Our team at the Hoffman Toxicant-Induced Loss of Tolerance (TILT) Program at UT Health San Antonio wanted to share this important external article:
“How do I clean up pesticides in the home?” from the National Pesticide Information Center.
If you know which pesticides were used, start by contacting the manufacturer of the product(s). The name of the manufacturer is on the product label. They know whether the product is watery or oily. They know all of the product ingredients, and how to break them up.
However, they may not know how to clean up the kind of messes that result from pesticide misuse in homes. For example, it’s possible that no one has ever evaluated how agricultural pesticides interact with carpet, linoleum, or wood.
If you don’t know which pesticides were used, don’t try any cleanup method, even household cleaners, without getting some advice from a professional.
View the full article from the National Pesticide Information Center.
How chemically sensitive are you?
Answer these three questions from the Brief Environmental Exposure and Sensitivity Inventory (BREESI):
- 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.
- 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?
- 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!