Tag Archives: Research
Open Tabs
Posted on Mar 12, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Environment, Government Regulation, News, Susie Collins
More from my series Open Tabs, sharing links to the pages I have open on my browser.
I’m sorry I don’t always remember where the links come from, many are sent to me through Facebook or email. I try to give credit when I can. I’m not working in a vacuum, most info I find is sent to me in one way or another and I thank all of you for taking the time to share. xoxo
Clean, Green, and Lean: Get Rid of the Toxins That Make You Fat by Dr. Walter Crinnion
My online friend, Missy, sent me this link to a book about losing weight, Clean, Green, and Lean: Get Rid of the Toxins That Make You Fat by Dr. Walter Crinnion. Before you get the wrong idea, this book is not about another fad diet so your can fit into your Gucci pants, this is serious information of value to people who have a weight problem due to toxic chemical or mold exposure. It’s also available on Kindle.
A renowned naturopathic doctor shows you how to get lean and be green while helping to save the planet.
Now you can lose weight and be good to the environment, too-without starvation diets, calorie counting, complicated meal plans, or even having to exercise. Dr. Walter Crinnion, a naturopathic doctor and environmental medicine physician, shows you how to clean up your diet and clear out your body and home to eliminate unwanted pounds and toxins from your life. You’ll be able to get rid of nagging health problems such as allergies and fatigue and enjoy greater energy and a greener planet. Clean, Green, and Lean:
* Shares an effective program to shed pounds and stay healthy by getting rid of toxins in your body and your life in just four weeks
* Combines losing weight with being good to the environment
* Can help reduce aches and pains, depression, and other health problems
* Is written by one of the country’s foremost authorities on environmental medicine who has appeared on The View and other programsIf you’re serious about losing weight and safeguarding your health, follow the expert advice of Dr. Crinnion and start getting clean, green, and lean today.
Here’s an enlightening essay by Helen Larkin on Women and the Environment: Understanding Connections.
America was created, designed, and governed by men, yet now we are one of the most violent Westernized countries, infested with cancer, and have the greatest disconnection from our ecological impacts. Young women today need to enter into the sciences with a vengeance studying toxicology, agriculture, biomimicry, conservation, green chemistry, alternative energy, health, nutrition, and ecological dynamics. Women today must enter all realms of governance. We need to preserve the best of modern living while walking as gently as possible on the planet. We must educate and KNOW that female is creation, female is nature, and female is the future. Most important: Female is Life.
The Environmental Working Group has an excellent page on Scented Secrets: Fragrances Hide Toxic Chemical Ingredients. It was produced as guidance for Valentine’s Day presents, but can be applied any day. The Environmental Working Group is one of the best places on the web to get information about toxic chemicals in consumer goods, it’s info you can trust.
Take a quick look at a personal care product label, and you’ll nearly always find a long list of chemical ingredients in tiny print. Chances are, somewhere in the midst of these technical chemical terms, is the simple word “fragrance.” Although companies are required by law to list all chemicals ingredients in a product, a special loophole allows them to hide what’s in the “fragrance” component[1]. And what’s hidden in that simple word can include complex mixtures of up to hundreds of chemicals that studies show may be linked to a variety of health problems, including allergies, skin reactions, endocrine/hormone disruption, and possibly even birth defects. Companies are not required to test cosmetics for safety before they are sold. The label is the primary protection we have to make decisions about products we rub, pour, and lather on our skin and hair. Yet when it comes to fragrances, we don’t even have this simple protection.
An online friend asked me to share some info about burn pits. I’ve covered this story previously on The Canary Report, but here’s a recent report in the New York Times: Veterans speak out against burn pits, a range of health problems are linked to the pits on military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan, toxic substances have been found in the smoke.
On the website Fragrance Free Living, Bonnie tells her story about losing her job and almost her house due to her Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. I’m pleased to see my online friend Roberta Bradley, vice president at the Environmental Health Association of Alberta, leave a comment for Bonnie with links and information.
Common Dreams reports Cities Sue Manufacturer of Weed-Killer Found in Tap Water: Federal Lawsuit Seeks Funding to Remove Atrazine from Water Supply. This story is interesting because the states are arguing that they shouldn’t have to pay for filtering out the contaminant that the chemical company is responsible for manufacturing and selling as safe. I would argue the federal government is equally to blame for this problem, having not done their job of protecting public health before protecting corporate interest.
Annie Bond writes about toxic teeth, BPA and dental bonding materials. This is a product about which every canary should be aware.
Okay, that’s enough, that should keep you busy for awhile! Thanks to everyone who sent me the links!
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Film: Living Downstream
Posted on Mar 06, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Environment, Media/Videos, Susie Collins
Based on the acclaimed book by ecologist and cancer survivor Sandra Steingraber, Ph.D., Living Downstream is an eloquent and cinematic feature-length documentary.
This is sure to be an incredible film, making the connections between cancer and toxic chemicals in our environment. Public screenings begin this month.
There once was a village overlooking a beautiful river.The people who lived here were very kind.
These residents, according to parable, began noticing increasing numbers of drowning people caught in the river’s swift current and so went to work devising ever more elaborate technologies to resuscitate them.
So preoccupied were these heroic villagers with rescue and treatment that they never thought to look upstream to see who was pushing the victims in.
Living Downstream is a walk up that river. The river of human cancer.
Based on the acclaimed book by ecologist and cancer survivor Sandra Steingraber, Ph.D., Living Downstream is an eloquent and cinematic feature-length documentary. This poetic and character-driven film follows Sandra during one pivotal year as she travels across North America, working to break the silence about cancer and its environmental links.
Link to the Living Downstream website.
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MCS researcher Martin Pall published at The Townsend
Posted on Feb 25, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, MCS, Research, Susie Collins
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity researcher Martin L. Pall’s paper, “How Can We Cure NO/ONOO− Cycle Diseases? Approaches to Curing Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, Fibromyalgia, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Gulf War Syndrome and Possibly Many Others,” is published in the February/March 2010 issue of The Townsend Letter: The Examiner of Alternative Medicine. Pall is Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry and Basic Medical Science at Washington State University.
The entire essay is published at the Townsend, here’s an excerpt:
Feb/March 2010 cover of The Townsend Letter
The NO/ONOO− cycle is a biochemical vicious cycle that is thought to cause such diseases as chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME), multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), fibromyalgia (FM), and possibly a large number of other chronic inflammatory diseases. The chemistry/biochemistry of the cycle predicts that the primary mechanism is local such the depending on where it is localized in the body, it may cause a variety of different diseases.
Previous studies have shown that agents that lower such cycle elements as oxidative stress, nitric oxide, inflammatory responses, mitochondrial dysfunction, tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) depletion and NMDA activity produce clinical improvements in CFS/ME and FM patients, consistent with the predictions of the cycle mechanism. Multiagent protocols lowering several aspects of the cycle appear to be the most promising approaches to therapy. These include an entirely over-the-counter nutritional support protocol developed by the author in conjunction with the Allergy Research Group.
However, such mulitagent protocols to date have not produced any substantial numbers of cures of these presumed NO/ONOO− cycle disease. Why is that? This paper argues that what is called the central couplet of the cycle, the reciprocal relation between peroxynitrite elevation and BH4 depletion, is not being adequately downregulated by these multiagent protocols. Ten agents/classes of agents are available, each of which downregulates one or the other end of this central couplet. It is suggested, then, that treatments that simultaneously effectively downregulate both ends to the central couplet, when used along with multiagent protocols lowering other aspects of the cycle and avoidance of stressors that otherwise upregulate the cycle, will lead to substantial numbers of cures of these chronic diseases.
Martin L. Pall, PhD
It’s very exciting to see Pall published at The Townsend. I think he’s on the leading edge of MCS research, and I urge you to learn more about his findings.
A major paper on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity by Pall (at left) was published last year as chapter XX in a prestigious reference work for professional toxicologists, General and Applied Toxicology, 3rd Edition (2009, John Wiley & Sons). Pall’s paper, entitled “Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: Toxicological Questions and Mechanisms,” establishes five important facts about MCS: 1) MCS is common; 2) MCS is caused by toxic chemical exposure; 3) the role of chemicals acting as toxicants in MCS has been confirmed by genetic studies; 4) there is a detailed and generally well supported mechanism for MCS, the NO/ONOO- cycle; and 5) MCS is a physiological disease initiated by toxic chemical exposure that has been falsely claimed to be psychogenic.
Pall 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.
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The risk of developing Multiple Chemical Sensitivity from exposure to photocopiers and laser printers
Posted on Feb 13, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Guest Bloggers, MCS, Worker's Rights
Some persons suffering from Multiple Chemical Sensitivity may have developed their conditions or worsened them due to exposures to the toxic chemicals given off by photocopiers and laser printers in their office jobs.
By guestblogger M.R.E.
The following is information for the readers of The Canary Report concerning potential risks of exposure to photocopiers and laser printers. I have suffered a devastating respiratory condition from exposure to these types of machines, and so I am trying to raise awareness about this health hazard to hopefully receive feedback and get in touch with other persons who suffer the same.
Due to exposure to photocopiers and laser printers, I have suffered a devastating respiratory condition which produces in an extreme degree: difficulty for breathing, chest pain and oppression, fatigue, cough, mucosal dryness, inability to sneeze and plenty of disturbances in the throat, nose, mouth, eyes, skin, stomach and other systems plus an extreme, lasting intolerance to all chemicals in the air. After a lot of troubles it was diagnosed in two university hospitals as non-specific bronchial hyper-reactivity and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS). The syndrome was caused by the irritant vapors released by a photocopier and a laser printer in my jobs and this appears very obvious from the full details of my story, too long for this page. Although my illness was initiated within 24 hours of intense exposure to these gases, it has not been officially recognized as occupational for any purpose. As many other sufferers with MCS, I have lived a nightmare of sickness and social neglect, but thanks to my family, who financially and psychologically supported me, I did not fall into marginality and eventual tragedy.
From my own experience of nearly three decades with this problem I see that the following points should be carefully taken into account:
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More blogging canaries
Posted on Feb 09, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, MCS, Susie Collins
I’ve discovered a couple more blogs by canaries!
On her blog After Gadget, Sharon blogs about life after the loss of her beloved service dog Gadget. After Gadget is a new blog with only a few posts, but if you get hooked like I did, you’ll read every page and then subscribe so you don’t miss the next entry!
Along with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Sharon also suffers myalgic encephalopathy (ME), also called chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) or chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome (CFIDS). Her bio is here. An excerpt from the page about how MCS affects her life:
In my case, the low-level, constant exposure to the sick building was the initial trigger. If I had recognized what was happening and taken steps to lower my toxic burden, I might have regained my health and not become disabled. Instead, I moved into an apartment with freshly painted walls, bought cheap pine furniture (which is usually imbued with fungicides, insecticides, and formaldehyde), and then painted the new furniture. My symptoms increased in severity and number, and still I didn’t see the connection. Being so ill, I was forced to stay home from work and from teaching; I didn’t know this was the nail in the coffin of my health. The ancient gas stove and furnace in my kitchen and living room were leaking. As a result, I suffered several months of low-level, chronic carbon dioxide poisoning. By the time I found a doctor who diagnosed me with MCS and told me to shut off my gas, I’d developed severe MCS and CFIDS/ME.
Here’s Gadget delivering a message for Sharon to someone in another part of the house:
Because Sharon has speech disabilities, when she lost Gadget, she also lost this way of communicating with others in her home, which increased her sense of isolation and loss. But she’s adapting to life after Gadget, and while her heart still mourns for him, she’s also looking forward to bringing home a puppy in the very near future.
~~~
Faith at An Ocean of Joy gave The Canary Report two shout outs, so nice of her! First post here and second here. In the more recent, she explores biochemist Martin Pall’s MCS research. Faith has mast cell problems, and through process of elimination, has recently come to the conclusion that she has Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. I’m not familiar with mast cell problems, so I welcome the education I’m getting from her blog on that topic.
Pall explains how mast cells can be triggered by the cycle in the context of MCS, which may be of interest to anyone with Mast Cell Activation Disorder. In addition, he lists the 6 genetic polymorphisms associated with a susceptibility to MCS, including the UGT1A1 polymorphism associated with the heretofor ‘benign’ Gilbert’s Syndrome.
The way out of the cycle, according to Pall, is to reduce nitric oxide levels in the body, and he presents an experimental treatment protocol designed to do so.
Thanks for the education, Faith!
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Multiple Chemical Sensitivity associations in Spain meet with Ministry of Health officials
Posted on Feb 05, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Disability Rights, Government Regulation, Guest Bloggers, MCS, Social Justice
Eva Caballé reports on the meeting between Multiple Chemical Sensitivity associations and Ministry of Health officals in Spain, Feb. 4, 2010
Translated from Spanish by Eva Caballé
On February 4th 2010 at 12:00h has been held the meeting with Ministry of Health to state the situation of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity sufferers in Spain.
Mr José Martínez Olmos, Secretary General of the Ministry of Health, Mr Alberto Infante Campos, General Director of Professional Planning, Cohesion of SNS and High Inspection and Mr Francisco Valero Bonilla have attended to the meeting representing the Ministry of Health. One person by almost each MCS association has attended to the meeting and also Jaume Cortés, lawyer of Colectivo Ronda, and Dr. Pablo Arnold, immunologist specialized in MCS.
• ACAF: Cristina Montané
• AFCISQUIM: María Roldán
• Alas de Mariposa- SQM: Tránsito Rodríguez
• ALTEA – SQM: Cristobalina Bejarano
• APQUIRA: Mª Carmen Gómez de Bonilla
• AQUA: Mario Arias
• ASQUIFYDE: Francisca Gutiérrez
• AVASFASEM-AVASQ: Francisca García
• ENA: Laura Domínguez
• MERCURIADOS: Mª Carmen Miravete
• Plataforma Estatal Contra la Contaminación Ambiental: Minerva Palomar
• PLATAFORMA PARA LA FM ,SFC, SQM, reivindicación de derechos, Asociación Nacional: Elena Navarro
A petitions document done by MCS associations under David Palma coordination has been submitted. This document has been signed by:
• ABAF: Margarita Pascual
• ACAF: Maite Ribera
• AFCISQUIM: María Roldán
• Alas de Mariposa- SQM: Irene Escudero
• ALTEA – SQM: Cristobalina Bejarano
• APQUIRA: Mª Carmen Gómez de Bonilla
• AQUA: Mario Arias
• ASQUIFYDE: Francisca Gutiérrez
• AVASFASEM-AVASQ: Francisca García
• ENA: Rosa de Gabriel
• MERCURIADOS: Servando Pérez
• Plataforma Estatal Contra la Contaminación Ambiental: Minerva Palomar
• PLATAFORMA PARA LA FM ,SFC, SQM, reivindicación de derechos, Asociación Nacional: Elena Navarro
• Eva Caballé
Also a copy of Desaparecida: Una vida rota por la Sensibilidad Química Múltiple (Missing: A life broken by Multiple Chemical Sensitivities) has been hand delivered on behalf of Eva Caballé, who couldn’t attend to the meeting, as an example of what MCS sufferers have to go through in Spain.
The meeting with Ministry of Health has meant an agreement on minimum standards by the Ministry, but a big hope for all MCS sufferers.
Representatives of Ministry of Health have committed to contact MCS associations within 2 weeks to jointly agree on experts to form a Scientific Committee to create a document of consensus on the MCS. They have stated that this is the first step to make possible the inclusion of the MCS in ICD-10, i.e. its official recognition as disease in Spain. They have demonstrated that later there would be necessary to start creating the protocols.
All people who have been part of this process are thrilled by the result of the meeting, because doors have opened us to obtain the recognition of the Multiple Chemical Sensitivity in Spain and to achieve that MCS sufferers have the same rights as the other chronically ill people.
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US Senate committee holds hearing on public exposures to toxic chemicals
Posted on Feb 04, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Environment, Government Regulation, Susie Collins
Now available: Transcript and webcast of today’s hearing at the United States Senate Subcommittee on Superfund, Toxics and Environmental Health entitled, “Current Science on Public Exposures to Toxic Chemicals.”
Led by Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), at left, the United States Senate Subcommittee on Superfund, Toxics and Environmental Health held a hearing today entitled, “Current Science on Public Exposures to Toxic Chemicals.” I urge you to become familiar with Sen. Lautenberg’s work on the hill; along with Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), he’s the greatest advocate in the U.S. Senate for toxic chemical policy reform. For those of you who follow The Canary report, you’ll remember a post I did on Sen. Launtenberg back in February 2009 when he assumed the chairmanship of this committee. Lautenberg is the senator who introduced the Kid-Safe Chemicals Act, a proposal to overhaul federal restrictions on toxic chemicals.
Canaries will recognize the name of one other of our heroes among the panel members: Ken Cook, president at the Environmental Working Group.
Subcommittee on Superfund, Toxics and Environmental Health hearing entitled, “Current Science on Public Exposures to Toxic Chemicals.”
Thursday, February 4, 2010
10:00 AM EST
EPW Hearing Room – 406 DirksenSenator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Superfund, Toxics, and Environmental Health, will convene a hearing to examine the current science on public exposures to toxic chemicals.
Majority Statements
Barbara Boxer
Frank R. LautenbergMinority Statements
James M. Inhofe
WitnessesOpening Remarks
Panel 1
Steve Owens
Assistant Administrator, Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances
Environmental Protection AgencyHenry Falk M.D., M.P.H.
Acting Director, National Center for Environmental Health/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Centers for Disease Control and PreventionJohn Stephenson
Director, Natural Resources and Environment, U.S. Government Accountability OfficeLinda Birnbaum Ph.D., D.A.B.T., A.T.S.
Director
National Institutes of Environmental Health SciencesPanel 2
Molly Jones Gray
Participant in a Biomonitoring StudyKen Cook
President
Environmental Working GroupCharles McKay MD FACMT, FACEP, ABIM
Division of Toxicology, Department of Emergency Medicine, Hartford HospitalTracey J. Woodruff PhD, MPH
Associate Professor and Director
Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco
I don’t know how much change is going to be made as a result of these hearings, but I can tell you that trends are moving in the direction of toxic chemical policy reform. If President Obama manages to hang on to a second term despite the discontent that is brewing due to the economic problems, we will have a much better chance at stronger reform. I can tell you though, that even though the wheels of Washington, DC, move painstakingly slow, I’ve seen more happening to enforce the Clean Air Act and to put progressive environmental policies in place over the past year than I saw in the entire eight years of the Bush administration.
Link to transcript and webcast of today’s hearing.
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MCS researcher Martin Pall to speak in five European countries
Posted on Feb 01, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, MCS, Research, Susie Collins
Martin Pall announces speaking tour in five European countries starting April 10.
Guest post by Martin L. Pall, Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry and Basic Medical Sciences, Washington State University and Research Director, the Tenth Paradigm Research Group.
I will be giving 11 talks in five countries in Europe, starting on the tenth of April, all on the NO/ONOO cycle. Nine of these are being scheduled to correspond with my trip to Europe, including several entire meetings. The talks are as follows:
I will start with an all day workshop in Berlin, to be presented by me and also Dr. Peter Ohnsorge. My presentation will be simultaneously translated into German. I will speak on multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) and on therapy and may discuss other topics that will be covered in my talk in London which follows.
In London, I will be presenting three 90 minute talks, for a total of 4 1/2 hours, all at the Royal Society of Medicine, one of the most prestigious locations in the world. The first talk will focus on the NO/ONOO-cycle mechanism and how it plays out in the etiology of CFS/ME and also fibromyalgia. The second talk will focus on how that same mechanism explains MCS and also the three classic neurodegenerative diseases: Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and ALS. The three neurodegenerative diseases were also discussed as apparent NO/ONOO-cycle diseases in my book, “Explaining ‘Unexplained Illnesses’”, but there is substantial new evidence that further buttresses the case. Specifically, there is compelling evidence, that the four specific features, the formation of amyloid beta protein (A-beta) aggregates in Alzheimer’s, the formation of hyperphosphorylated tau protein aggregates leading to neurofibrillary tangles (also Alzheimer’s), the formation of Lewy bodies (Parkinson’s) and the formation of neurofilament aggregates (ALS) are all formed under the influence of NO/ONOO-cycle elements of which peroxynitrite is the most important but several others have roles as well. What is interesting is that both A-beta aggregates and neurofilament aggregates act, in turn, to increased NO/ONOO-cycle elements, acting therefore as tissue-specific elements of the cycle. Recent studies of the A-beta aggregates have elucidated the mechanism by which this occurs.
The third talk at the Royal Society of Medicine will be entirely on therapy– how we can be down-regulate the NO/ONOO cycle.
I then fly on to Rome for a presentation on the morning of April 17, flying later that day to Catania, Sicily for a meeting on MCS. That meeting is again being scheduled to correspond to my European trip and is the first meeting ever to be held in Italy on MCS. I then return to Rome for an informal meeting with people at the National Institute of Health to discuss the mechanism of MCS. The situation in Italy is an amazing turn around compared with the situation when I visited there in November 2008. At that time, and I gave talks at the medical school in Brescia in Northern Italy and also in Rome, I was told that the situation regarding MCS in Italy was positively barbaric, with physicians being prosecuted and thrown in jail for treating their patients for MCS. Maybe, just maybe, I will have turned the situation around in that country within 1 1/2 years? We can only hope.
From Rome, I fly to Paris to talk at a meeting on MCS. That meeting is the first meeting ever to be held on MCS in France and was again scheduled to correspond to my European trip. It follows a talk that I gave at the Environmental Medicine meeting in Aix-en-Provence last April. The latter talk was the first talk ever given on MCS at the French Environmental Medicine meeting, a meeting that in the past, was largely dominated by environmental carcinogenesis. The situation in France has change dramatically in other ways. My web page paper on MCS has been translated into German and French and the response in both countries have been impressive. The French professional society of allergists has asked for and been given permission to post that French translation on their web site. Both French and German translations have been placed on several web sites.
After the Paris meeting, I go to Wurzburg for another meeting– an already scheduled one. I have been asked explicitly to give two talks– one on Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and ALS as NO/ONOO-cycle diseases– this will follow much of the material I outlined above on this topic for the London meeting. I have also been asked to give a talk on therapy– how we can down-regulate the NO/ONOO cycle.
After the Wurzburg meeting, it’s on to Madrid for the last meeting of the trip. I am not completely sure what I will be speaking on at that meeting, but am leaning towards talking about excessive NMDA activity as a common “end point” of large numbers of environmental toxicants. This is, in some ways, the most important new understanding that came out of my recently published big MCS review– that large numbers of environmental toxicants all produce increases in NMDA activity and have been shown to have their toxic responses greatly lowered by NMDA antagonists. Previously, there have been two major toxicant end points– what has been called genotoxicity for many carcinogens– and a second, endocrine disruption. So this is a third, and it is almost certainly more important than endocrine disruption in terms of its implications for human health.
I had a wonderful trip to Europe in November 2008, ending up that six-country speaking tour as the only non-European invited to a special session of the Council of Nations (the EU Parliament) on environmental medicine, but this next one promises to be even better.
Martin L. (Marty) Pall
Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry and Basic Medical Science at Washington State University
503-232-3883
martin_pall@wsu.edu
thetenthparadigm.org
~~~
02/04/10 Update: This announcement is now translated into Spanish. Thanks, Cathy!
~~~
Related posts:
Research shows toxic chemicals initiate Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity now recognized as a toxicological phenomenon
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity researcher launches website
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Study shows effectiveness of researcher Martin Pall’s approach to Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
Posted on Jan 06, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, MCS, Research, Susie Collins
A new pilot study from The Institute for Functional Medicine Clinic in Falun, Sweden, demonstrates the effectiveness of Martin Pall’s approach to explaining the causes of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.
The Allergy Research Group reports new research supports Martin Pall’s hypothesis about the cause of MCS.
The group’s newsletter dedicates three articles to the discussion:
- “New Research Confirms Martin Pall Hypothesis: Pilot Study With Free-Radical Reducing Supplements Improves Treatment-Resistant CFS,” an interview with Ingrid Franzon, N.M. M.S.c.
- “Evaluation of Quality of Life in Persons with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Before and After Administration of Food Supplements Designed to Reduce Free Radical Activity,” by Ingrid Franzon, MSc, Bo Jonsson M.D., Ph.D., and Peter Wilhelmsson, N.D.
- “NO/ONOO: A Brief Summary of the Work of Martin Pall, Ph.D.”
Pall has assembled an impressive body of data to demonstrate that elevated levels of nitric oxide (NO) and its highly damaging metabolite, peroxynitrite (ONOO-), are at the crux of a runaway cycle of free-radical damage in which inflammatory molecules are chronically elevated, damaging the immune and nervous systems. Peroxynitrite initiates a complex biochemical vicious cycle, known as the NO/ONOO- cycle, which is responsible for multiple chemical sensitivity, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, Gulf War syndrome and post-traumatic stress disorder. The basic concept here is actually quite simple. Stressors act mainly through peroxynitrite-derived free radicals to initiate the cycle and once the cycle is initiated it is the cause of continuing illness.
By correcting the high levels of NO and ONOO- with a range of natural antioxidants, a puzzling array of symptoms can be ameliorated and sometimes the illness itself can be completely reversed. (See Allergy Research Group® Newsletter Focus, July 2007.)
Pall suffered from severe chronic fatigue syndrom (CFS) and multiple chemical sensitivy (MCS) for 18 months, and cured himself, then set about dedicating his career to investigating the cause of these disabling conditions. Now his approach has started to garner widespread attention, with publication of an entire chapter by Pall in the upcoming General and Applied Toxicology, 3rd edition by (editors TK), published by John Wiley, Inc. In addition, a new pilot study from The Institute for Functional Medicine Clinic in Falun, Sweden demonstrates the effectiveness of this approach. Pall also has a forthcoming article on CFS in Current Opinion in Psychiatry.
As Pall points out, the acute stressor(s) that lead to CFS and MCS and the other mystery illnesses range from infections to toxic exposures to physical or mental trauma. But no matter what the initiating cause, the downstream effect is free radical damage mediated by raised levels of NO and ONOO-.
I believe Martin Pall is at the leading edge of MCS research, and I encourage you to explore his hypothesis as well as his supplement protocol. I think we will start to see more and more research supporting his approach.
As with all approaches to MCS, what applies to one person with MCS may not apply to another. Always approach MCS therapies and protocols keeping this in mind: MCS symptoms and remedies differ from patient to patient because the tissues impacted differ from one patient to another. Proceed with caution, preferably under an environmental physician’s care and guidance.
You can learn more about Pall’s research and protocol on his website The Tenth Paradigm.
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Out of the mouths of babes
Posted on Dec 18, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, MCS, Susie Collins
The 13-year-old son of Canary Report member Susan K. made this wonderful poster on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity for his health class.
Proud mom Susan explains:
My son made this poster for his school project in order to help educate people about Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. He researched and did this all on his own at age 13…I am so proud of him!
This project was for his health class… he told me that the teacher told them they had to do an educational poster on a disease/illness. They were to raise their hands and when she called on them they were to tell her what subject they chose to do their poster on. He said when she called on him ,he told her that was doing his poster on MCS… she then looked confused and asked him “what is MCS?” And he replied “Multiple Chemical Sensitivity… my mom has it.” And she said, “Oh… o.k….”
He did this whole poster himself and I just absolutely am so, so proud of his work. I did give him constructive criticism when he asked me. And I realize that he has a total understanding of this condition as he lives with it everyday with me. I still have some trouble sometimes myself explaining to folks who question about it. But it is so awesome to see my son be so matter of fact about it! For instance, when the teacher asked him “What is MCS?” I can picture him just looking her in the eye and explaining to her so matter of fact and wondering why on earth she would even question it?!
The posters were hanging in the hallway of his school for a few weeks… I wonder how many teachers and/or students read it and thought, “Hey,I have some of those symptoms.” Sad that there are so many, but happy if this project would help educate them!
Bravo! It’s really quite extraordinary when a young man understands better about a modern illness than most physicians. Hats off to Susan for bringing up this bright and caring son who will always have genuine compassion and kindness not only for people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, but for all people who are ill and disabled.
As another member of our community says, “I would like to give him a ‘Canary feather for his cap’ award! Good job!” I couldn’t agree more, here you go!
Poster reprinted with permission.
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Our feathered friends know: Teflon cookware can be toxic
Posted on Dec 07, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Products, Research, Susie Collins
Dupont wants you to know that overheating their nonstick Teflon cookware could result in the death of your pet bird. The Environmental Working Group says the problems are triggered at much lower heat than Dupont claims, and that it’s not just the pet bird who is feeling the effects.
The wonderful folks at Dupont have a brochure warning bird owners to keep their feathered friends out of the kitchen. Why? Because non-stick Teflon surfaces, when overheated, emit toxic fumes.
If accidentally overheated, nonstick cookware can emit fumes that may be harmful to pet birds, as any type of cookware preheated with cooking oils, fats, margarine, and butter. This is why you should always move your birds out of the kitchen before cooking.
The Environmental Working Group thinks the warning about the dangers of nonstick cookware should be expanded to include people, too. The toxic chemical watchdog group reported in 2003 that EWG finds heated Teflon pans can turn toxic faster than DuPont claims.
In two to five minutes on a conventional stovetop, cookware coated with Teflon and other non-stick surfaces can exceed temperatures at which the coating breaks apart and emits toxic particles and gases linked to hundreds, perhaps thousands, of pet bird deaths and an unknown number of human illnesses each year, according to tests commissioned by Environmental Working Group (EWG).
I stopped using Teflon cookware years ago, I hope you have, too. Stay safe out there!
Thanks, Linda!
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Toxic construction, cancer, and biotech crops
Posted on Nov 18, 2009 by Linda Sepp in Blog, Contributors, Linda Sepp, Media/Videos, News
Canary’s Cry.
Post by Linda Sepp.
The Colorado Daily reports on sidewalks finally getting built in the shopping district of Nederland, Colorado, but not everyone is happy with the construction project. Judith Thackray, a 17-year resident of Nederland, said she’s been forced to evacuate her home because it sits so close to the project’s construction yard. “There are so many vehicles, and Nederland sits in a bowl, that the level of toxicity from the diesel fumes is impossible for me,” said Thackray, 62, who has been diagnosed with acute chemical sensitivity. “I am being ousted from my home.” Thackray, who has been taking up temporary residence in rented hotel rooms and mountain cabins, said her requests for the city or the construction company to move the work yard has fallen on deaf ears.
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center reports cancer patients and doctors report drug side effects differently. The study showed patients generally reported adverse symptoms earlier, more frequently, and with greater severity than their clinicians, and their responses appeared to better reflect real-time suffering.
Reuters reports biotech crops cause big jump in pesticide use-report.
The Seattle Post Globe reports on infuriated mom: Why can’t I protect my body? Study pinpoints chemicals in moms-to-be.
Dr. Oz reports on the link between cell phones and cancer.
The Bloomington Alternative launches a blog on Autism and the Indiana Environment. It explores the parallel rises of environmental pollution and autism in Indiana.
The New York Times reports For Some Smokers, Even Home Is Off Limits. This month, the Related Companies will ban smoking at some of its downtown apartment buildings because of health concerns about secondhand smoke, according to company officials.
The University of California-Los Angeles reports nanoparticles used in common household items caused genetic damage in mice.
Burlington Free Press reports A Chemical Reaction film explores dangers lurking in lawns.
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The health and ability for those with environmental sensitivities rests with the choices and actions of others. For more information, see The Medical Perspective on Environmental Sensitivities.
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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:
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.).
Toxic chemicals found in common scented laundry products, air fresheners.
Dr. Steinemann’s research: “Fragranced consumer products and undisclosed ingredients.”
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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The nocebo effect, burn laws, and explosives detectors
Posted on Nov 07, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Linda Sepp, Media/Videos, News
Canary’s Cry.
Post by Linda Sepp.
Don’t read this unless you want your blood to boil: The American Council on Science and Health reports on the Nocebo Effect: Think Sick and You’ll Be Sick.
The Herald Bulletin reports that fall is a very busy time for burning leaves and that burn laws may vary. Ann Swartz, who lives in an unincorporated area near Chesterfield, Indiana, said open burning has caused
health problems for her over several years. Swartz suffers from fibromyalgia and multiple chemical sensitivity, she said, conditions that are worsened each time she is exposed to smoke from open fires, including fatigue and depression.
The New York Times reports on check points in Baghdad where new detectors designed to discover explosive materials are picking up on perfume, air fresheners and soap, but not guns.
Vickie Ashwill at The Des Moines Register reports that she’s a “smell-aholic.” She writes, “The closest I’ve been able to artificially recreate that fresh Midwest scent is by doing a load of whites with Clorox bleach. I’d love to carry a damp, just-washed, very-white towel around with me for those moments when I need a whiff of something great.”
Insurance Headlines reports insurers are fighting claims over toxic Chinese drywall.
And some useful tidbits:
The Center for Social Gerontology reports on The Federal Fair Housing Act and the protection of persons who are disabled by secondhand smoke in most private and public housing.
Chemists at McMaster University say they have developed an inexpensive “dipstick” test to detect pesticides in foods.
Horticulturists at the University of Georgia tested ornamental indoor plants for their ability to remove harmful VOCs from indoor air and came up with five super ornamentals identified for cleaner indoor air. That’s Hemigraphis alternata at left, or purple waffle plant, one of the highest rated ornamentals for removing indoor air pollutants.
Borax.com reports that the inclusion of about 1wt.% sodium perborate in laundry detergent powders results in destruction of chlorine bleach.
University of Michigan researchers say chronically ill people may be happier if they give up hope. Study shows that colostomy patients who felt their condition was irreversible reported better quality of life than those with faith that they would be cured. “We think they were happier because they got on with their lives. They realized the cards they were dealt, and recognized that they had no choice but to play with those cards,” says researcher and professor in the Department of Internal Medicine.
The health and ability for those with environmental sensitivities rests with the choices and actions of others. For more information, see The Medical Perspective on Environmental Sensitivities.
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Interview with Eva Caballé about her new book on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
Posted on Nov 01, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, MCS, Susie Collins
It’s an honor to announce that a member of our Canary Report community has written a book about Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, published this month in Spain by El Viejo Topo.
Editor’s Note: Spanish blogger Eva Caballé talks about her new book in an interview with Salvador López Arnal. This interview was first published at Rebelión. Translated into English by Clara Valverde, President of Liga SFC. Reprinted with permission of Eva Caballé.
Eva Caballé (at left) is the author of the recently published book in Spanish Desaparecida: Una vida rota por la sensibilidad química múltiple (Missing: A life broken by Multiple Chemical Sensitivities) published by El Viejo Topo, Barcelona, Spain, 2009.
By Salvador López Arnal
November 2009
“Yes, there is something hidden in this silence. It is the interests of the chemical and pharmaceutical companies so that people won’t know that their products are causing new and terrible illnesses like Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS). Actually, recently it has been demonstrated that MCS is not a psychological illness and that old studies that said so were fabricated to protect the interests of the chemical and pharmaceutical industries.”
Eva Caballé
Eva Caballé is a 37 year-old Barcelona economist who lives with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. She was a bank employee and was a member of the rock group Lefthanded and now is the author of the recently released book (in Spanish) released by the publishing house, Libros de El Viejo Topo, Desaparecida: Una vida rota por la sensibilidad química múltiple (Missing: A life broken by Multiple Chemical Sensitivities). In the book’s introduction, Clara Valverde, says: “…But Eva is not weird. It is known that 0.75% of the population now lives with severe MCS and that up to 12% have mild or moderate MCS. All those people who are bothered by smells, those are part of that 12%. But most doctos and the majority of society are not aware of this and that is why it has taken Eva so many years to receive the right diagnosis. That is why Eva only has the help of her immediate family. That is why there are no demonstrations about this out on the streets nor her case is on the front page news.”
Eva Caballé is also the author of the blog NO FUN. She says: “NO FUN is a blog about Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephelitis and Fibromyalgia with information and advice for people who are sick and for anyone who wants to live a healthier life free of toxics.”
López-Arnal: Let’s start with a definition. What is MCS?
Eva Caballé: MCS is an acquired chronic illness, not a psychological one, which manifests itself with multisystemic symptoms as a reaction to a very small exposure to chemical products, normal everyday chemicals but unnecessary ones, like perfumes, air fresheners or laundry softeners. The symptoms, which are chronic and they become acute in a crisis, include fatigue and respiratory, digestive, cardiovascular, dermatological and neurological problems. MCS is a syndrome with three grades of severity, so not all of us who are sick suffer the same level of disability and isolation. It is an illness which has been known since the 1950s, but it has yet to be recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO), despite that there are more than 100 research articles that support the organic basis of MCS, that the number of people affected is increasing rapidly, at a younger age, and that the European Parliament includes MCS in the growing number of illnesses related to environmental factors.
LA: You say that MCS is not recognized by the WHO despite the number of scientific articles that support the organic basis of this illness. Why do you think that the WHO is so skeptical, so cautious?
EC: We know that the WHO has been debating the MCS issue for years. But the process of recognizing the illness is taking longer than usual due to the pressure that the chemical and pharmaceutical industries are putting on the WHO, as they are not interested in having it known that they are directly responsible for this illness. Without going any further, in Germany, where MCS is recognized as an illness, the industries continue exercicing their control through tools like Wikipedia. This was denounced by the CSN Association in an article which I translated and published on my blog. The article about MCS in Wikipedia in German is edited each day, sometimes every few minutes, because the administrators of Wikipedia, who have interests in the industry, veto the information trying to make sure that MCS is not known or if it is, that it be thought of as a psychosomatic illness.
LA: You also say that the number of people with MCS is growing rapidly. Can you give us any data to illustrate this?
EC: I am quoting Dr J Fernández-Solà (an Internal Medicine specialist from the Hospital Clinic in Barcelona) who, in an interview that was done with him at the beginning of this year for an article on MCS in the Spanish magazine, Interviu, said that the amount of patients who were seeking medical help for this illness is growing rapidly. In his hospital, each year, they get between 50 and 60 new patients. That means one new patient a week.
LA: What symptoms could make one think that they have this illness?
EC: Perhaps the most common symptom is to notice unbearable smells which one did not notice before. One stops tolerating various chemical agents like cleaning products, perfumes, tobacco smoke, car emissions, etc. When you have MCS and you are exposed to these chemical agents, a series of symptoms are triggered automatically like choking, irritation of the respiratory tract, tachycardia, headaches, mental confusion, dizziness, nausea, diarrhea, extreme fatigue and/or pain. These symptoms don’t get better until you stop being in contact with the chemical agent that produced it. Normally you also stop tolerating alcohol, dairy products or gluten. You also develop intolerance to various foods and medications. Often there are other environmental intolerances: to heat, to cold, to noise, to sunlight and to electromagnetic fields (computers, high power lines, telephones, cellular phone atennas, microwaves, etc).
LA: What differences are there between MCS and, let’s say, Fibromyalgia?
EC: MCS, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephelitis (CFS/ME) and Fibromyalgia (FMS) are illnesses of the same family. In fact, many of us who have MCS, we actually have the three illnesses and more and more people with CFS/ME and FMS, with the years, also develop MCS. We have a lot of the same symptoms, but the biggest difference is that those with MCS do not tolerate even the smallest exposure to chemical substances, which is the reason why we have to maintain a strict environmental control and we cannot go outside without a mask with a carbon filter to filter out the environmental toxics.
LA: What medical treatment does a person with MCS receive from the Spanish health care system? Do you think it is adequate? Do you think it is fair?
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Welcome to The Canary Report!
The Canary Report is a blog and social network about Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.
We compassionately bring you unfiltered and uncensored news and information you can trust directly from the source: people who have MCS. Dedicated to sharing, supporting, and inspiring with the Aloha Spirit, The Canary Report gives all canaries a voice. Come join us!
Aloha,
Susie Collins
Founder and Contributing Editor
Hilo, Hawaii
Let’s Connect on the Social Web
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The Canary Report releases its 2010 wall calendar
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The false promise of miracle cures for Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
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Warning: Avoid ozone generating air machines
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The dangers of aroma technology
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A statement from Lourdes Salvador about recent ad hominem attacks on Facebook
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DIY: Skip the chemicals, get a buzz
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The naked truth about Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
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Perfume blogger dismisses concerns from a member of our community
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International Multiple Chemical Sensitivity awareness project is launched
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