"Chemicals have replaced bacteria as the main threat to health. The diseases we are beginning to see as the major causes of death in the latter part of (the 1900's) and into the 21st century are diseases of chemical origin." —Dr. Dick Irwin, Toxicologist, Texas A&M University.
Chemical exposures and their resulting illnesses are indeed a modern-day problem. The BBC reported this week that Apple is being asked to compensate Chinese workers who were injured while making touchscreens for mobile devices.
Some 137 workers suffered adverse health effects following exposure to a chemical, known as n-hexane. They claim that the Taiwanese factory owner has not given them enough compensation.
Wintek, the Taiwanese company that owns the factory, said that it used the chemical in place of alcohol because it evaporated more quickly and speeded up production of touchscreens.
It has now reverted to using alcohol to clean screens.
Jia Jingchuan is among victims of the chemical poisoning. Workers exposed to n-hexane experienced faintness and tiredness, sweaty hands and feet, numbness in hands, and swelling and pain in feet. Some claim they are still suffering ill effects.
Experts say that daily exposure to n-hexane can cause long-term damage.
In its annual report, published last week, Apple acknowledged the incident.
"In 2010 we learned that 137 workers at the Suzhou facility of Wintek, one of Apple's suppliers, had suffered adverse health effects following exposure to n-hexane, a chemical in cleaning agents used in some manufacturing processes," the report read.
"We required Wintek to stop using n-hexane and to provide evidence that they had removed the chemical from their production lines," it said.
Apple said it also asked the firm to provide adequate ventilation in the factory. It will monitor the plant and will reaudit the facility later this year.
Wintek also supplies components to a number of other companies, including Nokia and HTC.
This is not the first problem Apple has experienced with its Chinese factories.
Its annual report also references an incident at its main China supplier Foxconn's factory, where over a dozen workers committed suicide.
"We were disturbed and deeply saddened to learn that factory workers were taking their own lives," the report read.
It said "suicide prevention specialists" were working with Foxconn to improve conditions.
To read the article in its entirety, click here.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
2009 Ice Storm and Toxic Mold
An Arkansas couple has been living in a hotel since the ice storm of 2009. Toxic mold forced them to flee their home, and two years later their journey continues. The following story was reported this week by 40/29 News:
ROGERS, Ark. -- The ice storm of 2009 caused a variety of problems for a Rogers family, including mold that has now consumed most of their house. They've had to live in a motel for almost two years.
It's been a back-and-forth battle for the Churchman family, from finding out their home was full of toxic mold to dealing with insurance companies and banks.
Now, they've been told to remove all of their belongings from the house, but being inside the house for too long could be lethal.
At first glance, everything looks normal, but when you take a closer look you'll find mold covering just about everything in the house.
"It got so bad that I started putting my toothbrush in the refrigerator at night, because I'd get up the next morning and there'd be black mold in it. It just wouldn't go away," Elizabeth Churchman said.
The problem began in early 2009 and quickly forced Elizabeth and her husband John to move into a motel.
"I guess I'm better off than some people. I at least have a bed to sleep in, but after coming from a nice home and going to one room, how would you feel?" she said.
Elizabeth said that in March of 2010, their insurance company told them the house was safe to live in, but further testing still showed high levels of toxic mold.
"(Mold) is the number one killer, and any time you get that in your house, you can't get rid of it. That's the killer. The penicillium, the clotusporum and the aspergillus. The aspergillus is what got in our lungs. It's the reason we're on oxygen," she said.
It's also the reason why they're forced to wear masks every time they enter the home. After 30 years of living there, she says she hopes something can be salvaged.
"All my babies' pictures are there. There are a handful of things we can salvage, just a handful of things would mean a lot to me, more than losing everything," she said.
The Churchmans said they don't know where to go from here. They said the bank has given them 10 days to get out what they want, but every time they enter the house, it just makes them sicker.
(Reproduced with permission from 40/29 News and 4029tv.com.)
To view the news story and accompanying video, click here.
ROGERS, Ark. -- The ice storm of 2009 caused a variety of problems for a Rogers family, including mold that has now consumed most of their house. They've had to live in a motel for almost two years.
It's been a back-and-forth battle for the Churchman family, from finding out their home was full of toxic mold to dealing with insurance companies and banks.
Now, they've been told to remove all of their belongings from the house, but being inside the house for too long could be lethal.
At first glance, everything looks normal, but when you take a closer look you'll find mold covering just about everything in the house.
"It got so bad that I started putting my toothbrush in the refrigerator at night, because I'd get up the next morning and there'd be black mold in it. It just wouldn't go away," Elizabeth Churchman said.
The problem began in early 2009 and quickly forced Elizabeth and her husband John to move into a motel.
"I guess I'm better off than some people. I at least have a bed to sleep in, but after coming from a nice home and going to one room, how would you feel?" she said.
Elizabeth said that in March of 2010, their insurance company told them the house was safe to live in, but further testing still showed high levels of toxic mold.
"(Mold) is the number one killer, and any time you get that in your house, you can't get rid of it. That's the killer. The penicillium, the clotusporum and the aspergillus. The aspergillus is what got in our lungs. It's the reason we're on oxygen," she said.
It's also the reason why they're forced to wear masks every time they enter the home. After 30 years of living there, she says she hopes something can be salvaged.
"All my babies' pictures are there. There are a handful of things we can salvage, just a handful of things would mean a lot to me, more than losing everything," she said.
The Churchmans said they don't know where to go from here. They said the bank has given them 10 days to get out what they want, but every time they enter the house, it just makes them sicker.
(Reproduced with permission from 40/29 News and 4029tv.com.)
To view the news story and accompanying video, click here.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Health Benefits of Lacto-Fermented Foods
We avoided all fermented foods for the first year of our mold recovery journey. I wish we hadn't. I didn't understand the difference between pasteurized fermented foods laden with preservatives and true lacto-fermented foods like sauerkraut, beet kvass, and kefir. (This article by Dr. Joseph Mercola offers a good explanation of the distinction.)
To understand the virtue of lacto-fermented foods, it's important to understand the digestive process itself. Two things happen when we eat. First, ingested foods are broken down. Second, nutrients are built up. If the breaking-down process is incomplete, the building up will not happen correctly.
In her book Making Sauerkraut and Pickled Vegetables at Home, Annelies Schoneck explains the role of lacto-fermented foods:
What is astonishing is that lactic acid contributes to both processes - that of decomposition and that of reconstruction. On the one hand it supplies digestive juices in the form of organic acids that help break down the foods we eat, and on the other hand it activates the metabolic processes whereby these foods are transformed into new living substances.
Lacto-fermented foods normalize the acidity of the stomach. If stomach acidity is insufficient, it stimulates the acid-producing glands of the stomach, and in cases where acidity is too high it has the inverse effect. Lactic acid helps break down proteins and thus aids in their assimilation of iron. The decomposition in the stomach of the organic forms of iron depends on the quantity of hydrochloric acid present as well as the amount of vitamin C, which is why sauerkraut and other lacto-fermented vegetables rich in this vitamin have such a favorable influence.
...Lactic acid activates the secretions of the pancreas, which is particularly important for diabetics... Sauerkraut contains large quantities of choline, a substance that lowers blood pressure and regulates the passage of nutrients into the blood... Choline has another interesting property in that it aids the body in the metabolism of fats. If choline is lacking, fats accumulate in the liver... Sauerkraut also contains acetylcholine, which has a powerful effect on the parasympathetic nervous system. It helps reduce blood pressure, slows down the rate of heartbeat, and promotes calmness and sleep. As acetylcholine is destroyed by cooking, raw sauerkraut and its juice is preferable to cooked.
Sauerkraut is easy to make. It requires a head of cabbage, sea salt, and a mason jar or other container. Pickl-It offers glass jars uniquely designed to help make the fermentation process successful. The Raw Diet offers a similar product.
For those who would rather purchase it, look for products that say "live cultures" on the label. Brands like Bubbies and Farmhouse Culture are available at many health food stores.
Sally Fallon points out in her book Nourishing Traditions,
Scientists are mystified by the proliferation of new viruses - not only the deadly AIDS virus but the whole gamut of human viruses that seem to be associated with everything from chronic fatigue to cancer and arthritis. They are equally mystified by recent increases in the incidence of intestinal parasites and pathogenic yeasts, even among those whose sanitary practices are faultless. Could it be that in abandoning the ancient practice of lacto-fermentation and in our insistence on a diet in which everything has been pasteurized, we have compromised the health of our intestinal flora and made ourselves vulnerable to legions of pathogenic microorganisms? If so, the cure for these diseases will be found not in vaccinations, drugs, or antibiotics, but in a restored partnership with the many varieties of lactobacilli, our symbionts of the microscopic world.
In the 1800's sailors made the connection between sauerkraut and the prevention of scurvy. Perhaps in our day we'll make the connection between gut health, toxicity, and lacto-fermented foods.
To understand the virtue of lacto-fermented foods, it's important to understand the digestive process itself. Two things happen when we eat. First, ingested foods are broken down. Second, nutrients are built up. If the breaking-down process is incomplete, the building up will not happen correctly.
In her book Making Sauerkraut and Pickled Vegetables at Home, Annelies Schoneck explains the role of lacto-fermented foods:
What is astonishing is that lactic acid contributes to both processes - that of decomposition and that of reconstruction. On the one hand it supplies digestive juices in the form of organic acids that help break down the foods we eat, and on the other hand it activates the metabolic processes whereby these foods are transformed into new living substances.
Lacto-fermented foods normalize the acidity of the stomach. If stomach acidity is insufficient, it stimulates the acid-producing glands of the stomach, and in cases where acidity is too high it has the inverse effect. Lactic acid helps break down proteins and thus aids in their assimilation of iron. The decomposition in the stomach of the organic forms of iron depends on the quantity of hydrochloric acid present as well as the amount of vitamin C, which is why sauerkraut and other lacto-fermented vegetables rich in this vitamin have such a favorable influence.
...Lactic acid activates the secretions of the pancreas, which is particularly important for diabetics... Sauerkraut contains large quantities of choline, a substance that lowers blood pressure and regulates the passage of nutrients into the blood... Choline has another interesting property in that it aids the body in the metabolism of fats. If choline is lacking, fats accumulate in the liver... Sauerkraut also contains acetylcholine, which has a powerful effect on the parasympathetic nervous system. It helps reduce blood pressure, slows down the rate of heartbeat, and promotes calmness and sleep. As acetylcholine is destroyed by cooking, raw sauerkraut and its juice is preferable to cooked.
Sauerkraut is easy to make. It requires a head of cabbage, sea salt, and a mason jar or other container. Pickl-It offers glass jars uniquely designed to help make the fermentation process successful. The Raw Diet offers a similar product.
Sally Fallon points out in her book Nourishing Traditions,
Scientists are mystified by the proliferation of new viruses - not only the deadly AIDS virus but the whole gamut of human viruses that seem to be associated with everything from chronic fatigue to cancer and arthritis. They are equally mystified by recent increases in the incidence of intestinal parasites and pathogenic yeasts, even among those whose sanitary practices are faultless. Could it be that in abandoning the ancient practice of lacto-fermentation and in our insistence on a diet in which everything has been pasteurized, we have compromised the health of our intestinal flora and made ourselves vulnerable to legions of pathogenic microorganisms? If so, the cure for these diseases will be found not in vaccinations, drugs, or antibiotics, but in a restored partnership with the many varieties of lactobacilli, our symbionts of the microscopic world.
In the 1800's sailors made the connection between sauerkraut and the prevention of scurvy. Perhaps in our day we'll make the connection between gut health, toxicity, and lacto-fermented foods.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Healing Moment
I can tell Brandon's health is improving. He rarely has headaches or stomach pains. His rashes have improved. His ability to pay attention has increased. But the biggest encouragement lies in the fact that he's verbalizing his pain.
When we first left the house, Brandon seemed unmoved by our losses. He struggled with self-control and cried easily, but overall, he went with the flow. He was 7 years old, after all. I remember searching for safe housing in Arizona. It was a stressful, difficult process. Yet there was Brandon, playing football with an empty water bottle in a hotel parking lot. Whenever we stumbled upon a park he'd be the first one out of the car. Anything new excited him.
He even adapted to our food changes and rarely complained. He found a way to make a fun snack with just about anything, including raw goat milk kefir and flax crackers. He said, "It tastes like cereal."
Last week Brandon got into trouble and was sent to his room. I don't remember the issue, but I remember sitting down with him on his makeshift bed (a cot with a Spiderman cover).
He began to cry.
For the first time since we left our home, Brandon put words to his tears. "I hate it that we had to leave our house. I hate it that we had to leave all our stuff. I hate it that I had to leave my friends. I hate it that we can't eat normal food. I hate it, Mom."
And then there were no more words. Just tears.
"I hate this part of being a mother," I thought. And I held him and let him cry.
It didn't last long. As quickly as it came, Brandon's storm passed and he went back to his table football game with his brother.
I sighed, wishing I could fix his life. Wishing my children were exempt from pain. Knowing that healing looks messy sometimes.
Reminded that healing is much like life itself. A glorious, messy journey filled with pain, heartache, and hope.
When we first left the house, Brandon seemed unmoved by our losses. He struggled with self-control and cried easily, but overall, he went with the flow. He was 7 years old, after all. I remember searching for safe housing in Arizona. It was a stressful, difficult process. Yet there was Brandon, playing football with an empty water bottle in a hotel parking lot. Whenever we stumbled upon a park he'd be the first one out of the car. Anything new excited him.
He even adapted to our food changes and rarely complained. He found a way to make a fun snack with just about anything, including raw goat milk kefir and flax crackers. He said, "It tastes like cereal."
Last week Brandon got into trouble and was sent to his room. I don't remember the issue, but I remember sitting down with him on his makeshift bed (a cot with a Spiderman cover).
He began to cry.
For the first time since we left our home, Brandon put words to his tears. "I hate it that we had to leave our house. I hate it that we had to leave all our stuff. I hate it that I had to leave my friends. I hate it that we can't eat normal food. I hate it, Mom."
And then there were no more words. Just tears.
"I hate this part of being a mother," I thought. And I held him and let him cry.
It didn't last long. As quickly as it came, Brandon's storm passed and he went back to his table football game with his brother.
I sighed, wishing I could fix his life. Wishing my children were exempt from pain. Knowing that healing looks messy sometimes.
Reminded that healing is much like life itself. A glorious, messy journey filled with pain, heartache, and hope.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Valentine's Day Treat
We enjoyed a strawberry pie for Valentine's Day this week. The pie consisted of three ingredients: Sprouted almonds, coconut, and organic strawberries. Life without sweets has been an adjustment. We went five months without almonds and fruit in order to "kick" the sugar habit. It helped. Our tastes have markedly changed. The strawberry pie tasted delicious.
In his recent article Easy Changes With a Dramatic Effect, alternative health researcher and clinician Dr. David Williams writes,
One of the most beneficial changes you can make is to get the sugar and refined carbohydrates out of your diet. Our bodies were never designed to handle the obscene amounts of simple carbohydrates they are being subjected to. Research of late has been confirming what all of us “health nuts” have been stressing for decades: sugar kills. It took a while for scientists to confirm exactly how, but it’s now there for everyone to see.
■ Sugar and simple carbs (refined grains, high-fructose corn syrup, etc.) adversely affect blood lipids, increasing your risk for heart disease and stroke through fat accumulation, metabolic syndrome, obesity, premature aging, and type 2 diabetes.
■ Sugar molecules bond with proteins to create AGEs (advanced glycation endproducts)—which wreak havoc on blood vessels, including those of the heart and kidneys. AGEs are responsible for many of the long-term complications of diabetes.
■ Cancer cells thrive on sugars, particularly fructose.
It has been demonstrated that cancer cells actually metabolize glucose and fructose differently from other cells. While cancer thrives on both, it uses fructose specifically to proliferate. It’s no wonder that cancer has moved quickly up the list of killers in our society since we started adding high-fructose corn syrup to everything from sodas to bread. With such damning and irrefutable research, I still don’t understand why it hasn’t become standard practice to immediately put cancer patients on fructose-free diets to help disrupt cancer growth.
And, since our immune systems are trying to eliminate mutated, potentially cancerous cells on a daily basis, why would we even risk supplying these cells with the very compound they need to survive, grow, and spread within our body? Are soft drinks and high-fructose sweetened foods really that hard to eliminate when you realize the cancer connection?
Our health crisis provided the much-needed motivation to move away from refined sugars. One of our first treats was our strawberry pie, which included dates and honey. (The recipe can be viewed here.)
Here is our adapted Valentine's Day recipe:
4 tbls. coconut oil
2 c. shredded coconut
2 c. sprouted almonds
(Next time I may add mulberries or goji berries.)
Process in food processor. Press dough into pie plate.
4 c. shredded coconut
4 tbls. coconut oil
4 c. frozen or fresh strawberries
Blend in high-powered blender. Spoon into pie crust. Refrigerate.
In his recent article Easy Changes With a Dramatic Effect, alternative health researcher and clinician Dr. David Williams writes,
One of the most beneficial changes you can make is to get the sugar and refined carbohydrates out of your diet. Our bodies were never designed to handle the obscene amounts of simple carbohydrates they are being subjected to. Research of late has been confirming what all of us “health nuts” have been stressing for decades: sugar kills. It took a while for scientists to confirm exactly how, but it’s now there for everyone to see.
■ Sugar and simple carbs (refined grains, high-fructose corn syrup, etc.) adversely affect blood lipids, increasing your risk for heart disease and stroke through fat accumulation, metabolic syndrome, obesity, premature aging, and type 2 diabetes.
■ Sugar molecules bond with proteins to create AGEs (advanced glycation endproducts)—which wreak havoc on blood vessels, including those of the heart and kidneys. AGEs are responsible for many of the long-term complications of diabetes.
■ Cancer cells thrive on sugars, particularly fructose.
It has been demonstrated that cancer cells actually metabolize glucose and fructose differently from other cells. While cancer thrives on both, it uses fructose specifically to proliferate. It’s no wonder that cancer has moved quickly up the list of killers in our society since we started adding high-fructose corn syrup to everything from sodas to bread. With such damning and irrefutable research, I still don’t understand why it hasn’t become standard practice to immediately put cancer patients on fructose-free diets to help disrupt cancer growth.
And, since our immune systems are trying to eliminate mutated, potentially cancerous cells on a daily basis, why would we even risk supplying these cells with the very compound they need to survive, grow, and spread within our body? Are soft drinks and high-fructose sweetened foods really that hard to eliminate when you realize the cancer connection?
Our health crisis provided the much-needed motivation to move away from refined sugars. One of our first treats was our strawberry pie, which included dates and honey. (The recipe can be viewed here.)
Here is our adapted Valentine's Day recipe:
4 tbls. coconut oil
2 c. shredded coconut
2 c. sprouted almonds
(Next time I may add mulberries or goji berries.)
Process in food processor. Press dough into pie plate.
4 c. shredded coconut
4 tbls. coconut oil
4 c. frozen or fresh strawberries
Blend in high-powered blender. Spoon into pie crust. Refrigerate.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Ex-C.I.A. Agent Goes Public with Toxic Mold Saga
The following story appeared yesterday in the New York Times:
WASHINGTON — In many ways, the personal injury lawsuit looked routine: In late 2001, a government employee and his family sued the agency he worked for, saying it had placed them in a mold-contaminated home that made them sick and required nearly all their possessions to be destroyed.
But this was no ordinary case. The employee, Kevin M. Shipp, was a veteran Central Intelligence Agency officer. His home was at Camp Stanley, an Army weapons depot just north of San Antonio, in an area where the drinking water was polluted with toxic chemicals. The post includes a secret C.I.A. facility.
Declaring that its need to protect state secrets outweighed the Shipps’ right to a day in court, the government persuaded a judge to seal the case and order the family and their lawyers not to discuss it, and to later dismiss the lawsuit without any hearing on the merits, Mr. Shipp said.
More than half a decade later, Mr. Shipp is going public with his story. He contends that the events broke up his marriage and destroyed his career, and that C.I.A. officials abused the State Secrets Privilege doctrine in an effort to cover up their own negligence.
Jennifer Youngblood, a C.I.A. spokeswoman, denied any wrongdoing by the agency. “The C.I.A. takes great care to help protect the health and welfare of its employees,” she said.
Mr. Shipp recently completed a memoir filled with unclassified documents that he said backed up his assertions. He says that he submitted the manuscript to the agency for the required prepublication review but that it blacked out swaths of information, like accounts of his children’s nosebleeds, strange rashes, vomiting, severe asthma and memory loss.
Citing a confidentiality agreement he signed with the government, Mr. Shipp would not discuss where the secret facility was located, what its purpose was, which agency he worked for or what his duties were.
Still, he said, he was free to say that he worked at C.I.A. headquarters in Langley, Va., both before and after his stint at the facility. And public documents from a separate lawsuit, which he filed against his insurance carrier over a claim for his family’s destroyed belongings, make clear that he was stationed at Camp Stanley.
Mr. Shipp’s ex-wife, Lorena Shipp, and one of his sons, Joel Shipp, now 28, said in interviews that the C.I.A. had assigned Mr. Shipp to a high-ranking job at the facility to uncover suspected security breaches. The family moved to an Army-owned house at Camp Stanley in June 1999 and left in May 2001.
It is not clear what took place at the C.I.A. facility. But the camp had been used as a weapons depot for generations. Joel and Lorena Shipp described bunkers and many old weapons, including Soviet weaponry. They also said that they occasionally saw officials performing tactical drills, and that sometimes items were burned or buried there.
“The house that our family was moved into was planted on top of a lot of buried ammunition,” Joel Shipp said. “One time me and my little brother dug up a mustard gas shell.”
The Shipps soon began to get sick. First they got nosebleeds, then they developed symptoms that doctors said resembled H.I.V. infection or exposure to radiation, according to family members. Eventually, Kevin Shipp said, he discovered that the house was full of a spreading black substance.
Camp Stanley has a troubled environmental record. In August 2001, according to local news reports, military officials began distributing bottled water to residents nearby after it was discovered that toxins from the camp had polluted an aquifer in the area, contaminating the drinking water.
The Shipps said they were twice evacuated from the house after expressing concern about their sudden health troubles. But, Kevin Shipp said, his supervisor played down the problems, declaring that the house was fine after its air was tested — although the windows and doors were open at the time, Mr. Shipp said.
Suspicious of a cover-up, Mr. Shipp said he sent samples from the house to a scientist at Texas Tech University. His manuscript includes a Texas Tech report showing that the samples tested positive for toxic mold.
The full New York Times article can be viewed by clicking here.
WASHINGTON — In many ways, the personal injury lawsuit looked routine: In late 2001, a government employee and his family sued the agency he worked for, saying it had placed them in a mold-contaminated home that made them sick and required nearly all their possessions to be destroyed.
But this was no ordinary case. The employee, Kevin M. Shipp, was a veteran Central Intelligence Agency officer. His home was at Camp Stanley, an Army weapons depot just north of San Antonio, in an area where the drinking water was polluted with toxic chemicals. The post includes a secret C.I.A. facility.
Declaring that its need to protect state secrets outweighed the Shipps’ right to a day in court, the government persuaded a judge to seal the case and order the family and their lawyers not to discuss it, and to later dismiss the lawsuit without any hearing on the merits, Mr. Shipp said.
More than half a decade later, Mr. Shipp is going public with his story. He contends that the events broke up his marriage and destroyed his career, and that C.I.A. officials abused the State Secrets Privilege doctrine in an effort to cover up their own negligence.
Jennifer Youngblood, a C.I.A. spokeswoman, denied any wrongdoing by the agency. “The C.I.A. takes great care to help protect the health and welfare of its employees,” she said.
Mr. Shipp recently completed a memoir filled with unclassified documents that he said backed up his assertions. He says that he submitted the manuscript to the agency for the required prepublication review but that it blacked out swaths of information, like accounts of his children’s nosebleeds, strange rashes, vomiting, severe asthma and memory loss.
Citing a confidentiality agreement he signed with the government, Mr. Shipp would not discuss where the secret facility was located, what its purpose was, which agency he worked for or what his duties were.
Still, he said, he was free to say that he worked at C.I.A. headquarters in Langley, Va., both before and after his stint at the facility. And public documents from a separate lawsuit, which he filed against his insurance carrier over a claim for his family’s destroyed belongings, make clear that he was stationed at Camp Stanley.
Mr. Shipp’s ex-wife, Lorena Shipp, and one of his sons, Joel Shipp, now 28, said in interviews that the C.I.A. had assigned Mr. Shipp to a high-ranking job at the facility to uncover suspected security breaches. The family moved to an Army-owned house at Camp Stanley in June 1999 and left in May 2001.
It is not clear what took place at the C.I.A. facility. But the camp had been used as a weapons depot for generations. Joel and Lorena Shipp described bunkers and many old weapons, including Soviet weaponry. They also said that they occasionally saw officials performing tactical drills, and that sometimes items were burned or buried there.
“The house that our family was moved into was planted on top of a lot of buried ammunition,” Joel Shipp said. “One time me and my little brother dug up a mustard gas shell.”
The Shipps soon began to get sick. First they got nosebleeds, then they developed symptoms that doctors said resembled H.I.V. infection or exposure to radiation, according to family members. Eventually, Kevin Shipp said, he discovered that the house was full of a spreading black substance.
Camp Stanley has a troubled environmental record. In August 2001, according to local news reports, military officials began distributing bottled water to residents nearby after it was discovered that toxins from the camp had polluted an aquifer in the area, contaminating the drinking water.
The Shipps said they were twice evacuated from the house after expressing concern about their sudden health troubles. But, Kevin Shipp said, his supervisor played down the problems, declaring that the house was fine after its air was tested — although the windows and doors were open at the time, Mr. Shipp said.
Suspicious of a cover-up, Mr. Shipp said he sent samples from the house to a scientist at Texas Tech University. His manuscript includes a Texas Tech report showing that the samples tested positive for toxic mold.
The full New York Times article can be viewed by clicking here.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Rhode Island Legislation
Rhode Island may be the next state to offer toxic mold protection, according to Providence television station WPRI.
Legislation has been introduced in the Senate to regulate exposure to toxic mold in residential buildings, and to define procedures to report and remediate mold infestation.
The bill requires owners to inform any potential residents in writing about existing molds or chronic water problems. It also holds owners responsible for fixing these issues.
The bill creates an advisory board to help the Department of Health establish guidelines for allowable mold levels and procedures to remove the mold.
The establishment of the guidelines will be based on the health effects the mold could have on the public, particularly those most susceptible to symptoms.
Mold becomes toxic when found in large quantities and excretes mycotoxin.
This can be absorbed through the skin, ingested and inhaled. Mold can cause problems such as respiratory issues, hemorrhaging, fatigue and cognitive losses.
Rhode Island is not the first state to pass legislation about toxic molds. California, Massachusetts, New York and Texas have already established safety measures.
The new guidelines will take into consideration the standards created by other states.
Senator Lanzi says, "It is especially important that homes and residential buildings are checked due to the flood damage last year in Cranston, Warwick and other parts of Rhode Island. The water from the floods can lead to dangerous mold growth."
The full story can be viewed here.
Legislation has been introduced in the Senate to regulate exposure to toxic mold in residential buildings, and to define procedures to report and remediate mold infestation.
The bill requires owners to inform any potential residents in writing about existing molds or chronic water problems. It also holds owners responsible for fixing these issues.
The bill creates an advisory board to help the Department of Health establish guidelines for allowable mold levels and procedures to remove the mold.
The establishment of the guidelines will be based on the health effects the mold could have on the public, particularly those most susceptible to symptoms.
Mold becomes toxic when found in large quantities and excretes mycotoxin.
This can be absorbed through the skin, ingested and inhaled. Mold can cause problems such as respiratory issues, hemorrhaging, fatigue and cognitive losses.
Rhode Island is not the first state to pass legislation about toxic molds. California, Massachusetts, New York and Texas have already established safety measures.
The new guidelines will take into consideration the standards created by other states.
Senator Lanzi says, "It is especially important that homes and residential buildings are checked due to the flood damage last year in Cranston, Warwick and other parts of Rhode Island. The water from the floods can lead to dangerous mold growth."
The full story can be viewed here.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Am I Losing My Mind?
The following is another story of toxic mold exposure. It's the story of a woman who, like so many hit with the mysterious and unexplainable symptoms, began to question her sanity.
Up until August the symptoms that I had been struggling with, and somewhat managing, were headaches, head fog, breathing difficulties (unable to get a full breath), constant scalp tingling, migraines, nausea, feeling spacey/detached, and severe itchy skin. Every morning I woke up feeling like I was coming off of some weird drug, like anesthesia. I would stumble out of bed. This feeling would usually wear off by mid-morning, except on the weekends it never went away. My right ear was sensitive to certain sounds, one of the main reasons I’d become a recluse. Each morning for the first few hours I would clear freakish amounts of mucus from my sinuses. This increased so gradually that I became conditioned and sadly didn’t give it the attention I wish I had, because this was a symptom that possibly would have put me on the path of discovery sooner. After numerous medical appointments, I gave up trying to seek answers from doctors. Plus any medicines given only made me feel worse. My dog was also having weird breathing problems—she would often hyperventilate, and the vet had no idea why.
These symptoms would wax and wane—common with mold, because the spores can go dormant and then when disturbed or moisture conditions become just right, they again release toxins in the air. Because of this pattern I thought I was going crazy, and I‘m sure others thought so, too.
When my symptoms were bad I’d simply tell people "my migraines are back," referring to all the above rather than giving details. As I became sicker I left the house less frequently, so a vicious cycle developed. The more I stayed home, the sicker I became.
It never occurred to me that my house could be making me sick. And even later on when others began to make the connection, I dismissed the idea. It sounded so far-fetched. Like most people, I thought that mold could only cause allergic/respiratory type symptoms. I had no idea that it could cause neurological symptoms and damage the central nervous system.
Then she thought about her toilet that had overflowed onto her bedroom carpeting. She tested her home and found high levels of aspergillus/penicillium in her bedroom wall and carpet.
The spore count (even with my five air filters running) was off the charts. A spore count over 650 is considered unsafe, and mine was in excess of 200,000. Maybe I’m not crazy after all.
Before these test results she contemplated the possible causes of her mysterious symptoms. She entertained all sorts of possibilities, such as:
a) I'm losing my mind.
b) Post-traumatic stress from my head injury (5 years ago) is making me create somatic symptoms.
c) Aliens are abducting me nightly and drugging me. This explains the way I feel every morning.
d) The Klonopin I took for migraines two years ago somehow damaged my brain and central nervous system during the withdrawal.
e) The woman who died in this house before we moved in is haunting me and making me sick.
f) Someone is poisoning/drugging me.
g) I’ve turned into a hypochondriac.
Or the final option:
h) It was all from the mold and now I finally understand what is going on with my body.
Her story continues to this day as she struggles with residual health issues. She struggles to find safe housing as well. Still, life has improved. And like most of us impacted by toxic mold, she has gained immeasurable amounts of knowledge.
Knowledge she hopes to impart to others by sharing her story.
Up until August the symptoms that I had been struggling with, and somewhat managing, were headaches, head fog, breathing difficulties (unable to get a full breath), constant scalp tingling, migraines, nausea, feeling spacey/detached, and severe itchy skin. Every morning I woke up feeling like I was coming off of some weird drug, like anesthesia. I would stumble out of bed. This feeling would usually wear off by mid-morning, except on the weekends it never went away. My right ear was sensitive to certain sounds, one of the main reasons I’d become a recluse. Each morning for the first few hours I would clear freakish amounts of mucus from my sinuses. This increased so gradually that I became conditioned and sadly didn’t give it the attention I wish I had, because this was a symptom that possibly would have put me on the path of discovery sooner. After numerous medical appointments, I gave up trying to seek answers from doctors. Plus any medicines given only made me feel worse. My dog was also having weird breathing problems—she would often hyperventilate, and the vet had no idea why.
These symptoms would wax and wane—common with mold, because the spores can go dormant and then when disturbed or moisture conditions become just right, they again release toxins in the air. Because of this pattern I thought I was going crazy, and I‘m sure others thought so, too.
When my symptoms were bad I’d simply tell people "my migraines are back," referring to all the above rather than giving details. As I became sicker I left the house less frequently, so a vicious cycle developed. The more I stayed home, the sicker I became.
It never occurred to me that my house could be making me sick. And even later on when others began to make the connection, I dismissed the idea. It sounded so far-fetched. Like most people, I thought that mold could only cause allergic/respiratory type symptoms. I had no idea that it could cause neurological symptoms and damage the central nervous system.
Then she thought about her toilet that had overflowed onto her bedroom carpeting. She tested her home and found high levels of aspergillus/penicillium in her bedroom wall and carpet.
The spore count (even with my five air filters running) was off the charts. A spore count over 650 is considered unsafe, and mine was in excess of 200,000. Maybe I’m not crazy after all.
Before these test results she contemplated the possible causes of her mysterious symptoms. She entertained all sorts of possibilities, such as:
a) I'm losing my mind.
b) Post-traumatic stress from my head injury (5 years ago) is making me create somatic symptoms.
c) Aliens are abducting me nightly and drugging me. This explains the way I feel every morning.
d) The Klonopin I took for migraines two years ago somehow damaged my brain and central nervous system during the withdrawal.
e) The woman who died in this house before we moved in is haunting me and making me sick.
f) Someone is poisoning/drugging me.
g) I’ve turned into a hypochondriac.
Or the final option:
h) It was all from the mold and now I finally understand what is going on with my body.
Her story continues to this day as she struggles with residual health issues. She struggles to find safe housing as well. Still, life has improved. And like most of us impacted by toxic mold, she has gained immeasurable amounts of knowledge.
Knowledge she hopes to impart to others by sharing her story.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Our Vehicle Journey
When we left our home in October 2008, we brought our cars. We didn't have much choice. In retrospect I might have agreed to borrow a car until we could figure out a course of action, but we were consumed with finding shelter and replacing necessities.
We vacuumed and wiped them with white vinegar.
Within a couple of weeks we noticed that our symptoms increased when we rode in our 9-passenger Suburban. My worry about cross-contamination increased as well.
In the end we discovered we hadn't cross-contaminated. According to testing performed later, the cars were clean. But our symptoms were heightened when riding in the Suburban. We simply had to replace it. Most people could tolerate the car just fine, so 6 weeks after we left our home we traded it for a used Honda Odyssey with leather seats. That car felt better. Our headaches and congestion improved. We kept our second car, a Honda CR-V, and tried to use it as little as possible.
In December 2008, I traveled to Arizona with several of our children. Slowly the rest of the family followed. Our three oldest daughters relocated, then our high school senior, Ryan. Four vehicles came with them.
We noticed adverse reactions when riding in any of our old cars. Our multiple chemical sensitivity kicked in shortly after vacating our home. Therefore, any air fresheners or chemicals previously used were no longer tolerated.
We found ways to cope with our older vehicles. Regular HEPA vacuuming helped, and so did wiping down the inside with tea tree oil and other essential oils. Changing cabin filters might have helped. Here's what one allergy-friendly website says about cabin filters:
What is a car cabin air filter?
Many car owners don't even realize that such a part exists in their vehicles, much less if it ever needs to be changed. But, no matter if they know it or not, a cabin air filter is an essential part of your car's ventilation system that removes pollutants from the air before they get inside the passenger compartment. They were originally designed to remove solid contaminants like dust and soot from circulating inside your vehicle, but can now also absorb gases and odors. Cabin air filters may also be known as passenger compartment filters, interior ventilation filters, pollen filters or dust filters.
Why are the cabin air filters used?
It is an undisputed fact that roadways (especially major highways, especially during rush hours) are some of the major sources of air pollution. Therefore, as you are driving, you are forced to breathe the air tainted with exhaust fumes, dust and soot particles, many of which may pose a serious hazard to your health.
The cabin air filter is there to prevent all those pollutants from entering the passenger compartment.
Why and how often should you change the cabin air filter?
Eventually, a cabin air filter starts to lose its effectiveness, as it gets dirty with use. This may result in unpleasant odor, and decreased heating and air conditioning performance caused by restricted airflow through the filter.
It is recommended to replace the cabin air filter at least once a year or every 12,000 to 15,000 miles - more often if your vehicle is operated primarily in areas of heavy pollution or dusty conditions.
Are cabin air filters difficult to replace?
Cabin air filters are typically located under a vehicle's dashboard or attached to the glove box. Others may be located in the engine compartment. In nearly all cases, cabin air filters can be changed in as little as 10 minutes.
For instructions on replacing the cabin air filter on a particular car model, go to the Car Cabin Air Filters Main Page and find your vehicle under the appropriate category.
Despite all of the filtration options, it was clear that we needed to replace our vehicles. It took more than two years.
Yesterday afternoon we sold the last car from Colorado. It's been a slow, arduous process. Finding affordable, used cars with no history of air fresheners, chemicals, or mold has not been easy.
The sale of this last vehicle marks the end of a chapter. The old life is slowly passing. Somehow it also feels like a new beginning.
We vacuumed and wiped them with white vinegar.
Within a couple of weeks we noticed that our symptoms increased when we rode in our 9-passenger Suburban. My worry about cross-contamination increased as well.
In the end we discovered we hadn't cross-contaminated. According to testing performed later, the cars were clean. But our symptoms were heightened when riding in the Suburban. We simply had to replace it. Most people could tolerate the car just fine, so 6 weeks after we left our home we traded it for a used Honda Odyssey with leather seats. That car felt better. Our headaches and congestion improved. We kept our second car, a Honda CR-V, and tried to use it as little as possible.
In December 2008, I traveled to Arizona with several of our children. Slowly the rest of the family followed. Our three oldest daughters relocated, then our high school senior, Ryan. Four vehicles came with them.
We noticed adverse reactions when riding in any of our old cars. Our multiple chemical sensitivity kicked in shortly after vacating our home. Therefore, any air fresheners or chemicals previously used were no longer tolerated.
We found ways to cope with our older vehicles. Regular HEPA vacuuming helped, and so did wiping down the inside with tea tree oil and other essential oils. Changing cabin filters might have helped. Here's what one allergy-friendly website says about cabin filters:
What is a car cabin air filter?
Many car owners don't even realize that such a part exists in their vehicles, much less if it ever needs to be changed. But, no matter if they know it or not, a cabin air filter is an essential part of your car's ventilation system that removes pollutants from the air before they get inside the passenger compartment. They were originally designed to remove solid contaminants like dust and soot from circulating inside your vehicle, but can now also absorb gases and odors. Cabin air filters may also be known as passenger compartment filters, interior ventilation filters, pollen filters or dust filters.
Why are the cabin air filters used?
It is an undisputed fact that roadways (especially major highways, especially during rush hours) are some of the major sources of air pollution. Therefore, as you are driving, you are forced to breathe the air tainted with exhaust fumes, dust and soot particles, many of which may pose a serious hazard to your health.
The cabin air filter is there to prevent all those pollutants from entering the passenger compartment.
Why and how often should you change the cabin air filter?
Eventually, a cabin air filter starts to lose its effectiveness, as it gets dirty with use. This may result in unpleasant odor, and decreased heating and air conditioning performance caused by restricted airflow through the filter.
It is recommended to replace the cabin air filter at least once a year or every 12,000 to 15,000 miles - more often if your vehicle is operated primarily in areas of heavy pollution or dusty conditions.
Are cabin air filters difficult to replace?
Cabin air filters are typically located under a vehicle's dashboard or attached to the glove box. Others may be located in the engine compartment. In nearly all cases, cabin air filters can be changed in as little as 10 minutes.
For instructions on replacing the cabin air filter on a particular car model, go to the Car Cabin Air Filters Main Page and find your vehicle under the appropriate category.
Despite all of the filtration options, it was clear that we needed to replace our vehicles. It took more than two years.
Yesterday afternoon we sold the last car from Colorado. It's been a slow, arduous process. Finding affordable, used cars with no history of air fresheners, chemicals, or mold has not been easy.
The sale of this last vehicle marks the end of a chapter. The old life is slowly passing. Somehow it also feels like a new beginning.
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