1 environmental illness awareness session denis st-jean national health and safety officer public...
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Environmental Illness
AWARENESS SESSION
Denis St-JeanNational Health and Safety OfficerPublic Service Alliance of Canada
Union of Taxation EmployeesHealth and Safety Conference
November 6, 2015
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Environmental Illness
DID YOU KNOW
Today we spend more than 80% of our time indoors.
Our indoor air is 5 times more polluted than the outdoors.
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Environmental Illness
Factors Affecting Indoor Air Quality
• Ventilation• Humidity/dryness• Cleaners, deodorizers, fragrances• Furniture, building materials• Biological agents (i.e. moulds)
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Environmental IllnessSick Building Syndrome• Nausea• headache• fatigue• burning eyes• aching, flu-like• respiratory difficulties• sensitive to chemicals
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Environmental Illness
DID YOU KNOW
The lung is the major entry organ for chemicals.
Airborne chemicals are the major source of chemical exposure today.
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Environmental Illness
DID YOU KNOW
More than 4,000 chemicals are used in fragrances.
Of these, 95% are made from petroleum.
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Environmental Illness
An emerging issue in environmental
health is the phenomenon of
Environmental Illness (EI) or
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS).
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Environmental Illness
Also known as:• Environmental Sensitivities• Chemical Intolerance • Environmental Hypersensitivity • Chemical Hypersensitivity Syndrome• Gulf War Syndrome
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What is it ?
• Chemicals do injure people to varying degree of severity
• Different human physiological systems are suspected
• individual characteristics
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What is it ?
the brain• the most sensitive organ for injury
from chemicals
• Evidence abounds that chemical brain injury is common and generally misdiagnosed.
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What is it ?
the immune system• Characterized by multi-organ
symptoms • In response to low level chemical
exposures that are considered safe for the general population
• “Sub toxic" concentrations
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How are EI acquired ?
Through exposure to chemicals:• Solvents• Pesticides• Biological contaminants (i.e. moulds)• Drugs
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How are EI acquired ?
It can be the result of long term
exposure to low levels of hazardous
substances such as daily exposure to
poor indoor air quality.
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How are EI acquired ?
It can also be due to chronic, low level
exposure, such as a move into a brand
new office with significant emissions
of volatile organic compounds from
the building materials, furniture and
carpets.
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How are EI acquired ?
Finally it can result from a single
overwhelming exposure such as a
chemical spill.
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Is this new ?
• Scientists have known since the early 1900s that occupational exposure to certain chemicals can induce severe immune effects
• Recent chemical disasters of national and international prominence have renewed interest in the subject
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Is this new ?
It is generally agreed that human health
is influenced by the environment and
that many diseases are caused or
enhanced by environmental factors, but
effects on the immune system have
been difficult to delineate.
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Is this new ?
Some researchers contend that certain
chemicals can affect immunity,
significantly increasing an individual's
susceptibility to disease, in some cases
causing hypersensitivity reactions or
immunosuppression.
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Immune System
When parts of the immune system are
damaged, the body cannot fight its
adversaries and conditions and
diseases ranging from allergies to
cancer.
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Do Chemicals Injure Immunity?
Studies have shown that chemical
exposures can affect immunity in
two major ways:
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Do Chemicals Injure Immunity?
1) by causing hypersensitivity reactions, including allergy, or
2) by causing immunosuppression, a reduction in the responses and activities of the immune system.
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EI: Who’s at risk ?
A recent review of several studies
revealed a highly consistent ratio of
women to men of approximately 4:1,
with an average age of onset in the
fourth decade.
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EI: Who’s at risk ?
“Age, genetics, pre-existing disease, lifestyle, diet, drugs, or stress may compound the effects of chemical exposures to further compromise immune function and increase the chance of disease”.
Michael Luster, head of the Environmental Immunology and Neurobiology Section of the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
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EI: Who’s at risk ?
“ From a family doctor who says "it's all in your head" to medical research that has historically focused on men, bias in the medical profession can influence the quality of your health care.”
Lila A. Wallis, M.D., clinical professor of medicine at Cornell University Medical College in New York City and director of the American Medical Women's Association's advanced curriculum on women's health .
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Exposure Limits
80 % 10 % 10 %
Number of affected individuals
Concentration of exposure
How an exposure limits is established
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Exposure Limits
The canary was once the only safeguard miners had against dangerous gas build-up. If the canary fell off its perch and died, it was a signal to evacuate the mine ... fast.
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Exposure Limits
Could those who
suffer from
environmental illness
be the canaries in our
workplaces ?
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Reported SymptomsNonspecificHeadache, fatigue, insomnia, weakness, weight change, memory loss, dark circles under eyes
NeuromuscularNumbness, poor coordination, dizziness, lack of concentration, tremor, visual disturbance, syncope, muscle spasms, aching
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Reported SymptomsCutaneousRash, facial swelling, burning, eczema
CardiovascularChest pain, hypertension, edema
RespiratoryCough, hoarseness, recurrent otitis, rhinitis, recurrent respiratory infection, asthma
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Reported Symptoms
GastrointestinalOesophageal spasm, hepatitis, jaundice, change in appetite, constipation, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, anorexia
PsychologicDepression, anger, fright, panic, confusion, anxiety, agitation, hyperventilation, claustrophobia
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Reported Symptoms
MucosalSore throat, eye irritation, photophobia
Genito-urinaryImpotence
Source: Journal of Occupational Medicine, Volume 31 No. 3, March 1989
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Recognition of EI
When a person carries an MCS
diagnosis, the competing interests of
insurance companies, employers, and
government programs often erect
seemingly insurmountable barriers.
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Recognition of EI
Not only is MCS a misunderstood
disease, but it is caused by
substances upon which our
Industrialized economies depend.
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Recognition of EI• Subject of medical research worldwide • Biomarkers and tests increasingly
available to establish a diagnosis • Canadian government published a report
urging reform of the pesticide legislation (which has been done), and recommending that MCS be officially recognized and its treatment covered by our public healthcare (not yet done).
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Recognition of EI• The international consensus statement
on MCS syndromes was published in June 1999 (Archives of Environmental Health vol. 54/3).
• Canadian Medical Association Journal published series of research papers (April-June 2002) on health effects of the environment
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Accommodation of EI
• Under the Canadian Human Rights Act, individuals suffering from a disability must be accommodated up to undue hardship.
• Environmental sensitivity is considered a disability.
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Accommodation of EI
Some examples of accommodations:• high efficiency filters• removal of carpets or other trigger
elements (other office equipment that tends to off-gas)
• revisit cleaning schedule with minimally toxic cleaning products
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Accommodation of EI
Some examples of accommodations:• modification of job duties• modification of hours of work• retraining and/or transfer to another
position• telework until work area can be made
safe
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Accommodation of EI
The situation may arise and create the
need for a scent-free policy.
As with most workplace policies, be sure
to consider the following:
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Scent-Free Policy• Conduct an assessment or survey of
workers (extent of the problem).• Involve the health and safety committee• Educate the employees• Reinforce that policy is being
implemented as a result of medical concerns - not just a dislike for a certain smells.
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Scent-Free Policy• Make it clear that policy applies to
everyone (visitors, patients, etc) • Policy statement notice on all
appointment cards, stationery, room booking notices, employment postings, etc.
• Decide on wording for 'Scent Free' signs and where the signs will be posted.
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Scent-Free Policy• Let everyone know that the policy will
be reviewed and can be changed because of experience or new knowledge
• Post a list of "approved" unscented products
• Provide information on EI/MCS to all
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Accommodation of EI
The situation may arise and create the
need for a scent-free policy.
In January 2006, the PSAC National Board
of Directors endorsed a new
Policy on Scent-Free Environments.
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Environmental Illness
Above all:• Listen to their story• Be supportive and understanding• Learn more about this illness• Collaborate with the implementation of
the accommodation• Limit your use of scented products• Respect Fragrance-Free Zones