Category Archives: Pollution

For Me, MCS Means …

Posted on May 12, 2016 | 6 comments

mcs es invisible disability framed“For me, MCS means having to wear a mask when I go out”

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MCS Awareness Month Guest Post from Laura J Mac

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity or MCS (also known as Environmental Sensitivities) is a chronic and disabling condition characterized by symptoms from low-level exposures to common chemicals. To put it simply, really common chemical exposures are disabling to some people, even in very small amounts.

ES has been recognized as a disability in Ontario since 2000, and federally (in Canada) since 2007, yet most people, and in fact many medical professionals, have never heard of it.

May is MCS Awareness Month, though I promise you, we are aware of it all year!

Instead of asking others to imagine something so unimaginable, we asked 1500 people with MCS to share what life is like with MCS. These memes are some of the responses.*

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Posted in Accessibility, Disability, Environment, Environmental Health, Human Rights, Pollution

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What I Wear In Bad Air :: Ellie

Posted on May 10, 2016 | 4 comments

 

2016 Ellie

“Instead of cancer, I got MCS, meaning I stop breathing on contact with your everyday chemicals (plus a multitude of other symptoms.) Hey, there’s another perk! You might finally have the excuse you need to buy an expensive gas mask that can also be used with costumes! After all, once you get MCS, you can’t leave the house without one, so you’ll always be dressed for an adventure! #GoNatural”

Ellie uses this mask:

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Posted in Accessibility, Air Quality, Chemicals, Disability, Environmental Health, Health, Pollution, Products

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What I Wear In Bad Air :: D.R.B. and M.C.

Posted on May 9, 2016 | 6 comments

2016 D.R.B.

“I never leave home without a scarf to wrap around my face. To give me a hands free quick exit.”

~ D.R.B.

2016 M.C.

“This is me cleaning a mouldy wall in my apartment after a flood in February.  I was wearing all 3 – nasal filters, a disposable R95 (mostly to keep gas mask plastic off skin), plus the P100!  Thankfully, I didn’t have to stay and was able to move into a mold-free unit, as one became available.”

~ M.C.

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To learn more about masks see

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Posted in Air Quality, Chemicals, Environmental Health, Environmental Sensitivities, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, Pollution, Precaution

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What I Wear In Bad Air :: Rolf

Posted on May 7, 2016 | 2 comments


2016 Rolf Aerssens

“This is me wearing a half face ABEK-P3 respirator with multi-gas filters.

I wear my “ALLERGY PATIENT” vest to identify my mask as a “medical necessity”. It helps a lot with preventing unkind comments and odd looks from people,  and hopefully will help people ask before shooting in times of terrorist threats.

I’m holding my clean air helmet in my right hand. The blower unit is normally worn on the back and is only in front for the photo.

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Posted in Air Quality, Chemicals, Disability, Environmental Health, Environmental Sensitivities, Health, Pollution

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What I Wear In Bad Air :: Lisa M.

Posted on May 5, 2016 | Leave a comment

 

2016 Lisa M

“At one point I had to sleep in the mask when in a rental unit. There was smoke coming from a surrounding unit and toxicity from finish that was used on the floor. I typically use avoidance, but for situations where that is not completely possible the mask is used to help with some symptoms. One of the biggest issues I deal with is the impact of environmental triggers causing instant inflammation of my eyes. Since the mask does not help with that it has been necessary to wear it with glasses when avoidance is not possible.”

~ Lisa M.

For more info on masks see:

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Posted in Air Quality, Chemicals, Environmental Health, Environmental Sensitivities, Health, Housing, Pollution

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When We HAVE to Wear A Mask to Breathe and Function

Posted on May 2, 2016 | 24 comments

When breathing the air hurts…

When we have to filter and “purify” the air just to breathe…

What options do we have?

2016 MCS-ES Awareness Month Compilation

The Courageous Canaries of MCS/ES (and mask) Awareness Month 2016

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Having an invisible disability is difficult, especially when many of the adverse effects are delayed and we have to deal with them in isolation.  Some people feel  self conscious about wearing a mask, especially if we can’t find a “pretty” one that we are able to use, despite how they can reduce adverse effects. If there’s any good that comes from wearing one (in addition to protecting our health a bit) wearing a mask when we have an invisible disability helps make us visible.

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The type of mask we benefit most from will depend on our “sensitivities” and circumstances. Masks will filter the air we breathe in various degrees, but unless we have a full face respirator and wear a hazmat suit, our eyes and skin will still absorb chemicals that can have an adverse effect on our health and well-being. For this reason, they should not be thought of as complete protection from pollution, and are therefore best used only when absolutely necessary.

Information and resources about masks that filter out some of the different types of daily pollutants we are subjected to, and what kinds of filter materials are needed to purify what kinds of pollutants follows.

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24 Comments

Posted in Accessibility, Air Quality, Disability, Environmental Health, Health Care, Pollution, Products

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MCS Awareness Month and Masks

Posted on May 1, 2016 | 8 comments

May is MCS/ES Awareness Month

Due to the wide variety of chemical pollutants in our air these days, many people with MCS/ES have to wear a mask when leaving home (and sometimes even at  home) to prevent or reduce debilitating and disabling symptoms.

may is mcs es awareness month

Having an invisible (and inconvenient, or so we are told) disability is difficult, especially when many of the adverse effects are delayed and we have to deal with them in isolation, out of sight, out of mind, and without witness to our suffering.

If there’s any good that comes from wearing a mask or respirator in public (in addition to protecting our health a bit) wearing one when we have an invisible disability helps make us visible, and alerts other people that they too are at risk.

Breathing is not optional.

Pollution is!

Wearing a protective breathing device can minimize some of the damaging effects exposures to pollutants cause, but people often feel self conscious about wearing a mask, especially if we can’t find a “pretty” one that we are able to use, Continue reading →

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Posted in Accessibility, Air Quality, Chemicals, Disability, Environmental Health, Fragrance, Pollution

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2015 – A Retrospective

Posted on December 31, 2015 | 4 comments

I was hoping to be able to share some good news with you all, and here it is. We ARE making progress! It is unfortunate that it has taken this long, but I believe we are almost at the point where we will see an “overnight” shift happen.
Here’s what Dr John Molot (the author of “12,000 Canaries Can’t Be Wrong”) has to say:

johnmolot's avatarJohn Molot

2015-summaryIt’s the end of 2015, a time to celebrate the promise of the coming year but also a time to reflect on the 12 months that have just passed. It was an incredibly exciting year for me professionally. As a physician who advocated for my patients for so many years, I no longer feel that I am paddling upstream against the hardline, medically conservative current that has discredited environmental medicine for decades. The patient groups that I work with have realistic hope for improved care in the near future.

My 2015 :: Science :: Media
Medical Profession :: Insurance Companies :: The Canaries
What’s to come?

My 2015

This year, I have had several opportunities to effectively represent the people with environmentally linked conditions. I have been actively involved with the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care in the development of the promised (2014) Task Force on Environmental…

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Posted in Environmental Health, Environmental Sensitivities, Health, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, Pollution, Public Health

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Chimneys Puffing Fragranced Smoke

Posted on December 17, 2015 | 11 comments

Did you know they add fragrance chemicals to fire-starters and logs now???

Dashing through the snow
Coughing all the way
Over fields we go
On a frosty winter’s day

No fresh air to breathe
Chimneys puffing smoke
Pine and fragranced fireplace logs
Are ruining the day Continue reading →

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Posted in Air Quality, Environmental Health, Fragrance, Pollution

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The Fragrance Industry’s Toxic Secrets

Posted on December 16, 2015 | 8 comments

If you want to learn more about why so many people are suffering adverse health effects and making a stink about fragrance use, then the recent report from Women’s Voices for the Earth is a great place to get informed

“Unpacking the Fragrance Industry: Policy Failures, the Trade Secret Myth and Public Health“.

It’s must read material if you are at all unfamiliar with the issues surrounding fragrance.

Like this:

And that’s only the ones that have been tested. Many have not been tested for human health effects. Scientists also recently discovered that chemical cocktails can become carcinogenic even when individual chemicals themselves weren’t carcinogenic, but chemicals are tested individually (if at all), and not in the cocktails we get exposed to.

Please read the research and articles from WVE, and then take action.

Not surprisingly, the fragrance industry took issue with the report and shared some standard industry generated marketing responses. You can read about that here:

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8 Comments

Posted in Air Quality, Environmental Health, Fragrance, Health, Human Rights, Pollution, Public Health

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