Article of Interest: Chemical experts question EPA’s approval of coronavirus disinfectant

Our team at the Hoffman Toxicant-Induced Loss of Tolerance (TILT) Program at UT Health San Antonio wanted to share this important external article:

With great fanfare, the Environmental Protection Agency on Monday gave emergency approval to a disinfectant it said would kill the coronavirus on surfaces for up to a week. Calling it “a major game-changing announcement,” EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said the first to use the solution would be American Airlines and two sports clinics in Texas.
But health and chemical experts say the cleanser might actually harm passengers and flight attendants and do little to protect against the virus, which is mainly transmitted through the air in closed spaces.
“It would be great if this was a miracle solution, but it’s not,” said Jennifer Sass, a senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council. “There’s plenty of risk here and too much we don’t know about how this chemical could actually harm people.”

Read the full external article at The Washington Post.

This concerns consumers throughout the U.S. For those who face toxic exposure from various products, foods, and other items every day, the use of harmful products—including these disinfectants—only raises the potential impacts on chemically sensitive individuals.

Those in this group include:

  • Pregnant women
  • People with asthma
  • People with chronic health concerns
  • People with a personal or family history of cancer
  • Those who have chemical intolerance

Unfortunately, there is little concrete information available for those experience such health concerns or individuals worried about chemical exposure.

“I’m very concerned when we’re using chemicals that may affect the more sensitive subset of the population,” Dr. Claudia Miller, professor emeritus and leader of the Hoffman TILT program at UT Health San Antonio, told The Washington Post. “I don’t like the idea of exposing people to disinfectants on top of this risk of having a virus infect their lungs.”

Therefore companies, as well as the government agencies that hold them accountable, need to practice more honesty concerning chemicals in products and their impacts on the body. It is critical that society does it all it can to protect those facing the harmful impacts of TILT and chemical sensitivity.

How chemically sensitive are you?

Take the Hoffman TILT program’s Brief Environmental Exposure and Sensitivity Inventory (BREESI) survey:

  1. Do you feel sick when you are exposed to tobacco smoke, certain fragrances, nail polish/remover, engine exhaust, gasoline, air fresheners, pesticides, paint/thinner, fresh tar/asphalt, cleaning supplies, new carpet or furnishings? By sick, we mean: headache, difficulty thinking, difficulty breathing, weakness, dizziness, upset stomach, etc.
  2. Are you unable to tolerate or do you have adverse or allergic reactions to any drugs or medications (such as antibiotics, anesthetics, pain relievers, X-ray contrast dye, vaccines or birth control pills), or to an implant, prosthesis, contraceptive chemical or device, or other medical/surgical/dental material or procedure?
  3. Are you unable to tolerate or do you have adverse reactions to any foods such as dairy products, wheat, corn, eggs, caffeine, alcoholic beverages, or food additives (e.g., MSG, food dye)?

If you answer YES to any of these three questions, take the Quick Environmental Exposure and Sensitivity Inventory (QEESI) and share the results with your doctor!

The Hoffman TILT program is funded by the Marilyn Brachman Hoffman Foundation.

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