A tiny village survived the tsunami of March 11 simply because it listened to the wisdom of its ancestors. According to this Associated Press article,
Modern sea walls failed to protect coastal towns from Japan's destructive tsunami last month. But in the hamlet of Aneyoshi, a single centuries-old tablet saved the day.
"High dwellings are the peace and harmony of our descendants," the stone slab reads. "Remember the calamity of the great tsunamis. Do not build any homes below this point."
It was advice the dozen or so households of Aneyoshi heeded, and their homes emerged unscathed from a disaster that flattened low-lying communities elsewhere and killed thousands along Japan's northeastern shore.
Hundreds of such markers dot the coastline, some more than 600 years old. Collectively they form a crude warning system for Japan, whose long coasts along major fault lines have made it a repeated target of earthquakes and tsunamis over the centuries.
. . .
One stone marker warned of the danger in the coastal city of Kesennuma: "Always be prepared for unexpected tsunamis. Choose life over your possessions and valuables."
What a striking parallel to the connection between toxic mold and health. I shudder as I recall the horrifying footage of March 11. I remember feeling an odd sense of kinship with the survivors. Losing a home to toxic mold feels much like a silent tsunami. The added potential radiation sickness reminds me of our lifelong health issues stemming from the exposure to deadly mycotoxins.
How grateful I am that we were advised to choose life over our possessions and valuables.
There's one more "tablet" that makes me think of toxic mold and health: Proverbs 22:3.
"A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it."
How desperately we need to understand the dangers of toxic indoor environments and take action.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
Gut Bacteria and MS
This is the third in a series of posts linking gut flora to health.
A study released last summer from the California Institute of Technology backs up this connection between gut lining and health, adding environmental factors to the picture. The study demonstrates a connection between MS (multiple sclerosis) and microbes, specifically microbes in the digestive tract.
According to this article appearing on the ScienceDaily website:
Although the cause of MS is unknown, microorganisms seem to play some sort of role. "In the literature from clinical studies, there are papers showing that microbes affect MS," Mazmanian says. "For example, the disease gets worse after viral infections, and bacterial infections cause an increase in MS symptoms."
On the other hand, he concedes, "It seems counterintuitive that a microbe would be involved in a disease of the central nervous system, because these are sterile tissues."
And yet, as Mazmanian found when he began examining the multiple sclerosis literature, the suggestion of a link between bacteria and the disease is more than anecdotal. Notably, back in 1993, Caltech biochemist Leroy Hood—who was then at the University of Washington—published a paper describing a genetically engineered strain of mouse that developed a lab-induced form of multiple sclerosis known as experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, or EAE.
When Hood's animals were housed at Caltech, they developed the disease. But, oddly, when the mice were shipped to a cleaner biotech facility—where their resident gut bacterial populations were reduced—they didn't get sick. The question was, why? At the time, Mazmanian says, "the authors speculated that some environmental component was modulating MS in these animals." Just what that environmental component was, however, remained a mystery for almost two decades.
But Mazmanian—whose laboratory examines the relationships between gut microbes, both harmful and helpful, and the immune systems of their mammalian hosts—had a hunch that intestinal bacteria were the key. "As we gained an appreciation for how profoundly the gut microbiota can affect the immune system, we decided to ask if symbiotic bacteria are the missing variable in these mice with MS," he says.
To find out, Mazmanian and his colleagues tried to induce MS in animals that were completely devoid of the microbes that normally inhabit the digestive system. "Lo and behold, these sterile animals did not get sick," he says.
Then the researchers decided to see what would happen if bacteria were reintroduced to the germ-free mice. But not just any bacteria. They inoculated mice with one specific organism, an unculturable bug from a group known as segmented filamentous bacteria. In prior studies, these bacteria had been shown to lead to intestinal inflammation and, more intriguingly, to induce in the gut the appearance of a particular immune-system cell known as Th17. Th17 cells are a type of T helper cell—cells that help activate and direct other immune system cells. Furthermore, Th17 cells induce the inflammatory cascade that leads to multiple sclerosis in animals.
"The question was, if this organism is inducing Th17 cells in the gut, will it be able to do so in the brain and central nervous system?" Mazmanian says. "Furthermore, with that one organism, can we restore to sterile animals the entire inflammatory response normally seen in animals with hundreds of species of gut bacteria?"
The answer? Yes on all counts. Giving the formerly germ-free mice a dose of one species of segmented filamentous bacteria induced Th17 not only in the gut but in the central nervous system and brain—and caused the formerly healthy mice to become ill with MS-like symptoms.
"It definitely shows that gut microbes have a strong role in MS, because the genetics of the animals were the same. In fact, everything was the same except for the presence of those otherwise benign bacteria, which are clearly playing a role in shaping the immune system," Mazmanian says. "This study shows for the first time that specific intestinal bacteria have a significant role in affecting the nervous system during MS—and they do so from the gut, an anatomical location very, very far from the brain."
Mazmanian and his colleagues don't, however, suggest that gut bacteria are the direct cause of multiple sclerosis, which is known to be genetically linked. Rather, the bacteria may be helping to shape the immune system's inflammatory response, thus creating conditions that could allow the disease to develop. Indeed, multiple sclerosis also has a strong environmental component; identical twins, who possess the same genome and share all of their genes, only have a 25 percent chance of sharing the disease. "We would like to suggest that gut bacteria may be the missing environmental component," he says.
For their part, Th17 cells are needed for the immune system to properly combat infection. Problems only arise when the cells are activated in the absence of infection—just as disease can arise, Mazmanian and others suspect, when the species composition of gut bacteria become imbalanced, say, by changes in diet, because of improved hygiene (which kills off the beneficial bacteria as well as the dangerous ones), or because of stress or antibiotic use. One impact of the dysregulation of normal gut bacterial populations—a phenomenon dubbed "dysbiosis"—may be the rising rate of multiple sclerosis seen in recent years in more hygienic societies.
"As we live cleaner, we're not just changing our exposure to infectious agents, but we're changing our relationship with the entire microbial world, both around and inside us, and we may be altering the balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory bacteria," leading to diseases like MS, Mazmanian says. "Perhaps treatments for diseases such as multiple sclerosis may someday include probiotic bacteria that can restore normal immune function in the gut... and the brain."
A study released last summer from the California Institute of Technology backs up this connection between gut lining and health, adding environmental factors to the picture. The study demonstrates a connection between MS (multiple sclerosis) and microbes, specifically microbes in the digestive tract.
According to this article appearing on the ScienceDaily website:
Although the cause of MS is unknown, microorganisms seem to play some sort of role. "In the literature from clinical studies, there are papers showing that microbes affect MS," Mazmanian says. "For example, the disease gets worse after viral infections, and bacterial infections cause an increase in MS symptoms."
On the other hand, he concedes, "It seems counterintuitive that a microbe would be involved in a disease of the central nervous system, because these are sterile tissues."
And yet, as Mazmanian found when he began examining the multiple sclerosis literature, the suggestion of a link between bacteria and the disease is more than anecdotal. Notably, back in 1993, Caltech biochemist Leroy Hood—who was then at the University of Washington—published a paper describing a genetically engineered strain of mouse that developed a lab-induced form of multiple sclerosis known as experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, or EAE.
When Hood's animals were housed at Caltech, they developed the disease. But, oddly, when the mice were shipped to a cleaner biotech facility—where their resident gut bacterial populations were reduced—they didn't get sick. The question was, why? At the time, Mazmanian says, "the authors speculated that some environmental component was modulating MS in these animals." Just what that environmental component was, however, remained a mystery for almost two decades.
But Mazmanian—whose laboratory examines the relationships between gut microbes, both harmful and helpful, and the immune systems of their mammalian hosts—had a hunch that intestinal bacteria were the key. "As we gained an appreciation for how profoundly the gut microbiota can affect the immune system, we decided to ask if symbiotic bacteria are the missing variable in these mice with MS," he says.
To find out, Mazmanian and his colleagues tried to induce MS in animals that were completely devoid of the microbes that normally inhabit the digestive system. "Lo and behold, these sterile animals did not get sick," he says.
Then the researchers decided to see what would happen if bacteria were reintroduced to the germ-free mice. But not just any bacteria. They inoculated mice with one specific organism, an unculturable bug from a group known as segmented filamentous bacteria. In prior studies, these bacteria had been shown to lead to intestinal inflammation and, more intriguingly, to induce in the gut the appearance of a particular immune-system cell known as Th17. Th17 cells are a type of T helper cell—cells that help activate and direct other immune system cells. Furthermore, Th17 cells induce the inflammatory cascade that leads to multiple sclerosis in animals.
"The question was, if this organism is inducing Th17 cells in the gut, will it be able to do so in the brain and central nervous system?" Mazmanian says. "Furthermore, with that one organism, can we restore to sterile animals the entire inflammatory response normally seen in animals with hundreds of species of gut bacteria?"
The answer? Yes on all counts. Giving the formerly germ-free mice a dose of one species of segmented filamentous bacteria induced Th17 not only in the gut but in the central nervous system and brain—and caused the formerly healthy mice to become ill with MS-like symptoms.
"It definitely shows that gut microbes have a strong role in MS, because the genetics of the animals were the same. In fact, everything was the same except for the presence of those otherwise benign bacteria, which are clearly playing a role in shaping the immune system," Mazmanian says. "This study shows for the first time that specific intestinal bacteria have a significant role in affecting the nervous system during MS—and they do so from the gut, an anatomical location very, very far from the brain."
Mazmanian and his colleagues don't, however, suggest that gut bacteria are the direct cause of multiple sclerosis, which is known to be genetically linked. Rather, the bacteria may be helping to shape the immune system's inflammatory response, thus creating conditions that could allow the disease to develop. Indeed, multiple sclerosis also has a strong environmental component; identical twins, who possess the same genome and share all of their genes, only have a 25 percent chance of sharing the disease. "We would like to suggest that gut bacteria may be the missing environmental component," he says.
For their part, Th17 cells are needed for the immune system to properly combat infection. Problems only arise when the cells are activated in the absence of infection—just as disease can arise, Mazmanian and others suspect, when the species composition of gut bacteria become imbalanced, say, by changes in diet, because of improved hygiene (which kills off the beneficial bacteria as well as the dangerous ones), or because of stress or antibiotic use. One impact of the dysregulation of normal gut bacterial populations—a phenomenon dubbed "dysbiosis"—may be the rising rate of multiple sclerosis seen in recent years in more hygienic societies.
"As we live cleaner, we're not just changing our exposure to infectious agents, but we're changing our relationship with the entire microbial world, both around and inside us, and we may be altering the balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory bacteria," leading to diseases like MS, Mazmanian says. "Perhaps treatments for diseases such as multiple sclerosis may someday include probiotic bacteria that can restore normal immune function in the gut... and the brain."
Friday, April 22, 2011
Eco Easter Eggs
There are healthy, natural alternatives for just about anything! Including this fun option for dying Easter eggs:
According to The Herb Companion,
Dip the hard-boiled eggs into white vinegar before beginning, and set aside. Then bring each dye ingredient (listed below) to a boil with 4 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of white vinegar; strain the dyes into small dipping bowls and allow to cool.
To dye eggs, dip them into the bowls for about five minutes, or longer for deeper colors. And be creative! Use two different dyes on one egg to create unique colors, or dye eggs half in one color and half in another. Below are the ingredients you need to get the best colors.
• Gold: Use 4 tablespoons of turmeric.
• Brown: Experiment with about 2 cups of strongly brewed coffee or tea for different shades of tan and brown.
• Purple: Use 4 cups of frozen blueberries.
• Light pink: Use a 12-oz. package of cranberries.
• Dark pink: Use 6 cups of chopped beets.
• Blue: Use 16 cups of chopped red cabbage (use 2 more quarts of water and 6 tablespoons more vinegar for this dye).
A similar article suggests using spinach to obtain the color green.
According to The Herb Companion,
Dip the hard-boiled eggs into white vinegar before beginning, and set aside. Then bring each dye ingredient (listed below) to a boil with 4 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of white vinegar; strain the dyes into small dipping bowls and allow to cool.
To dye eggs, dip them into the bowls for about five minutes, or longer for deeper colors. And be creative! Use two different dyes on one egg to create unique colors, or dye eggs half in one color and half in another. Below are the ingredients you need to get the best colors.
• Gold: Use 4 tablespoons of turmeric.
• Brown: Experiment with about 2 cups of strongly brewed coffee or tea for different shades of tan and brown.
• Purple: Use 4 cups of frozen blueberries.
• Light pink: Use a 12-oz. package of cranberries.
• Dark pink: Use 6 cups of chopped beets.
• Blue: Use 16 cups of chopped red cabbage (use 2 more quarts of water and 6 tablespoons more vinegar for this dye).
A similar article suggests using spinach to obtain the color green.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
The Brain-Gut Connection
"The primary seat of insanity generally is in the region of the stomach and intestines."
Philippe Pinel
1745-1826
Father of Modern Psychiatry
1745-1826
Father of Modern Psychiatry
While the previous post listed some practical ways to help cope with our higher levels of anxiety, the following article by Dr. Joseph Mercola explains why digestive health is critical to recovery.
Most people fail to realize that your gut is quite literally your second brain, and actually has the ability to significantly influence your:
• Mind
• Mood
• Behavior
So while modern psychiatry still falsely claims that psychological problems such as depression are caused by a chemical imbalance in your brain, researchers keep finding that depression and a variety of behavioral problems actually appear to be linked to an imbalance of bacteria in your gut!
Germ-Free Mice Engage in High-Risk Behavior
In the featured study published last month in Neurogastroenterology & Motility, mice that lack gut bacteria were found to behave differently from normal mice, engaging in what would be referred to as "high-risk behavior." This altered behavior was accompanied by neurochemical changes in the mouse brain.
According to the authors, microbiota (your gut flora) may play a role in the communication between your gut and your brain, and:
"Acquisition of intestinal microbiota in the immediate postnatal period has a defining impact on the development and function of the gastrointestinal, immune, neuroendocrine and metabolic systems. For example, the presence of gut microbiota regulates the set point for hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity."
The neurotransmitter serotonin activates your hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis by stimulating certain serotonin receptors in your brain. Additionally, neurotransmitters like serotonin can also be found in your gut. In fact, the greatest concentration of serotonin, which is involved in mood control, depression and aggression, is found in your intestines, not your brain!
So it actually makes perfect sense to nourish your gut flora for optimal serotonin function as it can have a profound impact on your mood, psychological health, and behavior.
. . .
The Gut-Brain Connection
When you consider the fact that the gut-brain connection is recognized as a basic tenet of physiology and medicine, and that there's no shortage of evidence of gastrointestinal involvement in a variety of neurological diseases, it's easy to see how the balance of gut bacteria can play a significant role in your psychology and behavior as well.
With this in mind, it should also be crystal clear that nourishing your gut flora is extremely important, from cradle to grave, because in a very real sense you have two brains, one inside your skull and one in your gut, and each needs its own vital nourishment.
Interestingly, these two organs are actually created out of the same type of tissue. During fetal development, one part turns into your central nervous system while the other develops into your enteric nervous system. These two systems are connected via the vagus nerve, the tenth cranial nerve that runs from your brain stem down to your abdomen. This is what connects your two brains together, and explains such phenomena as getting butterflies in your stomach when you're nervous, for example. (For an interesting and well-written layman's explanation of this connection, read through Sandra Blakeslee's 1996 New York Times article Complex and Hidden Brain in Gut Makes Stomachaches and Butterflies.)
Your gut and brain work in tandem, each influencing the other. This is why your intestinal health can have such a profound influence on your mental health, and vice versa.
As a result, it should be obvious that your diet is closely linked to your mental health. Furthermore, it requires almost no stretch of the imagination to see how lack of nutrition can have an adverse effect on your mood and subsequently your behavior.
The article can be read in its entirety by clicking here.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Anxiety Toolbox
Anxiety and toxicity often go hand in hand. It was one of my first clues that something was wrong. Several of my children became quite anxious while living in our toxic home. Children who were once calm and balanced suddenly fretted about homework or tests. They became afraid of the dark and worried about "little" things. We left our home, and the anxiety came with us.
Psychologist Dr. Robert Crago has seen hundreds of chemical/mold-exposed patients over the years. According to Dr. Crago,
The results of my research on mold toxicity, and the results of others' research on toxicity in general, isolates consistent findings that toxicity affects multiple areas of the brain, but the frontal temporal areas are affected quite consistently.
The frontal temporal areas, and especially the orbitofrontal and the anterior cingulate gyrus, are primarily involved with executive functioning. Executive functioning includes the control and modulation of attention and mood as well as cognitive issues like working memory and planning.
The frontal cortical areas, including the anterior cingulate gyrus, are responsible for inhibiting distracting thoughts and/or filtering emotions while allowing us to be flexible in our thinking. The research suggests that patients who have had toxic exposure with effects to the brain had decreased levels of executive functioning.
My research also shows that only 2 to 3 percent of our patient population had premorbid psychological problems. However, almost all who had been exposed and suffered ill health could now be diagnosed with problems of anxiety and depression. Their problems with anxiety and depression were considered to be caused by organic deficits in brain functioning as well as difficulties in coping with the many significant adjustments they had to make in their lives.
For the first year and a half out of our home I felt a constant ball of anxiety in my chest. A large part of this I'm sure was due to the constant stress and uncertainty. This anxiety has greatly improved. I still experience waves of anxiety, particularly after shopping for any length of time—which I surmise is a reaction to the chemicals and fragrances I encounter.
My kids will be fine one minute and terribly anxious the next. I've also noticed a direct correlation between detoxification and anxiety. The more detox, the more anxiety, at least in our house.
Thus we have learned to cope with the waves of anxiety. Here are some of our favorite and most helpful tools.
1. GABA. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is an inhibitory neurotransmitter. It tends to make cells less excitable. GABA is the brain's very own source of anti-anxiety medication. Supplementation with GABA can be helpful. One of our favorites is GABA Calm. NutraBio offers an additive-free powder version which can be found here.
2. Bach Rescue Remedy. This is a homeopathic remedy based on the work of Dr. Edward Bach, who left his lucrative medical practice in 1930 to focus on remedies made from plants. An interesting article on Rescue Remedy can be found here.
3. Magnesium. Dr. Mark Hyman is a family physician and founder of the Institute for Functional Medicine. In his article titled Magnesium: Meet the Most Powerful Relaxation Mineral Available, he writes: Anything that is tight, irritable, crampy, and stiff — whether it is a body part or even a mood — is a sign of magnesium deficiency. This critical mineral is actually responsible for over 300 enzyme reactions and is found in all of your tissues — but mainly in your bones, muscles, and brain. You must have it for your cells to make energy, for many different chemical pumps to work, to stabilize membranes, and to help muscles relax.
Magnesium citrate is one of the more absorbable forms of this mineral. We like the Natural Calm brand.
4. Deep breathing. This is tough to do in a heightened state of anxiety but can quickly calm the nervous system if done properly. There's more than meets the eye when it comes to proper breathing. An excellent tutorial is offered by the Institute of HeartMath and is available by clicking here.
5. Hook-ups. This is a simple exercise that helps relax the central nervous system by connecting the electrical circuitry of the body. It crosses the center mid-line to activate both the left and right hemispheres of the brain. A simple explanation can be found here.
6. Epsom salt baths. These utilize the calming effect of magnesium. Epsom salts consist of magnesium and sulphates. When anxiety levels are high, we always see some measure of relief with an Epsom salt bath. Add a few drops of frankincense, lavender, or other essential oil for added benefit.
Psychologist Dr. Robert Crago has seen hundreds of chemical/mold-exposed patients over the years. According to Dr. Crago,
The results of my research on mold toxicity, and the results of others' research on toxicity in general, isolates consistent findings that toxicity affects multiple areas of the brain, but the frontal temporal areas are affected quite consistently.
The frontal temporal areas, and especially the orbitofrontal and the anterior cingulate gyrus, are primarily involved with executive functioning. Executive functioning includes the control and modulation of attention and mood as well as cognitive issues like working memory and planning.
The frontal cortical areas, including the anterior cingulate gyrus, are responsible for inhibiting distracting thoughts and/or filtering emotions while allowing us to be flexible in our thinking. The research suggests that patients who have had toxic exposure with effects to the brain had decreased levels of executive functioning.
My research also shows that only 2 to 3 percent of our patient population had premorbid psychological problems. However, almost all who had been exposed and suffered ill health could now be diagnosed with problems of anxiety and depression. Their problems with anxiety and depression were considered to be caused by organic deficits in brain functioning as well as difficulties in coping with the many significant adjustments they had to make in their lives.
For the first year and a half out of our home I felt a constant ball of anxiety in my chest. A large part of this I'm sure was due to the constant stress and uncertainty. This anxiety has greatly improved. I still experience waves of anxiety, particularly after shopping for any length of time—which I surmise is a reaction to the chemicals and fragrances I encounter.
My kids will be fine one minute and terribly anxious the next. I've also noticed a direct correlation between detoxification and anxiety. The more detox, the more anxiety, at least in our house.
Thus we have learned to cope with the waves of anxiety. Here are some of our favorite and most helpful tools.
1. GABA. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is an inhibitory neurotransmitter. It tends to make cells less excitable. GABA is the brain's very own source of anti-anxiety medication. Supplementation with GABA can be helpful. One of our favorites is GABA Calm. NutraBio offers an additive-free powder version which can be found here.
2. Bach Rescue Remedy. This is a homeopathic remedy based on the work of Dr. Edward Bach, who left his lucrative medical practice in 1930 to focus on remedies made from plants. An interesting article on Rescue Remedy can be found here.
3. Magnesium. Dr. Mark Hyman is a family physician and founder of the Institute for Functional Medicine. In his article titled Magnesium: Meet the Most Powerful Relaxation Mineral Available, he writes: Anything that is tight, irritable, crampy, and stiff — whether it is a body part or even a mood — is a sign of magnesium deficiency. This critical mineral is actually responsible for over 300 enzyme reactions and is found in all of your tissues — but mainly in your bones, muscles, and brain. You must have it for your cells to make energy, for many different chemical pumps to work, to stabilize membranes, and to help muscles relax.
Magnesium citrate is one of the more absorbable forms of this mineral. We like the Natural Calm brand.
4. Deep breathing. This is tough to do in a heightened state of anxiety but can quickly calm the nervous system if done properly. There's more than meets the eye when it comes to proper breathing. An excellent tutorial is offered by the Institute of HeartMath and is available by clicking here.
5. Hook-ups. This is a simple exercise that helps relax the central nervous system by connecting the electrical circuitry of the body. It crosses the center mid-line to activate both the left and right hemispheres of the brain. A simple explanation can be found here.
6. Epsom salt baths. These utilize the calming effect of magnesium. Epsom salts consist of magnesium and sulphates. When anxiety levels are high, we always see some measure of relief with an Epsom salt bath. Add a few drops of frankincense, lavender, or other essential oil for added benefit.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Hindsight and the Little Things
Saturday is cleaning day at our house. Out come the spray bottles filled with white vinegar. It's amazing how clean a home can feel with white vinegar and a little baking soda. This past weekend I did some extra cleaning. I filled our master bathtub with water and some food grade hydrogen peroxide and turned on the jets. Not that I use the jets. Any added potential plumbing problem is outside my comfort zone.
11-year-old Colin said something interesting as he walked by the spewing jets. "Remember when Brandon and I took a bath in our Colorado house and we turned on the jets and all this black stuff came out?"
I sighed. Just as I do anytime one of the kids has a memory like this. He's 11 years old and he understands there were clues to the mold we discovered.
Just recently we used a vaporizer for one of my daughters. Immediately my mind turned to the chunks of black stuff I'd find in the bottom of the vaporizer anytime I'd use one. For years I would empty it and shake my head in wonder. I just assumed our water was “dirty.” I kept buying new vaporizers. We needed them constantly for breathing and congestion issues.
Sigh.
It's so obvious in hindsight.
Recently I heard this from a friend:
The entire time we lived in our (mold-infested) house the kitchen sponge would get musty smelling within 3-4 days. It was so strange. I had to buy a pack of sponges nearly every week. Even now I still always smell the sponge before using it.
She also made this connection:
In my moldy home if I left the wet clothes in the washer they would get musty very quickly and I'd have to re-wash. I was constantly re-washing loads of clothes. Sometimes I'd run a load, go to work, and they'd be musty when I returned that evening. That is very fast and we were always scratching our heads about that one.
Funny, Chris and I would argue over the laundry. He was convinced that I was combining clothing with towels. It wasn't an argument, really. He was simply trying to figure out why our clothes smelled musty most of the time.
During our second remediation I tried to salvage a pair of jeans. I was willing to toss all of my clothes. Just not my favorite jeans. Oblivious to the reality of our exposure, I took them to a local dry cleaner. I'll never forget the sight of the owner's face as I handed her the jeans. She crinkled her nose and said, "I can't accept these. They smell way too musty. Don't you smell this?"
"No," I said.
Honestly, I smelled nothing!
It's been three years since that conversation. Much has changed. Including my sense of smell.
I'm also no longer oblivious. Just eager to help others avoid the same pitfalls and connect the dots when it comes to environment and health.
11-year-old Colin said something interesting as he walked by the spewing jets. "Remember when Brandon and I took a bath in our Colorado house and we turned on the jets and all this black stuff came out?"
I sighed. Just as I do anytime one of the kids has a memory like this. He's 11 years old and he understands there were clues to the mold we discovered.
Just recently we used a vaporizer for one of my daughters. Immediately my mind turned to the chunks of black stuff I'd find in the bottom of the vaporizer anytime I'd use one. For years I would empty it and shake my head in wonder. I just assumed our water was “dirty.” I kept buying new vaporizers. We needed them constantly for breathing and congestion issues.
Sigh.
It's so obvious in hindsight.
Recently I heard this from a friend:
The entire time we lived in our (mold-infested) house the kitchen sponge would get musty smelling within 3-4 days. It was so strange. I had to buy a pack of sponges nearly every week. Even now I still always smell the sponge before using it.
She also made this connection:
In my moldy home if I left the wet clothes in the washer they would get musty very quickly and I'd have to re-wash. I was constantly re-washing loads of clothes. Sometimes I'd run a load, go to work, and they'd be musty when I returned that evening. That is very fast and we were always scratching our heads about that one.
Funny, Chris and I would argue over the laundry. He was convinced that I was combining clothing with towels. It wasn't an argument, really. He was simply trying to figure out why our clothes smelled musty most of the time.
During our second remediation I tried to salvage a pair of jeans. I was willing to toss all of my clothes. Just not my favorite jeans. Oblivious to the reality of our exposure, I took them to a local dry cleaner. I'll never forget the sight of the owner's face as I handed her the jeans. She crinkled her nose and said, "I can't accept these. They smell way too musty. Don't you smell this?"
"No," I said.
Honestly, I smelled nothing!
It's been three years since that conversation. Much has changed. Including my sense of smell.
I'm also no longer oblivious. Just eager to help others avoid the same pitfalls and connect the dots when it comes to environment and health.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
EPA and Clothianidin
The 29th National Pesticide Forum convenes this week in Colorado. The forum will address numerous health and environmental concerns, including the pesticide clothianidin. Clothianidin has been banned in Europe, but is used extensively in the United States. As of 2007, 80 percent of corn seed sold by market leader Pioneer Hi-Bred (DuPont) contained either 0.25 or 1.25 mg per seed of clothianidin.
Tom Theobald is one of the Pesticide Forum's keynote speakers. As a beekeeper and researcher, Theobald is concerned about the hazards of clothianidin. Theobald wrote the following essay shortly after last summer's oil spill.
As I’ve listened to the news and read the articles describing events leading up to the explosion I’m struck by the parallel to what has been occurring in the beekeeping world over the past several years.
In May of 2008 there were massive bee kills in the Baden-Wurttemberg region of Germany, with two thirds of the colonies there killed. The damage was quickly traced to one of the pesticides in the controversial family of neonicotinoids produced by the German corporation Bayer. Planting of corn seed coated with clothianidin, by way of pneumatic planters, supposedly resulted in fugitive clothianidin dust which caused the disaster. Within two weeks Germany banned clothianidin on corn and several other crops, but the damage was done.
Clothianidin is just one of a number of pesticides in the family of neonicotinoids. Neonicotinoids are systemic pesticides, which means that they become incorporated into the system of the plant when the seed germinates. In the United States clothianidin was given a conditional registration by the EPA in 2003. Originally approved for use as a seed coating on corn and canola, it is now being approved for a growing list of other crops as well.
It appears that two years later we have now had a repeat of this "rare event," this time here in the United States. This bee kill occured in Indiana in April (2010), reported by two entomologists at Purdue University in an article written for the Indiana Beekeepers Association newsletter and circulated widely. Titled "Pesticide Kill at the Purdue Bee Lab?," it reports a significant bee kill across Indiana, again believed to have come from fugitive dust from pneumatic corn planters.
According to these two entomologists, "Every corn seed that goes into the ground in Indiana these days has a coating of clothianidin on it. It has been a dry spring. We have had very warm, windy weather this week. As I watched my neighbor planting, I could see huge clouds of dust being stirred up." As researchers at a major university, the authors had the resources to do some immediate analysis that would have been beyond the reach of most beekeepers, and they found high levels of clothianidin in the dead bees and the incoming pollen.
Along with other beekeepers, I have been concerned about clothianidin for some time, in part because it is not the first neonicotinoid to cause problems. Imidacloprid, the first, was registered in the U.S. in 1994 and was soon implicated in widespread bee kills. Several commercial beekeepers in North Dakota filed suit because of damage from imidacloprid used on sunflowers, and similar damage in France from use on sunflowers led to a ban there in 1999. However it is still used without change in the U.S. France declined to even register clothianidin.
. . .
Further concerns are emerging as a consequence of the Indiana bee kill. High levels of atrazine were found in the dead bees and pollen along with clothianidin. This suggests that dust alone may be a vector, with the atrazine contamination coming from airborne soil. We now find evidence, again from the EPA’s own documents, that clothianidin can be persistent in the soil, remaining for years in some cases, and that it may accumulate from successive uses of treated seed, a common practice in the corn belt. Has the soil itself become a source of toxicity as a consequence of clothianidin use? Only further tests will give us answers to those questions.
Theobald concludes,
The bees are telling us something. We need to start listening before it’s too late.
To which I add, chronic illness is rising dramatically. The cancers, autism, diabetes, and other chronic conditions are telling us something. How long before we connect the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the food we eat to our health and the health of our children?
Tom Theobald is one of the Pesticide Forum's keynote speakers. As a beekeeper and researcher, Theobald is concerned about the hazards of clothianidin. Theobald wrote the following essay shortly after last summer's oil spill.
As I’ve listened to the news and read the articles describing events leading up to the explosion I’m struck by the parallel to what has been occurring in the beekeeping world over the past several years.
In May of 2008 there were massive bee kills in the Baden-Wurttemberg region of Germany, with two thirds of the colonies there killed. The damage was quickly traced to one of the pesticides in the controversial family of neonicotinoids produced by the German corporation Bayer. Planting of corn seed coated with clothianidin, by way of pneumatic planters, supposedly resulted in fugitive clothianidin dust which caused the disaster. Within two weeks Germany banned clothianidin on corn and several other crops, but the damage was done.
Clothianidin is just one of a number of pesticides in the family of neonicotinoids. Neonicotinoids are systemic pesticides, which means that they become incorporated into the system of the plant when the seed germinates. In the United States clothianidin was given a conditional registration by the EPA in 2003. Originally approved for use as a seed coating on corn and canola, it is now being approved for a growing list of other crops as well.
It appears that two years later we have now had a repeat of this "rare event," this time here in the United States. This bee kill occured in Indiana in April (2010), reported by two entomologists at Purdue University in an article written for the Indiana Beekeepers Association newsletter and circulated widely. Titled "Pesticide Kill at the Purdue Bee Lab?," it reports a significant bee kill across Indiana, again believed to have come from fugitive dust from pneumatic corn planters.
According to these two entomologists, "Every corn seed that goes into the ground in Indiana these days has a coating of clothianidin on it. It has been a dry spring. We have had very warm, windy weather this week. As I watched my neighbor planting, I could see huge clouds of dust being stirred up." As researchers at a major university, the authors had the resources to do some immediate analysis that would have been beyond the reach of most beekeepers, and they found high levels of clothianidin in the dead bees and the incoming pollen.
Along with other beekeepers, I have been concerned about clothianidin for some time, in part because it is not the first neonicotinoid to cause problems. Imidacloprid, the first, was registered in the U.S. in 1994 and was soon implicated in widespread bee kills. Several commercial beekeepers in North Dakota filed suit because of damage from imidacloprid used on sunflowers, and similar damage in France from use on sunflowers led to a ban there in 1999. However it is still used without change in the U.S. France declined to even register clothianidin.
. . .
Further concerns are emerging as a consequence of the Indiana bee kill. High levels of atrazine were found in the dead bees and pollen along with clothianidin. This suggests that dust alone may be a vector, with the atrazine contamination coming from airborne soil. We now find evidence, again from the EPA’s own documents, that clothianidin can be persistent in the soil, remaining for years in some cases, and that it may accumulate from successive uses of treated seed, a common practice in the corn belt. Has the soil itself become a source of toxicity as a consequence of clothianidin use? Only further tests will give us answers to those questions.
Theobald concludes,
The bees are telling us something. We need to start listening before it’s too late.
To which I add, chronic illness is rising dramatically. The cancers, autism, diabetes, and other chronic conditions are telling us something. How long before we connect the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the food we eat to our health and the health of our children?
Monday, April 4, 2011
Spring Cleaning with Healthy Alternatives
Spring is a perfect time to clear out some of the toxic chemicals in your home and replace them with natural, healthy alternatives.
According to an article titled Green Cleaning vs. Conventional Cleaning:
• Manufacturers of conventional household cleaners are not required by law to disclose the noxious ingredients in their products.
• Do not be fooled by the words "non-toxic" on labels. The government does not define it so it CAN be used on toxic products.
• Only a minute fraction of the 75,000+ chemicals registered have been tested for human health concerns. (EPA)
• The typical American household is the number one violator of chemical waste per capita. (EPA)
• The average American home has 3-10 gallons of hazardous materials. (Children's Health Environmental Coalition)
• Children are especially at risk to toxin exposure:
- Pound for pound, they breathe more air, drink more water, eat
more food.
- At play, they crawl and put things in the mouth (which is true
also of our pets).
The article includes a comprehensive list of natural cleaning alternatives:
• Baking Soda: All-purpose cleaner, effective on glass, coffee pots. Eliminates red-wine stains from carpet. When made into a paste with water shines stainless steel and silver, removes tea stains from cups. For cleaning sinks, counters, toilets and tubs, make a paste with castile and a drop of essential oil (tea tree or lavender). To clear clogged drains, pour 1 cup down the sink followed by 3 cups of boiling water.
• Boiling Water: Use weekly to flush drains and avoid clogs.
• Coarse Salt: Cleans copper pans and scours cookware. Sprinkle onto fresh spills in the oven then wipe off. To remove rust stains sprinkle on salt then squeeze lemon or lime over them and let sit for several hours and wipe off.
• Essential Oils: Mix lavender or tea tree essential oils with water and use as an antibacterial spray for kitchen and bathroom surfaces.
• Grapefruit Seed Extract: To kill mold and mildew, add a few drops to water and spray onto affected surfaces.
• Lemon Juice: Acts as a bleaching agent on clothing. Use to remove grease from stove and countertops. Add 2 Tbsp lemon juice to 10 drops of real lemon oil and a few drops jojoba oil to clean and polish wood furniture.
• Olive Oil: Lubricates and polishes wood furniture. Mix 3 parts olive oil to 1 part vinegar, or 2 parts olive oil with 1 part lemon juice.
• Tea Tree Oil: Antibacterial properties, kills mold and mildew. Add 50 drops to a bucket of water to clean countertops and tile floors.
• Toothpaste (plain white): Cleans silver, can remove water stains on wood furniture; dab on, allow to dry, then wipe off.
• White Vinegar: Cleans linoleum floors and glass when mixed with water and a small amount of castile. Cuts grease and removes stains, removes soap scum and cleans toilets (you can also add baking soda). Can be poured down drains weekly for antibacterial cleaning. Add to water in a spray bottle to kill mold and mildew.
To read this article in its entirety, click here.
According to an article titled Green Cleaning vs. Conventional Cleaning:
• Manufacturers of conventional household cleaners are not required by law to disclose the noxious ingredients in their products.
• Do not be fooled by the words "non-toxic" on labels. The government does not define it so it CAN be used on toxic products.
• Only a minute fraction of the 75,000+ chemicals registered have been tested for human health concerns. (EPA)
• The typical American household is the number one violator of chemical waste per capita. (EPA)
• The average American home has 3-10 gallons of hazardous materials. (Children's Health Environmental Coalition)
• Children are especially at risk to toxin exposure:
- Pound for pound, they breathe more air, drink more water, eat
more food.
- At play, they crawl and put things in the mouth (which is true
also of our pets).
The article includes a comprehensive list of natural cleaning alternatives:
• Baking Soda: All-purpose cleaner, effective on glass, coffee pots. Eliminates red-wine stains from carpet. When made into a paste with water shines stainless steel and silver, removes tea stains from cups. For cleaning sinks, counters, toilets and tubs, make a paste with castile and a drop of essential oil (tea tree or lavender). To clear clogged drains, pour 1 cup down the sink followed by 3 cups of boiling water.
• Boiling Water: Use weekly to flush drains and avoid clogs.
• Coarse Salt: Cleans copper pans and scours cookware. Sprinkle onto fresh spills in the oven then wipe off. To remove rust stains sprinkle on salt then squeeze lemon or lime over them and let sit for several hours and wipe off.
• Essential Oils: Mix lavender or tea tree essential oils with water and use as an antibacterial spray for kitchen and bathroom surfaces.
• Grapefruit Seed Extract: To kill mold and mildew, add a few drops to water and spray onto affected surfaces.
• Lemon Juice: Acts as a bleaching agent on clothing. Use to remove grease from stove and countertops. Add 2 Tbsp lemon juice to 10 drops of real lemon oil and a few drops jojoba oil to clean and polish wood furniture.
• Olive Oil: Lubricates and polishes wood furniture. Mix 3 parts olive oil to 1 part vinegar, or 2 parts olive oil with 1 part lemon juice.
• Tea Tree Oil: Antibacterial properties, kills mold and mildew. Add 50 drops to a bucket of water to clean countertops and tile floors.
• Toothpaste (plain white): Cleans silver, can remove water stains on wood furniture; dab on, allow to dry, then wipe off.
• White Vinegar: Cleans linoleum floors and glass when mixed with water and a small amount of castile. Cuts grease and removes stains, removes soap scum and cleans toilets (you can also add baking soda). Can be poured down drains weekly for antibacterial cleaning. Add to water in a spray bottle to kill mold and mildew.
To read this article in its entirety, click here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)