MCS America Dedicated to Information, Resources, Referrals, Support for People Injured by Chemicals
Lourdes Salvador
July 28, 2008
MCS America, a national organization, is now offering a free information, resource, referral, and support listing for individuals injured by chemicals, including those who develop with multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), gulf war syndrome (GWS), electrosensitivity (EHS), and other environmentally correlated disease.
Environmental illness (EI) is a result of chemical injury in which negative neurological, pulmonary, cardiac, and rheumatic health effects, among others, are experienced from exposure to common environmental chemicals including fragrances, cleaners, pesticides, and other petrochemicals at concentrations that are below regulatory toxicity thresholds and that are normally deemed as safe. MCS is thought to be caused by a toxic chemical injury which damaged the central nervous system and causes biochemical changes.
A surprising number of people report sensitivity to ordinary everyday chemicals. An average of 15% of Americans report reactions to multiple chemical incitants, nearly 3 times the number who have diabetes
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recognizes chemical sensitivity as a symptom of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), another multi-system illness thought to be induced by central nervous system damage and biochemical changes induced by toxic chemical injury.
Studies have shown that removal of incitants and proper environmental control is the most effective treatment known to date. Ninety-five percent of patients report improvement upon practicing avoidance and 94% report improvement upon moving to a chemical free living space.
For decades, people with multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) have been the highly susceptible canaries in the coal mine who report the toxic effects of everyday products. Now there is proof that these products really do contain unlisted ingredients known to be carcinogenic, some so toxic they have no known safe level of exposure.
A new University of Washington study of six top-selling fragranced consumer products which are widely used in homes, businesses, institutions, and public places found the products emit dozens of toxic chemicals such as acetaldehyde, acetone, benzaldehyde, tert-butyl alcohol, 2-butanone, chloromethane, 1,4-dioxane, ethanol, ethyl acetate, isopropyl alcohol, and α-pinene. Many of these chemicals are listed on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hazardous chemicals list.
MCS America asserts, "Environmental toxicants and irritants from fragranced products must be reduced or effectively regulated through legislation and enforcement to prevent injury to all citizens."
Anne Steinemann, PhD of the University of Washington said, "I was surprised by both the number and the potential toxicity of the chemicals that were found. Nearly 100 volatile organic compounds were emitted from these six products, and none were listed on any product label. Plus, five of the six products emitted one or more carcinogenic 'hazardous air pollutants,' which are considered by the Environmental Protection Agency to have no safe exposure level."
Sadly, the pharmaceutical and chemical industries have set out with a rather large disinformation campaign to protect their financial interests in the very products they manufacture that are implicated in the cause of MCS and CFS, products that are now shown to be harmful to everyone, not just those who already developed MCS and CFS.
Steinemann suggests that, "Instead of air fresheners, people use ventilation, and with laundry products, choose fragrance-free versions."
"As new information is published regarding MCS, it is crucial that it be communicated to the medical and public communities. Accurate, objective information which is free from conflicts of interests, ties to the chemical industry, and connections to the pharmaceutical industry must be rigorously researched and widely disseminated. Funding is immediately and direly needed for additional investigation into the etiology, treatment, and prevention of this costly, devastating, and disabling disorder," says MCS America.
"It is crucial that industrial financial gain must not be permitted to compromise the health and well being of all citizens. There are alternatives to the toxic products and pollution man has created. A shift to these safer alternatives will be market-driven as accurate information on risks becomes readily available; meanwhile informed and enlightened regulation is highly encouraged in order to prevent MCS in the future and allow current patients to engage fully in society as productive members without threat of further injury. We must never forget that many MCS patients can and do function normally in exposure free conditions."
Links to MCS America's Free Environmental Illness & MCS Support and Referrals Resource List, updated July 26, 2008 include:
Main Index
MCS America Forums
Support Forums Outside the MCS America Network
Referral Lists (Doctors and Dentists)
Air Quality Reports
Brochures
Signs
Activist Materials
Public Service Announcements
Clothing and Novelties for Activism and Awareness
MCS America is solely operated by volunteers. For additional information e-mail MCS America, admin@mcs-america.org or visit www.mcs-america.org.
MCS America offers free electronic subscriptions to the MCS America Newsletter. To receive your copy, send an e-mail to subscriptions@mcs-america.org.
The mission of MCS America (MCSA) is:
To gain medical, legal, and social recognition for multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) as a disorder of organic biological origin induced by toxic environmental insults.
To provide support and referral services to the individuals with multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), electrosensitivty, Gulf War Syndrome (GWS), and other illnesses of environmental origin.
To ensure that environmental toxicants are identified, reduced, regulated, and enforced through lobbying for effective legislation.
For more articles on this topic, see: MCSA News.
Copyrighted 2008 Lourdes Salvador & MCS America
Environmental illness (EI) is a result of chemical injury in which negative neurological, pulmonary, cardiac, and rheumatic health effects, among others, are experienced from exposure to common environmental chemicals including fragrances, cleaners, pesticides, and other petrochemicals at concentrations that are below regulatory toxicity thresholds and that are normally deemed as safe. MCS is thought to be caused by a toxic chemical injury which damaged the central nervous system and causes biochemical changes.
A surprising number of people report sensitivity to ordinary everyday chemicals. An average of 15% of Americans report reactions to multiple chemical incitants, nearly 3 times the number who have diabetes
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recognizes chemical sensitivity as a symptom of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), another multi-system illness thought to be induced by central nervous system damage and biochemical changes induced by toxic chemical injury.
Studies have shown that removal of incitants and proper environmental control is the most effective treatment known to date. Ninety-five percent of patients report improvement upon practicing avoidance and 94% report improvement upon moving to a chemical free living space.
For decades, people with multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) have been the highly susceptible canaries in the coal mine who report the toxic effects of everyday products. Now there is proof that these products really do contain unlisted ingredients known to be carcinogenic, some so toxic they have no known safe level of exposure.
A new University of Washington study of six top-selling fragranced consumer products which are widely used in homes, businesses, institutions, and public places found the products emit dozens of toxic chemicals such as acetaldehyde, acetone, benzaldehyde, tert-butyl alcohol, 2-butanone, chloromethane, 1,4-dioxane, ethanol, ethyl acetate, isopropyl alcohol, and α-pinene. Many of these chemicals are listed on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hazardous chemicals list.
MCS America asserts, "Environmental toxicants and irritants from fragranced products must be reduced or effectively regulated through legislation and enforcement to prevent injury to all citizens."
Anne Steinemann, PhD of the University of Washington said, "I was surprised by both the number and the potential toxicity of the chemicals that were found. Nearly 100 volatile organic compounds were emitted from these six products, and none were listed on any product label. Plus, five of the six products emitted one or more carcinogenic 'hazardous air pollutants,' which are considered by the Environmental Protection Agency to have no safe exposure level."
Sadly, the pharmaceutical and chemical industries have set out with a rather large disinformation campaign to protect their financial interests in the very products they manufacture that are implicated in the cause of MCS and CFS, products that are now shown to be harmful to everyone, not just those who already developed MCS and CFS.
Steinemann suggests that, "Instead of air fresheners, people use ventilation, and with laundry products, choose fragrance-free versions."
"As new information is published regarding MCS, it is crucial that it be communicated to the medical and public communities. Accurate, objective information which is free from conflicts of interests, ties to the chemical industry, and connections to the pharmaceutical industry must be rigorously researched and widely disseminated. Funding is immediately and direly needed for additional investigation into the etiology, treatment, and prevention of this costly, devastating, and disabling disorder," says MCS America.
"It is crucial that industrial financial gain must not be permitted to compromise the health and well being of all citizens. There are alternatives to the toxic products and pollution man has created. A shift to these safer alternatives will be market-driven as accurate information on risks becomes readily available; meanwhile informed and enlightened regulation is highly encouraged in order to prevent MCS in the future and allow current patients to engage fully in society as productive members without threat of further injury. We must never forget that many MCS patients can and do function normally in exposure free conditions."
Links to MCS America's Free Environmental Illness & MCS Support and Referrals Resource List, updated July 26, 2008 include:
Main Index
MCS America Forums
Support Forums Outside the MCS America Network
Referral Lists (Doctors and Dentists)
Air Quality Reports
Brochures
Signs
Activist Materials
Public Service Announcements
Clothing and Novelties for Activism and Awareness
MCS America is solely operated by volunteers. For additional information e-mail MCS America, admin@mcs-america.org or visit www.mcs-america.org.
MCS America offers free electronic subscriptions to the MCS America Newsletter. To receive your copy, send an e-mail to subscriptions@mcs-america.org.
The mission of MCS America (MCSA) is:
To gain medical, legal, and social recognition for multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) as a disorder of organic biological origin induced by toxic environmental insults.
To provide support and referral services to the individuals with multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), electrosensitivty, Gulf War Syndrome (GWS), and other illnesses of environmental origin.
To ensure that environmental toxicants are identified, reduced, regulated, and enforced through lobbying for effective legislation.
For more articles on this topic, see: MCSA News.
Copyrighted 2008 Lourdes Salvador & MCS America