producean enormous variety of volatile
metabolites. To determine whether typical microbial volatile metabolites can be
used as indicator compounds for the detection of hidden mold in indoor environments, we examined 14 typical indoor fungal strains for their growth rates and their
capability to produce volatile organic compounds (VOC) on standard clinical media and on agar medium made from building materials. Air samples from Headspace Chambers (HSC) were adsorbed daily
on Tenax TA tubes and analyzed by thermal desorption gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. In
parallel, metabolic activity was measured by determining oxygen demand, the microbial biomass was
assessed by dry weighing. Profiling of the volatile metabolites showed that VOC production depended
greatly on fungal strain, culture medium, biological activity, and time. The laboratory-derived maximum
emission rates were extrapolated to approximate indoor air concentrations in a hypothetical moldinfested room. The extrapolated indoor air data suggest that most of the microbial-produced VOC concentrations were below the analytical detection limit for conventional indoor air analysis. Additionally,
conducted indoor air analysis in mold homes confirmed these findings for the most part. The present
findings raise doubts about the utility of indicator VOC for the detection of hidden mold growth in indoor environments. 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.
PMID: 19219900 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
This newsletter is for informational purposes and is not intended to replace the examination, diagnosis and treatment of a
licensed physician and no such claims are inferred. Articles are not necessarily the opinion of MCS America and printing
of others’ opinions does not constitute endorsement. MCS America, Lourdes Salvador, Directors, and associate members
of MCS America will not be responsible for misuse of this information. We welcome appropriate submissions for articles,
letters-to-the-editor, poetry, artwork, jokes, cartoons, photos, and whatever else is physically printable. Submissions may
be sent to [email protected]. We attempt to publish monthly.
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MCSA
NEWS

November 2009

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