Chemical Intolerance – Comparing Gulf War Veterans & Other Affected Groups

May 26, 2017

Up to one-third of the U.S. population reported being either “especially” or “unusually” intolerant to certain chemicals, with about 5% reporting physician-diagnosed chemical intolerance (CI). Dr. Claudia Miller and colleagues developed the Environmental Exposure and Sensitivity Inventory (EESI), a validated tool designed to assist researchers and clinicians in evaluating patients and populations for CI. In this study, Drs. Miller and Prihoda applied the EESI to five different population groups for comparison. Groups were CI patients (1) who did or (2) did not attribute onset of their illness to a specific exposure event, (3) patients with surgically implanted devices, (4) Gulf War veterans (GWV), and (5) controls. All of the exposure groups reported similar multi-system symptoms and new onset chemical, food and drug intolerances despite having different initiating exposures.

Chemical Intolerance in Primary Care Settings

May 26, 2017

This study examines the prevalence and clinical characteristics of chemical intolerance in a sample of primary care clinic patients. A total of 400 patients were recruited from 2 family medicine clinic waiting rooms in San Antonio, Texas. Patients completed the validated Quick Environmental Exposure and Sensitivity Inventory (QEESI) to assess chemical intolerance Overall, 20.3% of […]

Pesticide Exposure & Building Remodeling– Comparing Chemical Sensitivities

April 16, 2017

This blog post summarizes key findings from a study conducted by Claudia S. Miller and Howard C. Mitzel (1995) titled “Chemical Sensitivity Attributed to Pesticide Exposure Versus Remodeling.”

Toxicity at EPA Headquarters: Early Evidence of TILT

April 16, 2017

This blog post summarizes key findings from a case report conducted by William Hirzy and Rufus Morison (1989) titled “Carpet/4-Phenylcyclohexene Toxicity: The EPA Headquarters Case.” Access the full article here. The development of toxicant-induced loss of tolerance (TILT) is by no means a new phenomenon. Evidence in fact dates back decades. Perhaps the earliest large-scale […]

Fragranced Consumer Products: Exposures and Effects from Emissions

April 16, 2017

Fragranced consumer products, such as cleaning supplies, air fresheners, and personal care products, are a leading source of indoor air pollution. In this study, a random sample of the U.S. population was surveyed to investigate health effects related to emissions from fragranced products.

The Developing Brain is Vulnerable to Chemicals

July 13, 2016

A new study published by Environmental Health Perspectives takes a look at the risks of chemical exposures to neuro-development. Many of the toxicants listed are the same ones linked to chemical intolerance and Toxicant-Induced Loss of Tolerance.