The Canary Report

Ask the Canary

Posted on Jul 08, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, MCS, Research, Susie Collins

Does Multiple Chemical Sensitivity have anything to do with the sense of smell?

What role does the sense of smell play in MCS?

Q:

What role does our sense of smell and the olfactory system play in Multiple Chemical Sensitivity? Do people with MCS have a heightened sense of smell?

Thank you,
A Nosy Canary

A:

Aloha Nosy!

I am often asked these questions. The first point I always clarify is that MCS does not center on our sense of smell or an olfactory response. To understand this better, let’s review the cause of MCS.

Current research shows that MCS is initiated by a previous toxic chemical exposure from one or more of seven classes of chemicals, notably organic solvents (volatile organic compounds or VOCs), three classes of pesticides, mercury, and/or carbon monoxide. Toxic mold exposure also is reported to initiate MCS, and we find this cause most often in people with MCS who have lived or worked in “sick buildings” that have a toxic mold infestation (Pall, 2009).

So the first thing to understand is that despite many descriptions of MCS that you may find on the Web and elsewhere saying that the olfactory system has a central role in MCS, there is no evidence supporting that claim and in fact, there is considerable evidence against such a role. There are cases of MCS in people with no sense of smell– in fact we have several members of our community who have no sense of smell and also have severe cases of MCS.

Many people with MCS report symptoms of a chemical exposure without any chemical odor. I personally have had this happen: while sitting in my livingroom one day I was overcome with feeling ill, dizzy with loss of cognitive ability, only to discover the neighbor was spraying some sort of herbicide that had no odor.

There are three studies of MCS patients where a nose clip was used to block off access of odors and the MCS patients still reacted to toxic chemicals (Joffres et al, 2005; Millqvist and Lowhagan, 1996; Millqvist et al, 1999).

This is not to say that the olfactory system is never impacted in people with MCS, but rather that it does not play a central role in cause.

To explain this, I’d like to refer to the work of MCS researcher Martin Pall, professor emeritus of biochemistry and basic medical sciences at Washington State University. Pall’s research on MCS is widely published in books and articles, the most recent of which is a chapter in the authoritative international reference manual for professional toxicologists, General and Applied Toxicology, 3rd Edition, 2009.

Pall’s review of the literature and other research he’s conducted over the past eleven years show the probable cause of MCS is a biochemical mechanism involving nitric oxide (NO) and peroxynitrite (ONOO-), what Pall calls the NO/ONOO- cycle. Pall describes MCS, also known as chemical sensitivity and toxicant-induced loss of tolerance (TILT), as a disease initiated by toxic chemical exposure, leading to brain injury that produces high level sensitivity to the same set of chemicals that cause the disease. To get a little deeper into the science: all seven classes of chemicals mentioned at the top of my answer are thought to act indirectly to increase the activity of NMDA receptors, which are glutamate receptors for controlling synaptic plasticity and memory function. This activity, in turn, leads to rapid increases in intracellular calcium (Ca2+), nitric oxide, and peroxynitrite (ONOO-), acting to greatly stimulate the NO/ONOO- cycle. That cycle is what causes our myriad symptoms.

So how does this impact our olfactory system? Do people with MCS have a heightened sense of smell? Let’s ask Martin Pall.

“MCS is not primarily a defect in the olfactory system,” Pall says. “But when the olfactory system is impacted by the NO/ONOO- cycle it will impact the sense of smell. This is because both the NMDA receptors and nitric oxide have roles in the olfactory mechanism. However what impact the cycle has, varies from person to person, possibly depending on the severity of the cycle in that region of the body. Some people report being much more sensitive to odors but others are anosmic, completely devoid of the sense of smell.”

Aloha,
Susie

Photo credit.

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Tags: Air, Chemicals, Indoor Pollution, MCS, Mold, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Research

Chemically-safe building practices: what we did when we renovated our bathroom

Posted on Jan 29, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Guest Bloggers, Products

Many of the resources used were environmentally-friendly, but it should be noted that “green” does not always mean “chemically safe.”

By Guest Blogger Catherine Ockey

Background

In the spring of 2009 we discovered a leak in a shower faucet in our home. Upon further investigation it was determined that water had been leaking down an inside wall for some time and had caused damage to the bathroom walls and subflooring. The process of repair and reconstruction occurred over a three-week period in the fall of 2009. Before the actual work began, however, I did a lot of research into chemically-safe (or safer) building products and found a contractor willing to follow my instructions explicitly. I am happy to share more details of my experience with anyone by phone or through email. Following is a summary of what we did.

Contractor

We found a contractor with experience in environmentally friendly building practices. He had previously built an entire house for a person with MCS, so he had some familiarity with the issues. However, every person with MCS has slightly different issues, so I micro-managed the entire project myself from start to finish. I let the contractor know upfront that this is how it would be done and also had this written into our contract with him.

Resources

Books

Prescriptions for a Healthy House, 3rd edition: A Practical Guide for Architects, Builders & Homeowners by Paula Baker-Laporte, Erica Elliott and John Banta. (Both my contractor and I had a copy of this book. It was our most valuable resource.)

The Healthy House by John Bower. (I have an older edition of this, but I believe it has been updated.)

Magazines

Fine Home Building
Green@Home
Mother Earth News

Web sites

Care2 Green Living
Safer Building

Various manufacturer’s Web sites

Lassen Technologies
Ecohaus
Healthy House Institute
Guide to Less Toxic Products
Safe Shopper’s Directory: Building Materials

[...]

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Tags: Healthy Living, Home, Mold, Products

A victim of my own environment

Posted on Nov 12, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Linda Sepp, MCS, Media/Videos

The story of my life was published today, it would have been nice if they got it right.

Post by Linda Sepp.

The Star reports on my housing situation:

A victim of her own environment: Linda Sepp fought being evicted because of her allergies. But now she’s being poisoned at home.

To read the article, click on photo to enlarge.

And here is my Letter to the Editor in response:

I’m really disappointed by these articles.

The reporter had all the information, including letters from doctors about my situation and medical need for “safe” housing, which does not exist and should be provided by the health care system for people who are severely chemically injured as a primary part of our required health care.

And how the landlord has placed impossible to overcome obstacles into his seemingly generous offer, and that I owe the rent money because the landlord moved my mother out from the downstairs unit with an offer she couldn’t refuse, while knowing that I could not afford it here alone.

And how the province is refusing to provide the type of assistance one would expect from a social safety net, that I almost froze to death here as a result, that I have no safe warm clothing to wear because I cannot afford chemical free safe clothing, which is another prescription from my doctors, or wash it here without whole house water filtration.

Also, that Martin Pall’s paper about Multiple Chemical Sensitivities / Environmental Sensitivities being caused by toxic chemicals, and the info about it in the Toxicology text with all kinds of peer reviewed documentation debunking the industry line about MCS/ES being a psychological condition.

The articles also completely minimized my symptoms, which are completely disabling, and neglected to mention the Human Rights Commission’s recognition of the disability.

Other relevant links are below:

A victim of her own environment.

A poisoned home life: Woman with environmental sensitives struggles to find safety.

The Canadian Human Rights Commission Policy on MCS/ES.

The Medical Perspective on Environmental Sensitivities by: Margaret E. Sears (M.Eng., Ph.D.).

The Housing Challenge in MCS.

Toxic chemicals found in common scented laundry products, air fresheners.

Dr. Steinemann’s research: “Fragranced consumer products and undisclosed ingredients.”

Synthetic chemicals on tap: A new USGS study finds low levels of pesticides and fragrances in drinking water.

When Neighbours Smoke: Exposure to Drifting Second-hand Smoke in Multi-unit Dwellings.

NOTE: fragrance chemicals and other VOC’s migrate in exactly the same ways.

Pollution & air quality – Indoor air quality – Scents.

Health Care Without Harm and Cleaners, Pesticides, and Fragrances: Global Overview.

General and Applied Toxicology, 3rd Edition, Chapter 92: “Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: Toxicological Questions and Mechanisms,” by Martin L. Pall:

Breakthrough study on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity shows MCS is an epidemic caused by toxic chemicals; peer-reviewed paper is published in prestigious toxicology reference work.

A major paper on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity by Professor Martin L. Pall (at left) is to be published Oct. 23 as chapter 92 in a prestigious reference work for professional toxicologists, General and Applied Toxicology, 3rd Edition (2009, John Wiley & Sons). Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) is also known as chemical sensitivity, chemical intolerance, and toxicant-induced loss of tolerance, with this last name emphasizing the role of chemicals in initiating cases of this disease. Pall’s paper, entitled “Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: Toxicological Questions and Mechanisms,” establishes five important facts about MCS:

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 United States 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.

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 susceptiblity 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 at Washington State University.

He is located on Pacific time in the U.S. and can be contacted at: 503-232-3883 and at martin_pall@wsu.edu. His web site is: thetenthparadigm.org.

Linda Sepp

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Tags: Air, Chemicals, Environmental Health, Environmental Illness, Home, Indoor Pollution, Law, MCS, Mold, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Policy, Research, Sick Building, Support, Toxic

Woman exposed to toxic mold develops Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

Posted on Oct 05, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, MCS, Media/Videos, Susie Collins

Reporter misses the whole problem of toxic chemicals, calls illness “bizarre.”

My Fox Philly reports a woman exposed to toxic mold in her attic develops Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and is forced to live in a tent in her parents’ back yard. The sloppy reporter calls the woman’s illness “bizarre” and doesn’t even bother finding out the correct name of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. And then, to add insult to injury, the reporter doesn’t clarify the difference between “odors” and fumes from toxic chemicals.

Doctors were perplexed when a healthy young woman from South Jersey developed a bizarre illness. Ordinary household odors make her so sick that she is living in a tent in her parent’s backyard.

Link to full story.

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Tags: Air, Chemicals, Environment, MCS, Mold, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Toxic, Video

On babies and husbands

Posted on Sep 25, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Franny Armstrong, MCS

A grandchild is on the way and a husband is staying put.

Post by Franny Armstrong.

Yes, Nanny Franny’s having a grandbaby in the spring. Thankfully, I don’t have to carry it until AFTER it’s born. LOL.

The first concern that crossed my mind was about baby powder, baby oil, Ivory Snow and so on. With all those chemically, fragrance enhanced products, will I get to hold him? (I’ve decided it’s a boy…for now.)

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity doesn’t allow you to choose if you will react to chemicals from birth, but does it start in the womb? Perhaps it will eventually link to genetics, this sensitivity that others don’t seem to get. Who knows?

It isn’t all about making sure the house is childproofed with locks, small toys for the correct age groups, and even keeping pennies out of the way of small hands and mouths (my nephew seems to have misplaced one… ahem) yet what about the chemicals in the locked cupboards? Do they vaporize from their containers and fill the tender lungs of infants to start the whole process?

Hmmm, it makes me wonder if my parent’s smoking around me when I was growing up might have weakened my immune system and made me more libel to become chemically sensitive.

I’m unable to talk my husband into moving out of our mold infested house after twenty years of living here. My doctor said that since we live beside a new golf course (we were here first I tell ya!) it is possible that the pesticides started the whole ball of wax… uh… MCS. He highly recommends moving is all I’m going to say.

Hubby is replacing walls, spraying concrobium to kill the mold, and doing a number of things around the house that just never seem to get done. I suppose that’s his way of saying he doesn’t want to move. SIGH.

Health wise, as long as I remain at home and stay out of populated areas, including vehicles on the road, I’m doing great, from the neck down anyway. It’s nice to be able to breathe again this week after three weeks of setbacks. I’m back up to writing full steam ahead and look forward to finishing yet another book (paranormal romantic suspense).

I’m revving up for an online writer’s conference in October that will keep me spellbound to the computer for weeks on end, even though it’s only for one week. So much to learn.

To Your Good Health.

Cavewoman-Franny Armstrong-ParaNovelGirl

Come visit me at ParaNovelGirls and at my MCS site.

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Tags: Chemicals, Children's Health, Fragrance, Home, Indoor Pollution, Mold, Perfume, Personal Care, Stink, Toxic

Toxic mold in two San Diego schools

Posted on Apr 29, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Media/Videos, Worker's Rights

First aired in 2006, and now available on YouTube, the San Diego Insider reports on a number of toxic mold exposures within San Diego County, including several San Diego Unified School District schools.

Tom Mitchell, a harried school district representative, nervously denies that anyone got sick in the two schools, despite the statements of over 130 people from Sherman Elementary and Kennedy Elementary. Both schools were torn down, ultimately, with ludicrous reasons given by the school district.

Among those interviewed are Susan Brinchman, Executive Director of The Center for School Mold Help, www.schoolmoldhelp.org, a San Diego school mold victim, and Janet, a teacher also made ill by school mold exposure.

Some of this footage was used, by permission, in the haunting documentary movie, Black Mold Exposure, produced by Michael Roland Williams (2009), www.blackmoldmovie.com.

This portion of San Diego Insider, a Cox Communications news program in San Diego, CA, first aired on July 19, 2006. Reproduced on YouTube with permission of the Cox Executive Producer, Jeanne Rawdin.

The Canary Report covers toxic mold issues because exposure to mycotoxins often triggers Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. Please visit The Center for School Mold Help for more information.

Read more about the movie Black Mold Exposure.

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Tags: Air, Children's Health, Environmental Health, EPA, Indoor Pollution, MCS, Mold, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Sick Building, Toxic, Video

Use of less chemicals may mean more mold

Posted on Apr 21, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Research

There is currently a movement away from use of chemicals, pesticides and fungicides and a person must consider one consequence of this trend may be to actually increase the likelihood of more exposures to mold.

HEIRS Environmental Research Blog reports that trends in using less toxic chemicals in the home may result in increased mold problems.

There is currently a movement away from use of chemicals, pesticides and fungicides and a person must consider one consequence of this trend may be to actually increase the likelihood of more exposures to mold.  We have made our opinions known on the use of chemicals in home and other places quite clear and we are not going to discuss it here. However, we mention it because it provides a good lead in for the true purpose of this blog.  In one of the most recent studies it was noted that determining a proper risk assessment must take into account the pros and cons of using more holistic measures for food production. Food is the most common mode of infection by mold and mycotoxins and for this reason one team of researchers set out to identify the relative toxicity of mycotoxins as compared to fungicides that are used on crops to combat them.

In this study risk assessment models were used. For the first, data was collected according to a probabalistic risk assessment which showed that neither of the two mycotoxins, deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEA) or the two fungicides, spiroxamine (SPI) and tebuconazole (TEB) exhibited any impact on human health in terms of the model used. As the author describes, the model of Individual Margins of Exposure (IMoE) served as the basis for the compounds in populations and effects.  The researchers reached a conclusion from this study taking the IMoE data into account that the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol had the potential to cause the most adverse health effects of all of the compounds tested. (Muri, Nielson)

Link to full report

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Tags: Chemicals, Environmental Health, Home, Mold, Research, Toxic

Paint, pesticides, and formaldehyde

Posted on Apr 17, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Media/Videos, News

Canary’s Cry for Friday, April 17

WebMD reports a team of South Dakota scientists has invented a new super-paint strong enough to kill superbugs that infect hospital patients and kill thousands of people annually. The paint, which is designed to decorate and disinfect homes, businesses, and health care settings, kills disease-causing bacteria, mold, fungi, and viruses, according to research published in the American Chemical Society’s journal, Applied Materials & Interfaces. I nearly have a seizure just thinking about how toxic that paint must be!

The Washington Post reports the EPA will mandate tests on 67 pesticide chemicals, with the goal of gauging risk of endocrine disruptors to humans and animals. My understanding is that the science is already there showing without a shadow of a doubt that certain pesticides are indeed endocrine disruptors and should be pulled off the market. Let’s hope the chemical industry doesn’t continue to weaken and prolong the review process to the point of ineffectiveness as they’ve successfully done for decades.

The Washington Post reports the new EEOC headquarters in DC is contaminated with formaldehyde and making the office workers really sick. Hey, maybe they should make all former FEMA management go work at EEOC just to see how it feels after their wonderful handling of the Katrina mobile trailers.

PoynterOnline reports EPA warns about spot-on flea prevention meds for pets but FAILS to tell people to stop using it.

Fosters.com reports new research conducted at the University of New Hampshire Stormwater Center indicates pavement sealcoat may contribute to increasingly significant amounts of polyaromatic hydrocarbons entering waterways from storm-water runoff.

Thanks, Bobby, for contributing to this report!

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Tags: Air, Canary's Cry, Chemicals, Children's Health, Environment, EPA, Indoor Pollution, Mold, Pesticides, Pet Care, Pollution, Sick Building, Work

Toxic everyday products, birth defects, and pollution near schools

Posted on Mar 04, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Environment, Media/Videos, Products

Canary’s Cry for Wednesday, March 4

Democracy Now reports US Lags Behind Europe in Regulating Toxicity of Everyday Products. Amy Goodman speaks to award-winning investigative journalist Mark Schapiro, author of Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What’s at Stake for American Power. Schapiro writes, “The European-led revolution in chemical regulation requires that thousands of chemicals finally be assessed for their potentially toxic effects on human beings and signals the end of American industry’s ability to withhold critical data from the public.” Report includes a transcript and video of the interview.

Christopher Gavigan at The Huffington Post reports Birth Defects Surge in a Toxic World. Gavigan writes that once China makes up its mind, it may move pretty fast at cleaning up toxicity in products and the environment, while the US continues to drag its feet.

Chron.com reports Texas homeowners still pay the highest insurance rates in the nation despite measures designed to lower them and worse weather losses in other states. Industry officials blame Texas’s unpredictable weather, which includes hurricanes, hailstorms and tornadoes. A rash of mold claims several years ago also drove up rates.

The Star reports environmental groups lobbying the Ontario government for a powerful cosmetic pesticide ban say the province is set to announce sweeping new regulations that will outlaw hundreds of chemical products from use on neighbourhood lawns. The Ministry of the Environment is expected to make its list of banned chemicals public tomorrow. If approved, most of the 85 substances – found in roughly 250 products – would be barred from sale and use for cosmetic purposes, said Gideon Forman of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment.

USA Today reports that in an unprecedented step aimed at protecting children from toxic chemicals, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is expected to announce plans Monday to determine whether industrial pollution taints the air outside schools across the nation. The EPA plan, promised by new administrator Lisa Jackson (at left) during her Senate confirmation hearings in January, calls for regulators to identify 50 to 100 schools where pollution might pose significant health risks. At many of those locations, the agency will work with state and local regulators to monitor the air for a variety of toxic chemicals.

Thanks, Linda and Bobby, for contributions to this post!

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Tags: Air, Books, Chemicals, Children's Health, Environment, Garden, Health, Home, Law, Mold, Policy, Products, Toxic

Asthma, chemical makers, and coal ash

Posted on Mar 02, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, News

Canary’s Cry for Monday, March 2 

The John Hopkins News-Letter reports air particles raise risk of childhood asthma. Particulate matter can include dust, car exhaust, chemicals released while cooking and cleaning, smoke, pollen and fungal spores, among others.

MSNBC reports chemical makers stand to get a boost as an indirect recipient of the billions in government money promised in the stimulus package signed by President Obama last week. Of the $787 billion in the stimulus bill, at least one-tenth is allocated to projects that could benefit chemical makers.

Times Free Press reports a third of the people living near the toxic coal ash spill from a Tennessee Valley Authority power plant are reporting respiratory problems and about half have experienced increased stress and anxiety, according to a Tennessee Department of Health survey. Environmental groups say the accident was proof of the danger of lax regulation of coal ash storage.

The Courier Express reports on a veteran and his familiy forced out of their home due to toxic mold.

Oregon Environmental News reports there are 175 toxic chemicals worth tracking in Oregon waterways.

Photo by mag3737

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Tags: Air, Asthma, Canary's Cry, Chemicals, Environment, Home, Mold, Policy, Products, Toxic, Water

CNN’s Campbell Brown flees apartment contaminated with toxic mold

Posted on Feb 27, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Home & Garden

Spotting something on the wall of her apartment that looked odd, Campbell Brown was convinced it was mold and that her son was showing symptoms of exposure.

The Daily News reports CNN’s Campbell Brown and her family were forced to leave their apartment when she discovered toxic mold was the reason her baby “developed a cold that wouldn’t end.”

Just before the inauguration, and after months of struggling with her baby’s unexplained illness, Campbell, her child and her husband, Dan Senor, were forced to flee their mold-ridden apartment without their belongings.

“When something like this happens,” Brown told the Daily News, “you become an expert in toxic mold. But I certainly realized how fortunate that I am, in this economic climate, that we had the ability to get out. When they said, ‘You need to get your baby and get out now,’ we were able to get out.”

Link to full report at The Daily News.

Thanks, Linda!

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Tags: Canary's Cry, Children's Health, Environmental Illness, Health, Home, Indoor Pollution, Mold, Toxic, Work