Because of my Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, I’ve been forced to live in isolation. My contact with the outside world has become exclusively virtual and time goes by in a different way.

Five years sick, three years since I was diagnosed with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, two years and a half since No Fun was born, one year and a half as a contributor at the art magazine Delirio, slightly over one year since my book Desaparecida (Missing) was released and almost one year as a regular contributor at The Canary Report and as an sporadic contributor at the blog of the German MCS Association CSN – Chemical Sensitivity Network. At present, No Fun has more than 400 subscribers, it has at least 600 visits a day (these days thanks to the MCS Report on TV the visits have been triplicate), it has more than 280 posts and it has almost 2.500 comments that give an inestimable value to the blog. Desaparecida (Missing) is sold in six Spanish-speaking countries and you can find it in 17 Spanish Public and University libraries.

But paradoxically, all this seems unreal to me; a little more than numbers or statistics. Only once in a while something happens that makes me realize that what I do has a real impact on the outside world and also reaches people beyond the circle of MCS.

A few months ago Marcos Ve’lez, the president of A.P.E.N.B. (the Spanish Professional Association of Naturopathy) contacted me, and his words surprised and touched me deeply. They had been following my work for a long time, had also read my book, and wanted to give me their support because as Natural Health professionals they also defend justice in health care with less pharmaceuticals interests and a higher value for people who have lost their health.

He informed me that the Board of A.P.E.N.B. had unanimously agreed on several points, including the following:

• They give me an Honorary Title for “my work, courage, and dedication to face Multiple Chemical Sensitivity”. The award of the diploma (in the picture) was a public event last December, but as you can imagine I wasn’t able to go to the presentation.
• They open a section entitled Desaparecida at the Association’s website section “CAUSES”.
• The Association promotes all my work and initiatives and they have a section for my MCS articles.
• This is the first one: La condena de la Sensibilidad Química Múltiple
• They link the blog No Fun in the section called “FRIENDS” on their website.
• They include Desaparecida in the section of “RECOMMENDED BOOKS” on their website.

Obviously all this recognition is an honor to me and I appreciate very much the support of the Natural Health professionals, especially because we all are in the same struggle. To make MCS visible is very positive for two reasons: to win MCS awareness and to spread the message that is implicit in MCS: We must change the direction of our world because it’s already too late, so it is necessary to say clearly and as loud as we can that our modern lifestyle is an act of suicide that we are already paying and that we will pay for generations to come.

Thanks A.P.E.N.B., and thanks to Marcos for helping us spread this message.

Original post at No Fun:

• La Asociación Profesional Española de Naturopatía y Bioterapia otorga a Eva Caballé un diploma de Título Honorífico por su labor divulgativa, valentía y entrega al enfrentarse a la Sensibilidad Química Múltiple

More about the work of Eva Caballé:

• How to become a MCS Activist in less than 365 day? Have a look to Spain
• Film about Chemical Sensitivity: Bird of the Mine
• New trailer for upcomming film about Multiple Chemical Sensitivityis shown at MCS Conference in Spain
• A book about Chemical Sensitivity will become a radio series in the near future
• Spanish Workgroup met with Ministry of Health to create a MCS Consensus Document

A Real Santa Claus Does Not Wear Perfume

Santa has an ear for the needs of all children, including children with allergies, asthma and chemical sensitivity (MCS). Santas are always open to hear everything a child desires, meaning their secrets, worries and concerns. For many children this seasonal private talk with Santa is an important event when they can privately disclose what is really on their mind.

So this year we wish that all children, including those who suffer from allergies, asthma and chemical sensitivity (MCS), will have the opportunity to whisper something special into Santa’s ear. We have designed an action card for printing. (The best way to print the cards out is on more solid paper or light cardboard).

And because Santa Claus is known for really loving ALL children, with some help, we can make sure every Santa Claus may share the Christmas warmth with every child. Hand the Santa a Christmas card, asking them to give up after-shave, cologne, fabric softener, strong smelling deodorant, and other fragrances this season. Whisper in the ear of the Santa Claus when presentating the card, that this small favor of being fragrance free will make all children’s hearts and eyes glow with gratitude.

ACTION CARD >>>

The real Santa Claus does not wear perfume, because he loves all children. Even those with asthma, allergies, or chemical sensitivity.

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Spanish Action Card >> El verdadero Papá Noel no usa Colonia

German Action Card >> Der echte Weihnachtsmann trägt kein Parfüm

Facts about Perfume, Scented Products:

• Scented consumer products shown to emit many unlisted chemicals
• The Reckless Self-Interest of the Fragrance Industry
• Secret Chemicals Revaledin Celebrity Perfumes, Teen Body Sprays
• New Discovery on the Causes of Contact Allergy
• Toxic Beauty – What you don’t know Can Hurt you…In Fact, It Already does

Two weeks ago I introduced you the first trailer for the upcoming short film Los pájaros de la mina (The Birds in a mine), the first film made in Spain about Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, which was very well received between MCS sufferers from all around the world.

Today I want to share with you the new and powerful trailer for the film. This new trailer had its debut last week at the MCS conference organized by ASQUIFYDE, which was held at the University of Alicante, Spain. During the three days of the conference, a lot of doctors, lawyers and other specialists talked about MCS, toxics, the situation in Spain, etc. It was really great and we could follow the presentations and discussions on the Internet.

Also presented at the conference was an Environmental Control Guide (my blog No Fun is part of it) together with my video “MCS: The importance of reducing the toxic load”, which, according to Francisca Gutierrez, president of ASQUIFYDE, made a big impression on the conference attendees (medical students, press and other people related with environmental health).

For the closure of the conference, the new trailer was shown. The scriptwriter and lead actress in the film, Mariam Felipe, was there to explain the project and about how the idea for the film was sparked because of my interview on Carne Cruda (Raw Meat) one year ago. And then they showed this amazing new trailer.

The premiere of the film will be December 10th at the Teatro Principal de Pontevedra.

According to the filmmaker, Víctor Moreno, they will make a version with English subtitles, and, thanks to Silvia K. Müller, president of CSN, another version with German subtitles will be made, too.

I’m sure that this film will win a lot of awards!!

Author: Eva Caballé, No Fun Blog, November 10, 2010

Further Articles from Eva Caballé:

• Interview with Eva Caballé about Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and about her book
• First meeting of the Workinggroup to create a Concensus Document about Multiple Chemical Sensitivity in Spain
• Spanish Workgroup met with Ministry of Health to create a MCS Concesus Document
• How to become a MCS Activist in less than 365 Days? Have a look to Spain!

University of Washington

For Immediate Release

Oct. 26, 2010

The sweet smell of fresh laundry may contain a sour note. Widely used fragranced products – including those that claim to be “green” – give off many chemicals that are not listed on the label, including some that are classified as toxic.

A study led by the University of Washington discovered that 25 commonly used scented products emit an average of 17 chemicals each. Of the 133 different chemicals detected, nearly a quarter are classified as toxic or hazardous under at least one federal law. Only one emitted compound was listed on a product label, and only two were publicly disclosed anywhere. The article is published online today in the journal Environmental Impact Assessment Review.

“We analyzed best-selling products, and about half of them made some claim about being green, organic, or natural,” said lead author Anne Steinemann, a UW professor of civil and environmental engineering and of public affairs. “Surprisingly, the green products’ emissions of hazardous chemicals were not significantly different from the other products.”

More than a third of the products emitted at least one chemical classified as a probable carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and for which the EPA sets no safe exposure level.

Manufacturers are not required to disclose any ingredients in cleaning supplies, air fresheners or laundry products, all of which are regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Neither these nor personal care products, which are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, are required to list ingredients used in fragrances, even though a single “fragrance” in a product can be a mixture of up to several hundred ingredients, Steinemann said.

So Steinemann and colleagues have used chemical sleuthing to discover what is emitted by the scented products commonly used in homes, public spaces and workplaces. The study analyzed air fresheners including sprays, solids and oils; laundry products including detergents, fabric softeners and dryer sheets; personal care products such as soaps, hand sanitizers, lotions, deodorant and shampoos; and cleaning products including disinfectants, all-purpose sprays and dish detergent. All were widely used brands, with more than half being the top-selling product in its category.

Researchers placed a sample of each product in a closed glass container at room temperature and then analyzed the surrounding air for volatile organic compounds, small molecules that evaporate off a product’s surface. They detected chemical concentrations ranging from 100 micrograms per cubic meter (the minimum value reported) to more than 1.6 million micrograms per cubic meter.

The most common emissions included limonene, a compound with a citrus scent; alphapinene and beta-pinene, compounds with a pine scent; ethanol; and acetone, a solvent found in nail polish remover. All products emitted at least one chemical classified as toxic or hazardous.

Eleven products emitted at least one probable carcinogen according to the EPA. These included acetaldehyde, 1,4-dioxane, formaldehyde and methylene chloride. The only chemical listed on any product label was ethanol, and the only additional substance listed on a chemical safety report, known as a material safety data sheet, was 2-butoxyethanol.

“The products emitted more than 420 chemicals, collectively, but virtually none of them were disclosed to consumers, anywhere,” Steinemann said. Because product formulations are confidential, it was not possible to determine whether a chemical came from the product base, the fragrance added to the product, or both.

Tables included with the article list all chemicals emitted by each product and the associated concentrations, although do not disclose the products’ brand names. “We don’t want to give people the impression that if we reported on product ‘A’ and they buy product ‘B,’ that they’re safe,” Steinemann said. “We found potentially hazardous chemicals in all of the fragranced products we tested.”

The study establishes the presence of various chemicals but makes no claims about the possible health effects. Two national surveys published by Steinemann and a colleague in 2009 found that about 20 percent of the population reported adverse health effects from air fresheners, and about 10 percent complained of adverse effects from laundry products vented to the outdoors. Among asthmatics, such complaints were roughly twice as common.

The Household Product Labeling Act, currently being reviewed by the U.S. Senate, would require manufacturers to list ingredients in air fresheners, soaps, laundry supplies and other consumer products. Steinemann says she is interested in fragrance mixtures, which are included in the proposed labeling act, because of the potential for unwanted exposure, or what she calls “secondhand scents.”

As for what consumers who want to avoid such chemicals should do in the meantime, Steinemann suggests using simpler options such as cleaning with vinegar and baking soda, opening windows for ventilation, and using products without any fragrance.

“In the past two years, I’ve received more than 1,000 e-mails, messages, and telephone calls from people saying: ‘Thank you for doing this research, these products are making me sick, and now I can start to understand why,’” Steinemann said.

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Steinemann is currently a visiting professor in civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University. Co-authors are Ian MacGregor and Sydney Gordon at Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, Ohio; Lisa Gallagher, Amy Davis and Daniel Ribeiro at the UW; and Lance Wallace, retired from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The research was partially funded by Seattle Public Utilities.

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Reference:

University of Washington, Hannah Hickey, Release: Scented consumer products shown to emit many unlisted chemicals,Oct. 26, 2010

• More information on the project
• More information on volatile organic compounds is available from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Library of Medicine

Related Articles:

• The Reckless Self-Interest of the Fragrance Industry
• Secret Chemicals Revaledin Celebrity Perfumes, Teen Body Sprays
• Phthalate Concentrations and the use of Personal Care Products among Pregnant Women
• New Discovery on the Causes of Contact Allergy

On November 2009 I was interviewed on Carne Cruda, Spanish radio program, to talk about Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and one of the listeners of the program, the videographer Víctor Moreno, was so impressed that he quickly contacted me to say that he wanted to make a short film about MCS to help us to raise awareness of this terrible disease and he asked my opinion and if I wanted to collaborate with them. Obviously I told him that they could count on me for what they wanted.

On March they began filming “The birds of the mine”, the first short film about Multiple Chemical Sensitivity in Spain, and now we can finally present the trailer and announce that its debut will be next December. When this project began, I had the honor of reading the script, because they wanted my opinion, and then I saw some scenes of the shoot and I can assure you that is very, very impressive, as you can deduce from the trailer.

Autor: Eva Caballé, No Fun, Oct. 25, 2010

Related Articles:

• A Book about Chemical Sensitivity will become a Radio Series in the near Future
• Interview with Eva Caballé about Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and about her book
• How to become a an MCS Activist in less than 365 days? Have a look to Spain!
• The naked truth about MCS – Multiple Chemical Sensitivity – Including Forewordabout German Situation