The jar test

Posted on Dec 05, 2009 by Susie Collins in Amy Ludwigson, Blog, MCS

When testing new products, something that has proved very helpful for those with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity is the jar test.

Post by Amy Ludwigson.

AmyAll of us that have environmental illnesses are sensitive to different things. What may cause confusion and disorientation for one person can cause breathing problems for another or even no symptoms at all. We learn to be very aware of seemingly small environmental triggers because if we do not we may find that what was seemingly safe in a small amount is something that puts us over the edge in its normal application. So how do we figure out if something is safe for us to use? Something that has proved very helpful for those with environmental illnesses is the jar test…

Take an empty jar. I use one from jam that I have cleaned out. Then take a small sample of the substance that you are testing and place it in the jar. This will concentrate any toxins in this small amount of air. Leave for a couple days and come back and open it and see if you notice any smells and/or any symptoms. This may sound like suicide to some of you, and when I am feeling really sick this test is completely unreasonable. I just avoid nearly everything no matter what. Yet, when you are feeling well and trying to fix your home and make it an even safer place for you to be this is very helpful. You do not want to bring wood floors in that sound completely safe and then install them and find out that they were transported in a truck that had pesticides in it. This test can save a lot of expensive and time consuming mistakes when fixing your home. It is not fool proof, yet it is a great precautionary practice.

This post was originally published on my blog Pure Habitat.

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6 Responses to “The jar test”

  1. linda

    05. Dec, 2009

    Thanks Amy. This method is indeed a very important and helpful one for us.

    For those of us who need every step spelled out, there is a more detailed explanation here:
    http://www.mcscanadian.org/howto.html

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  2. Suzanne

    06. Dec, 2009

    After I have followed all the steps on the MCSCanadian site, I also will heat the item up slightly to see how it is when it is warm. Warming something will activate chemicals more, usually.

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  3. carys

    06. Dec, 2009

    i often put the jar in the sun, as the heat seems to help release vocs.

    and for me it’s very important to open the jar *outside* (to not contaminate my safe house space) and to be very careful that i neither stick my nose down close to it nor take a deep breath (so that if i do react, i get the smallest possible exposure). if i don’t seem to react i’ll move it closer and gently sniff again, then close the jar and leave it in the sun for 2 more days, then retest (in case one exposure might have sensitised me).

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  4. Donovan Banerjee

    07. Dec, 2009

    Thank you very much for this. I will try it. It is better than “living in the jar” so to speak, by just randomly bringing something into my environment, and “hoping” it is okay.

    I have an offgassing room in which I keep things until they are safe, but sometimes they aren’t.

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  5. Amy

    07. Dec, 2009

    Good call about warming the jar up. Heat for sure will release more of the chemicals.

    Donovan, you are lucky that you have an outgassing room! I live in a studio now, so I have no space to hide things. :)

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  6. SusanE

    17. Dec, 2009

    Yes, I learned this method several years ago while working with archives in a large repository. It essentially speeds up and increases the chemical reactions. The advice was to put it in a clean jar, screw the lid on tight, and leave it for 2 days in a southern window where it gets light and heat.
    I suppose if one has no southern exposure you could try sitting it on a heating pad for a short, or for varied increments of time. (Works for getting liquid medications closer to body temp, too, like eye drops.) One can also sit a bottle close to and under a light, because even a 60 watt desk light will produce heat. The nice thing about a southern window is it will be exposed to UV light, too, and one can test materials for tolerance of Both heat + light. (Used to put a drop-light on my manifold in the winter, before someone developed chemical HEET-to keep gas line from freezing.) Archivists use this method to determine whether a material, e.g., paper, has acids or lignin, or impurities, or whatever, and will stand the test of time. I prefer mayonaise jars. Too bad we can’t test everything for global warming with this method!

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