MCS Global Action Month – May 2011

For months, there have been preparations for the 2011 “MCS Action and Awareness Month” . The three letters “M C S “represent an environmental disease that affects about 15-30% of the general population. Often the patients do not even know that the health complaints, from which they suffer, have the name of “Multiple Chemical Sensitivity or simply “MCS” . They react for example to aftershave or hair spray from their colleagues with headaches, dizziness, or other symptoms which can make it extremely hard to concentrate on their work. Some feel bad when they ride in the subway, bus, train or tram on the way to work in the morning as they sit next to their traveling companions, inhaling strong solvent containing print from the newspaper.

Exclusions must stop

Many patients with MCS have lost social contacts and have had to give up their jobs. Many of those studied repeatedly went to doctors, however, because of be lack of knowledge about the disease MCS, no diagnosis was given, and no adequate medical care was offered.

Worldwide operations for MCS sufferers

Worldwide organizations and activists are working hard during May 2011. For them it is important that the MCS illness and disability will be known to the public, and that better care is taken to make sure that patients get the help and support they require, just as other disabled and the sick enjoy correct diagnosis and support without all the difficulties.

Thanks to the internet and social networks, many of the actions this year will be implemented, as targeted in previous years. This year, however, not only few small things here and there will take place, but also a whole series of coordinated actions globally will take place which are aimed at educating and giving recognition to the plight of the MCS patients internationally.

Stay tuned for the 2011 actions during the MCS Action and Awareness Month in May, and contribute in your own way to the success of this important awareness campaign!

Documents that you can help your education about the disease MCS:

• MCS is a physical disease and is listed in the legally binding ICD-10 in Germany, Austria, Japan
• What is Multiple Chemical Sensitivity?
• Articles on MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

Logo’s and Avatar’s you can use:

• MCS Canary Logo
• MCS Canary Avatar
• MCS Community Logo
• MCS Community Avatar

Construction and other influences which promote the growth of mold

Mold needs nutrients and moisture to grow. As always, building nutrients are present and readily available in various forms, but the moisture in a building will play a crucial role. The moisture threshold is about 70% and below relative humidity at the surface which no growth from mold to materials will occur. As the moisture content increases so will the likelihood of mold growth. At 80% relative humidity at the surface, the growing conditions for almost all indoor air mold species are reached. At even higher surface moisture all mold and bacteria can grow. However it must be noted that the growth conditions of humidity and temperature cannot be considered separately, since the position of the minimum and optimum moisture can move at different temperatures. The minimum values of relative humidity which are necessary for germination or mycelium growth can be achieved only at optimal temperatures. When these optimal temperatures are there, germination or mycelial growth takes place only at higher humidity.

Conditions for mold growth

In addition to the interaction of moisture and temperature, the pH range for growth of mold is also important. The optimum growth range is between pH 5 and pH 7, taking into account that some species of mold grow are in a pH range from 2 to 11. Wallpaper and paint, for example, often have a pH of 5 to 8. Calcareous materials, like plaster for example, or concrete can have pH values above 12. Nevertheless, even then there can be mold growth if, for example, thin biofilms were formed on the material. This medium is due to dust or trapped grease, deposits, etc. available in sufficient quantity on all component surfaces.

Mold is formed only under certain conditions

Basically, mold growth can occur only if the above growth conditions are met. Moisture plays a significant role. This is important to note that hot air – with the same relative humidity – contains more moisture than cold air. This moisture can come from the structure itself or introduced by the room users.

The factors that may be responsible for increased moisture in the building can be summarized as follows:

• Inadequate insulation and low heat storage
• Thermal bridges
• Increased heat transfer resistance
• Insufficient or inadequate heating
• Increased production of moisture in the interior
• Inadequate or improper ventilation
• Poor moisture buffering of building materials
• Moisture in the building construction
• Thermal bridging, insulation

In winter the building can be well dried at low temperatures by venting the air. The cold outside air is heated in the apartment and takes on additional moisture that is transported with the fan to the outside. On the other hand, it can be critical in warm humid places in the apartment to cool the air. For example, this is important in cooler areas like bedrooms or for thermal bridges like corners. In general, it can be assumed that is achieved at a room temperature averaging 21 ° C and a surface temperature of the inner surface of the outer wall of 11 ° C dew point. When below this 11 ° C, the state of the air runs along the saturation line, it creates condensation on the cooler surface. In this case it is necessary to perform thermal insulation of the walls to the interior wall surface to increase temperature.

It must be noted however, that the insulation may be confused with the heat storage. A higher heat storage capacity for heavy building materials (solid walls) can compensate for temperature fluctuations better than lightweight structures and thus also provide a better buffer of the air. Sufficient insulation, proper ventilation, and heating are crucial for the prevention of mold.

Furniture, curtains, and the like are hardly resistant to humidity, like the indoor humidity which penetrates behind the furniture to the walls. At the same time the heat gets into a space by a reduced convective, and then radiating heat is transferred behind furniture and curtains. The wall along such areas means the relative indoor humidity is increased and can lead to mold growth. Therefore, care should be taken to have sufficient convection behind such furnishings.

Temperature regulation, moisture reduction

An increase in air temperature is caused by heat – at the same absolute water content of the air – a decrease of relative air humidity. It also is increased by heating the room, the surface temperature of the inner walls. Both effects contribute to a reduction in the risk of mold growth. If single rooms are not heated or even less, rises in reverse, there is the risk of mold growth. This is particularly true in areas (like bedrooms) that may be used for many hours. A lot of moisture is produced, and it increases the humidity and cold walls are at the risk of condensation. Therefore, unused or little used rooms should be heated slightly over a longer period. Doors to seldom used rooms should be closed. It does not make sense to control the temperature of cool rooms with air from warmer areas. This means consumers will not only heat them, but also the moisture is carried into the cooler room. If the air then cools, the relative air humidity changes and turns on the risk of mold growth. Here, too, it is important to note that the surface moisture on the inner surfaces of outer components is not only related to the ambient humidity, but also is dependent on temperature differences between air and surface. This is significantly influenced by the moisture production in the living room. A high moisture production leads to higher air humidity and thus to higher surface moisture. The ventilation is the most effective means to remove moisture from the home. An exchange of air from the interior to the outside walls of the structure is often mistakenly believed there but it is not the case. The term used in this context, like the “breathing wall” is only seen in connection with the regulation of humidity (moisture buffering).

The moisture regulation will change according to the wall’s ability to take in or release water into the room’s air. As mentioned, solid walls usually have a stronger buffering effect than lightweight structures. The speed and possibility of compensation for the absorption depends strongly on the porosity and the ab-and desorption of the building materials used. A brick has a higher porosity than many natural stones and is therefore cheaper in the humidity regulation.

Proper ventilation

The ventilation of living spaces means the actual exchange of air. Convection (air movement) can only come through different air temperature states. If one allows the windows to remain open in the wintertime with the radiators turned off, then the air exchange isn’t as efficient. A temperature balance between outdoor and indoor air leads to the stoppage of ventilation. If the radiators are turned off near the titled windows, airflow is stagnant and there is not a good air exchange.

Therefore it doesn’t make any sense to open all windows before leaving the house in the morning. Make sure the heating is off before leaving the house. On behalf of the Federal Environmental Agency in relation to the proper ventilation of the living space, see the following information:

The most effective way to remove moisture from the living space is by doing cross ventilation several times a day. This short-term procedure (5-10 mins., depending on the number and arrangement of windows) will help to remove moisture. If this moisture can only be released in the morning after rising, according to season, room size and air temperature, etc. it is best to ventilate for 30-40 mins. (shock and / or cross ventilation). Only ventilating at night is not a good idea. Then the room must be aired for a longer time (1 hour and longer), because the moisture has been fixed in the walls and furniture, and only slowly escapes. During the ventilation, the heating shouldn’t be stopped completely. In this regard, noted that on a long term ventilation is not recommended because of the tilted windows which are associated with high heating costs. Also the removal of the corpus lip seals in newer, thick windows is not recommended in any case.

It is recommended if one cannot ventilate correctly, to then install a ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC system) in the house. HVAC systems provide fully automatic proper ventilation and heating exchange due to their characteristics (the exhaust heat warms the fresh air) and it also contributes to energy conservation.

Conclusion:

Mold on interior walls have at least one adverse health effect, contrary to many opinions. The causes of mold growth can be discovered by examining the civil engineering of the building. It is therefore recommended always to seek professional advice directly at the scene. Experts in evaluation would include a biological and building surveyor.

Author:

Gerhard Holzmann; Holzmann-Bauberatung; Certified expert office, construction and management consultant – so that everything fits like it should – www.Baubegriffe.com Phone 0049-8293-965648

Translation: Christi Howarth for CSN – Chemical Sensitivity Network

Original article: Ursachen von Schimmelbildung im Haus

Related Articles:

• Patients with indoor exposure to molds compared to patients exposed to chemicals
• A longitudinal study of environmental risk factors for symtoms associated with sick building syndrome
• Autism – Do terbutaline and mold associated impairments of the brain and lung relate to Autism?
• Successful treatment of patients with mycotoxin induced disease

Were pesticides to blame for the death of Knut, the polar bear?

Many thousands of people mourn the sudden death of Knut, the polar bear. He was the darling at a German zoo. Why did Knut die? Initial autopsy results showed that Knut, the polar bear, suffered from a brain disease. A former animal keeper at a zoo reported the death of gorilla babies dying from pesticide use. The keeper herself fell ill and nearly died. Were pesticides the cause of death of the polar bear, Knut? Recent scientific research has shown that pesticides cause different brain diseases. What caused Knut’s brain disease will require further investigation. It is possible, because pesticides are used regularly in zoos to keep the zoo animals free of vermin.

All mourn the loss of Knut, the polar bear

In the media, on Twitter and Facebook, the death of Knut, the polar bear , remains the main topic for days now. The sweet polar bear was raised by a nurse with a bottle in the German zoo after his mother abandoned him. The little polar bear in no time, won the hearts of all the visitors. Now the sadness is great, and the cause of Knut’s brain disease is still under investigation. Zoo visitors witnessed the polar bear turning itself around several times and falling into the pond. Over 500 people observed the death of this polar bear and reported that he had an epileptic-like seizure before he sank into the water in his polar bear enclosure. Knut’s keeper also died suddenly at the age of 44 from a heart attack in 2008.

Dream job, but health went downhill

The young woman worked in one of the biggest zoos in Germany. She loved her job as a veterinary nurse above everything. She was responsible for the gorillas. With the bottle, she helped gorilla babies grow when needed. Most of all, she never wanted to go home after work because she loved her job so much. During her training, her health was deteriorating. The reason for her health decline was first discovered years later. Several radiological studies including SPECT, CT, and MRT scans of her brain showed severe brain damage and atrophy. Pesticides were the reason the keeper’s health went downhill.

Gorilla babies dead due to the use of pesticides

During training, the young keeper had to deal with pesticides during the spraying of the gorilla’s sleeping quarters. The pesticide nerve agents, pyrethroids and organophosphates were used. The young woman had to spray the sleeping caves. As she kneeled in front of the caves, she couldn’t avoid breathing in the poison. “The gorilla babies died, and now I know it was because they were exposed to the pesticides,” she told me several years ago when we met at a special clinic. Her immune and nervous system were severely damaged, and she had problems with her muscles and her heart was weakening. Her hair was falling out and she had the typical nerve agent seizures. She stated, “I initiated a workers’ compensation lawsuit and won.” There was no question that the health of the animal keeper was destroyed by pesticides.

Knut died from pesticide exposure?

We do not know exactly which brain disease Knut, the public’s favorite animal in the Berlin Zoo, suffered from, but further studies will hopefully determine the nature and cause of his brain disease. Pesticides may well be on the short list, because they are regularly used in zoos to keep the zoo animals free of fleas and other parasites. Certain herbicides, which are often used on pavements and along roadsides in zoos in order to be kept free of weeds, are quite capable of causing life-threatening seizures.

Author: Silvia K. Müller, CSN – Chemical Sensitivity Network, March 21, 2011

Translation: Thanks to Christi Howarth.

Related articles:

• Groups seeking Ban on Organophosphate Pesticide got to Federal Court
• Wide range of currently used and globally marketed pesticides contained Dioxin impurities
• Pesticide Exposure linked to sucidial Thoughts
• Common Household Pesticides linked to Childhood Cancer Cases in Washington Area

This is Eva’s contribution about the cinema published in the magazine Delirio that she has translated into English. The script about toxics and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity is entitled “Rear Window” and it’s a tribute to the great filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock. The photos, as usual, are made by David Palma.

Eva recommends this number of the magazine Delirio dedicated to the cinema because you will find amazing photographs and illustrations.

Rear Window

By Eva Caballé

The room is almost empty; nothing but a bed and an old bedside table without any decor or curtain, all in light colors. It seems calm and quiet. The woman sits on the edge of the bed in front of the window, looking at the sunlight, which is orange because of the sunset. She has a quick look out the window and then observes more carefully, stretching her neck as if she is looking for something. She turns and talks to the young woman who has just entered the room with an ironic and concerned smile.

Woman: Don’t you see how everybody is disappearing? It is no coincidence! They started to spray the park, day after day, while children were playing, and parents and grandparents sat in the sun chatting while watching them.

The young woman puts her hand to her waist with a tired look and responds, gesturing with her other hand, while she snorts, implying that she is tired of talking always about the same thing.

Young woman: You only see conspiracies; for you all is very simple. How can you be so sure if you hardly leave home? When you live through your window! Instead of spending hours writing pamphlets that I’m sure nobody reads, and taking pictures, shouldn’t you focus on your next book?

The woman’s expression becomes serious and she turns angry replying with some indignation.

Woman: But it’s obvious! It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes! The dog of the first floor neighbors died a few days after the first fumigation. They say that he was intoxicated by something that he ate… A few days ago an ambulance took the old woman who lives upstairs in the middle of the night and she is still hospitalized, when in the 40 years I have lived here I had never seen her having a cold! And what about the children on the fourth floor? (She takes a break to breathe because she speaks so fast that she is even short of breath.) Every day I see them with their bronchodilators and every other minute in the ER! Their neighbor has cancer and since she’s having chemotherapy she can no longer tolerate perfumes and now she has to wear a mask when she walks along the street. (Now almost shouting.) They say that she has Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) and doctors don’t pay attention to her!

The woman makes faces parodying the young woman’s lecture that she already expects and knows by heart.

Young woman: You are a bit alarmist! There are only a few people who suffer from MCS; there is no need to worry. Today almost everyone has allergies or asthma. Authorities warn us that one out of every four people will have cancer in their lifetime. (Goes back and speaks from the doorway leaning on the door frame.) This is the modern life. We all have to die of something!

The woman turns and answers indignant from the bed.

Woman: And does it seem normal to you? Really? And when this affects you, will you still think the same?

The young woman finally leaves the room and her voice is heard from the hallway with a tone between weary and sarcastic.

Young woman: Well, see you next week. Do not keep on spying on your neighbors because you will end up crazy. You should amuse yourself and don’t fantasize anymore.

The woman answers raising her voice while the young woman closes the front door and leaves the house.

Woman: Don’t worry, my attitude has no solution. (And finishes angrily talking to herself.) And neither does your stupidity.

The woman is still staring out the window with indignation and with a worried face and thinks aloud.

Woman: Does anyone realize? I see everything so clearly that it scares me. Makes me want to open the window and shout it from the rooftops, but will anyone hear me? Why don’t they listen even when you alert them? (With a sarcastic tone.) Having no time and the fast pace of life sounds like cheap excuse to me. (She stands up and gets closer to the window.) It’s simple. We’ve become worse than donkeys, because it is not needed to put blinders on us to not look beyond the established road. We no longer have the instinct to do it! We are afraid of what we might see, lest we have to react. (The sun has set and she begins to close the blind.) It must be that I have no fear of looking or I have nothing to lose. It must be that my window is different…

Author: Eva Caballé, No Fun Blog, February 2011

Original article: LA VENTANA INDISCRETA, artículo sobre tóxicos y Sensibilidad Química Múltiple publicado en la revista DELIRIO

German Version at CSN Blog: Umweltkrankheiten: Hinschauen oder wegsehen?

More articles written by Eva Caballé:

• Naked Truth about MCS
  
• Metamorphosis insinde Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
• Dreams that kill
• MANIFESTO – We know they are lying to us
• Without Mask

After much effort, the Agaplesion Diakonie Hospital in Hamburg, Germany has designed two rooms for people with MCS and multiple allergies. For many years, local support groups have worked tirelessly to try to integrate environmentally controlled hospital rooms in the hospital. For the first time ever, it is possible for people who suffer from environmental illnesses or severe allergies to be in a hospital for medical treatment which is tailored to their health issues.

Environmental rooms for MCS, the environmentally ill, and multiple allergic patients

Since February 2011, with the move into the newly built Agaplesion DIAKONIE Medical Center in Hamburg (formerly the hospitals, Old Oaks, and Bethany Elim), for the first time, a hospital has two special pollutant free rooms prepared for those with environmental allergies, and MCS patients. The special environmental rooms have been built with much care. They consist of a single and a double room. Both rooms are connected by a vestibule from the other station areas separated so that chemical-sensitive patients do not come in contact with the usual hospital chemicals and fragrances from other patients.

Medical treatment, surgery, obstetrics

The Agaplesion Clinic offers the two environmental rooms which have been specially prepared for the treatment of patients in the medical environment including the following hospital departments in the with an integrated spectrum:

• Internal Medicine
• Geriatrics (geriatric medicine)
• Diabetes
• Surgery, Hand Surgery, Plastic Surgery
• Gynecology, Obstetrics
• Orthopedics
• Anasthesia, Intensive Care

Criteria for inclusion in Environmental Room

There is a briefing which takes place through a doctor or the emergency room. During the first contact a message states that the patient wants a shot in the environmental room. The Agaplesion Clinic requires patients have medical evidence showing MCS (multiple chemical sensitivity), environmental allergies / intolerance (allergy multi-) and / or a present a chronic intoxication in the patient. A MCS and / or allergy passport is also useful to explain the need for inclusion in a special room environment.

Core Unit of the Environment Room

Rooms in conventional hospitals are not suitable for chemically sensitive patients. In general, the wards have PVC flooring and particleboard furniture. The environmental rooms in the Agaplesion Clinic have given much effort to create a plan that recognizes the needs of MCS sufferers with good air quality issues. The two environmental rooms were built with the low emission of air pollutants / safe building materials and furnishings, to ensure the safety for hypersensitive patients.

Some examples of the special features of the environmental room:

• Walls and ceilings with running Fermacell Green Line plates
• Massive exterior walls are lime
• Walls and ceilings painted with lime paint
• Rooms are equipped with a wall heater
• Floor is made of ceramic tiles.
• Window and door frames are insulated with hemp
• Doors are made of glass
• Exposure to electromagnetic fields has been reduced, including through the installation of power circuit breakers
• Furniture is made of enamel, metal, or stainless steel

The clinic staff shall ensure low-emission patient care:

• Attention is given to see if there are fragrance-containing and damaging products in patient vicinity.
• Patients are asked about their possible food intolerances to allergies, to drugs, disinfectants, medicines and anesthetics.
• A dietitian takes into account the patients’ food intolerances
• At the medical station information is summarized, and this can be viewed at any time by medical staff.
• The staff of the station is working together very closely with the support group „environmental illnesses MCS + CFS.”
• The room environment is cleaned with fragrance free detergents, but a disinfecting cleaning is essential to neutralize odors, so the patient is offered the use of effective microorganisms (EM 1).
• When necessary, patients may bring their own food which is kept in a refrigerator at the door. A kettle is also available there.
• The bedding of the entire hospital is fragrance-free but these patients are permitted to bring their own bedding.

Special measures for the benefit of environmental patients

• The use of fragrance-free and low-polluting products is offered to patients and their visitors
• The use of cell phones and smoking are not permitted in this area
• Living together requires all patients in the environmental room practice understanding, respect and helpfulness

Hospital life – side note

Important information for environmental patients and their physicians, that the Agaplesion Clinic is a hospital and not an environmental clinic. In a hospital procedures are regulated and special requests cannot be met. The Agaplesion Clinic breaks new ground by providing the two environmental rooms. The employees are trained on MCS and environmental illness, but they are dependent on cooperation between the patients, so that a smooth clinical work can be guaranteed. Perhaps at first patients won’t have the highest satisfaction, but patients should be understanding and possibly contribute constructive suggestions for improvement since this is the first attempt at providing environmentally safe rooms in a hospital. It is important for patients with chemical sensitivity (MCS) to realize that this is a new development at the clinic. For those with hyper-sensitivities, a stay at the hospital, despite careful selection of materials, initially may be fraught with problems because of outgassing and ecological matters.

The Chemically Sensitive are thankful for their commitment

The MCS support groups in Hamburg, which for years pursued the goal of a “MCS-friendly hospital room in a hospital” give hearty thanks and appreciation to the doctors, hospital planners, architects and government agencies that were involved in this project. All the best and much success for the safe environment in the new rooms at the Agaplesion Clinic!

Author: Silvia K. Müller, CSN – Chemical Sensitivity Network, 1 March 2011

Translation: Christi Howarth

Literature:

Agaplesion Diakonie Hospital Hamburg, newsletter: environmental rooms for MCS patients and the environment / multiple allergies, January 2011

Contact:

Agaplesion DIAKONIE Hospital Hamburg

Hohe Weide 17, 20259 Hamburg, Germany, Tel: (040) 7 90 20 – 0, Fax (040) 7 90 20 – 10 79, E-mail: info@dkh.de, Internet: www.dkh.de

Further CSN articles about MCS:

• Study could not confirm link between mental illness and chemical sensitivity
• Brain dysfunction in MCS – Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
• Research on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS)
• A politically inconvenient illness