Our News
Don't forget our fun fundraising quiz that will help support more people suffering from MCS. Please share with friends and family.You can download the quiz here and print off. It costs £1 per entry and the winner gets £25. More information is on the quiz, the deadline for entries is 18th June.
The office is back open after a week break so thanks for being patient with us. Support group and magazine subscribers should recently have received the latest spring/summer magazine, hope you enjoyed it. You can find out how to subscribe and what benefits you will get by clicking here.
Glossary: EI: Environmental Illness, MCS: Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, EHS/ ES: Electro-Hypersensitivity
Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde can occur naturally in the environment and is also produced industrially, it is mainly used commercially as a solution in water. Formaldehyde is commonly used in the manufacture of resin polymers to produce permanent adhesives, foam insulation and paper and textile finishing treatments. It is used as a disinfectant and fumigant in hospitals, ships, dwellings and animal handling facilities.
Formaldehyde is also used to fix tissues for histology and pathology e.g in hospitals, laboratories and mortuaries. The health effects of formaldehyde exposure vary from one person to another. The most common symptoms are irritation to the mucus membranes (eye, nose and throat irritation eg runny nose/ coughing), headaches, dizziness, and nausea. Human eyes are especially sensitive to formaldehyde. It mainly affects people with MCS from photocopiers (glutaraldehyde) hospitals (pathology departments) airplanes and of course (new) clothes shops and fabrics. To find out more about Formaldehyde and what you can do to limit your exposure click here.
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Summer Omelette :
Wheat, gluten, corn, soya, cow’s milk & nut free
A summer omelette packed with healthy vegetables. Full of protein and a good source of: Vitamin B2, B6, B12, C, calcium, iron & zinc. Click here for the full recipe.
Helen's Blog
I have always had an interest in plants and particularly those that have some health benefits. I realised I didn't have a clue what the plant in my bedroom, that has been there for many years, was called. Looking into it further and studying many images I found out that it is named Red-edged dracaena (Dracaena marginata). When I looked into the plant species further I read the following: "This red-edged, spiky plant is one of the most effective at removing pollutants, including formaldehyde (found in paints, wallpaper, and smoke from fireplaces) and benzene (found in dyes and synthetic fibres)". I was pleasantly surprised that I've chosen a plant I like the look of that is also helping to remove some pollutants.
Electromagnetic radiation from power lines and phone masts poses 'credible' threat to wildlife
Electromagnetic radiation from power lines, wi-fi, phone masts and broadcast transmitters poses a ‘credible’ threat to wildlife, a new report suggests, as environmentalists warned the 5G roll out could cause greater harm. An analysis of 97 studies by the EU-funded review body EKLIPSE concluded that radiation is a potential risk to insect and bird orientation and plant health. However the charity Buglifewarned that despite good evidence of the harms there was little research ongoing to assess the impact, or apply pollution limits. The charity said ‘serious impacts on the environment could not be ruled out’ and called for 5G transmitters to be placed away from street lights, which attract insects, or areas where they could harm wildlife. Matt Shardlow, CEO of Buglife said: “We apply limits to all types of pollution to protect the habitability of our environment, but as yet, even in Europe, the safe limits of electromagnetic radiation have not been determined, let alone applied. “There is a credible risk that 5G could impact significantly on wildlife, and that placing transmitters on LED street lamps, which attract nocturnal insects such as moths increases exposure and thereby risk.“Therefore we call for all 5G pilots to include detailed studies of their influence and impacts on wildlife, and for the results of those studies to be made public.” Buglife called for 5G transmitters to be moved away from street lights where insects are drawn. As of March, 237 scientists have signed an appeal to the United Nations asking them to take the risks posed by electromagnetic radiation more seriously. The EKLIPSE report found that the magnetic orientation of birds, mammals and invertebrates such as insects and spiders could be disrupted by electromagnetic radiation (EMR). It also found established that plant metabolism is also altered by EMR. The authors of the review conclude that there is “an urgent need to strengthen the scientific basis of the knowledge on EMR and their potential impacts on wildlife. “ In particular, there is a need to base future research on sound, high-quality, replicable experiments so that credible, transparent and easily accessible evidence can inform society and policy-makers to make decisions and frame their policies.” This article was first published in the Telegraph on 18th May, written by Sarah Knapton.
Latest News
Mobile phones should be turned off before bed, the chief medical officer (UK) has advised as she warned that the cocktail of pollution caused by modern life was a risk to health. Dame Sally Davies said there were “real concerns” about how everything from shampoo to smartphone screens could cause disease and scientists needed to start measuring the risk better. This was reported in the UK Times newspaper in March 2018.
In a recently published case report, lead study author Allan Lieberman, MD, of the Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine in North Charleston, SC, described a 66-year-old male patient with a 10-year history of multiple adverse reactions after exposure to azole antifungal medications. Dr. Lieberman hypothesized that several different mechanisms could account for the patient's increased sensitivity to chemicals following fluconazole and ketoconazole exposure. These mechanisms included “inhibition of P450 or other detoxification enzymes, acetaldehyde buildup, neural sensitization, or immune factors.”
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