Is Your House Making You Sick?

Air Purifiers, Antibacterial Countertops, Nontoxic Bedding, and Other Products Promise to Make Your Home Healthier

BY GRETCHEN COOK

It took almost ten years before Pam Rothstein—a doctor—decided her house was making her sick. “I couldn’t even carry a laundry basket upstairs,” says Rothstein, who quit her career in emergency medicine to cope with the fibromyalgia and chemical sensitivities she developed after moving into a newly built Darnestown home in 1987.

Research by Rothstein uncovered potential dangers lurking in her house, from the water she drank to the chemicals in her carpet, drapes, paint, and bedding. Even her electrical wires could be toxic.

Four and a half years ago, Rothstein got to work building a healthier home, becoming a pioneer in a trend that is catching on fast. She recruited Montgomery County builder Andy Rosenthal, who agreed to take the American Lung Association’s Health House training program and produce an 8,000-square-foot home in Potomac.

Rothstein worked alongside Rosenthal, researching materials and testing each one that went into the house for anything that might trigger her chemical sensitivities.

Today Rothstein, 53, says she’s 90 percent cured of her ills; her husband Bob’s back problems are gone; her teenage son’s attention deficit disorder has abated; and her two daughters are supremely healthy.

Rothstein figures the special features—such as coated wiring, sealed drywall, and nontoxic paints—added 10 percent to the building cost, but she figures she can make it back on any future resale.

Multiple-chemical sensitivity is a heightened reaction to substances that causes symptoms ranging from respiratory ailments to depression and anxiety. The cause, the prevalence, and even the existence of this and other disorders like fibromyalgia—a musculoskeletal pain and fatigue disorder—is subject to debate. But the growing consensus is that the flood of new chemicals introduced into the environment every year is making people sick.

“We’re on that edge where everybody is starting to realize, ‘I want to be healthy,’ and pretty soon everybody’s going to get proactive,” Rothstein says.

According to Consumer Reports, sales of air purifiers jumped 70 percent between 2000 and 2002. Interest is also booming in nontoxic materials and health-promoting gadgets.

CLEARING UP THE AIR

We spend as much as 90 percent of our time indoors, where, according to the American Lung Association, the air can be worse than it is outside. Some 50 million Americans suffer from asthma and allergies.

As yet, there is no whole-house system for combating air pollutants. Furnace filters can deal with the problem at the intake level. Because particles from things like pollen, mold spores, and bacteria do the most harm, the finer the filter the better. The most effective are high-efficiency particulate air filters that remove submicron particles. Filters can also come armed with bacteria-killing chemicals or an electrostatic charge that captures pollutants. Air ducts can be equipped with electronic air cleaners, but the devices may produce ozone, a known lung irritant.
Room air purifiers can combat airborne pests already trapped in homes, including dust mites, pet dander, bacteria from cooking fumes, toxins from cleansers, pesticides, and gasses from carpets and paint. There are hundreds of room units on the market, priced from $40 to thousands of dollars.

Quality depends on the fineness of the filter, the square-footage of the air circulated, and the clean-air delivery rate, which should be at least eight to ten room volumes an hour. Some purifiers rely only on filters, while others use negative ionization and ultraviolet light. UV is preferred, as it does not create ozone as ionization sometimes does.

Health organizations are reluctant to recommend air purifiers, citing the lack of research on their effectiveness. Steve Millett, with the Battelle technology research firm in Columbus, Ohio, says you pretty much have to be a rocket scientist to sort through them.

“There’s a lot of schlock out there,” he says. For example, Sharper Image’s Ionic Breeze air purifier is a top-seller and boasts several approval stamps, but Consumer Reports gave it a “poor” rating in its October 2003 issue.

Consumer Reports’ top-rated models for professionally installed purifiers on heating/air systems were the Aprilaire 5000, Trion SE 1400, Trane Perfect Fit TFE210A9FR2, and Honeywell F50. Best scores for room air filters went to Friedrich C-90A, Kenmore 83202, Whirlpool AP45030H0, and Bionaire BAP 1300.

The American Lung Association recommends cleaning air ducts, but the group cautions that doing so can stir up dust in the house, which should then be cleaned out with a good airing and vacuuming. The group also suggests changing filters frequently, vacuuming and sweeping regularly, and improving ventilation by simply opening windows and turning on fans. Roof vents can also be installed fairly inexpensively.

Banning toxins is another approach. Health-conscious homeowners are opting out of natural gas—believed to aggravate chemical sensitivity. They’re ripping out carpets, which can trap pollutants and toxic fumes. Carpets, paints, wood treatments, drapes, and bedding are increasingly available in nontoxic versions—void of substances linked to carcinogens or other poisons.

Other hazards can be found in some building materials such as drywall, which is commonly made out of recycled newsprint. Rosenthal sealed Rothstein’s drywall because she is allergic to materials in newspaper. Instead of mixing recycled motor oil into concrete foundations as some homebuilders do, he used Price Club cooking oil.
Vinegar, baking soda, salt, and other ingredients are healthy and inexpensive alternatives to toxic cleansers.

To find a good quality air purifier visit www.GettingHealthyUSA.com

World Federation of Chiropractic Endorses Nikken Sleep System

The World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC), a prestigious international chiropractic organization that is also an NGO in official relations with the World Health Organization (WHO), has given an exclusive endorsement to the Nikken Sleep System. The worldwide endorsement is the result of quality testing performed on the sleep system, mattress, pad, pillow and comforter, and of two world-renowned organizations recognizing the benefits of working together to expand their wellness mission to people all over the world.

“Our partnership with the World Federation of Chiropractic will have a tremendously positive impact on Nikken and our Wellness Consultants,” said President and CEO Kendall Cho. “This endorsement and ensuing relationship not only underscore the high quality of the Nikken Sleep System, but also allow us to work with this professional organization to support research and create educational programs that will help spread wellness all over the world.”

As a result of the endorsement, Nikken will label its sleep products and product literature with the WFC logo as a seal of approval from this distinguished chiropractic organization. The specific products that will carry the logo are:

Kenko mattresses (all sizes)
Kenko comforters (all sizes)
Kenko pillows
Kenko pads (all sizes)

The WFC will also partner with Nikken in future research and educational programs, and join Nikken in Japan as part of the world convention agenda.

“We are very excited to be working with Nikken,” says WFC President Dr. Anthony Metcalfe of London. “The sleep system is of very high quality — one of the best that our organization has seen — and the Nikken mission of total wellness complements the mission of the WFC.”

The WFC was established at the World Chiropractic Congress in Sydney, Australia, in 1988.

The voting members of the WFC are national associations of chiropractors in 81 countries. The WFC represents them and the chiropractic profession in the international community. Its goals include:

Acting with national and international organizations to provide information and other assistance in the fields of chiropractic and world health,

Promoting uniform high standards of chiropractic education, research and practice,

Developing an informed public opinion among all peoples with respect to chiropractic, and

Upon request, providing advice on appropriate legislation for chiropractic in member countries.

“Receiving the endorsement of the World Federation of Chiropractic is a powerful indication of the effectiveness of Nikken products and their worldwide benefits to all people,” says Dr. Greg Nelson, Chiropractor & Royal Diamond. “Nikken's impressive line of health and wellness products provide benefits to millions of people now and hundreds of millions of people in the very near future.”

The WFC’s decision to endorse the Nikken sleep system was based largely on independent testing of the pillow, comforter, pad and mattress.

“We were very impressed with the results,” said David Chapman-Smith, WFC Secretary-General. “In particular the lead researcher was so taken by the pillow that he now uses it exclusively in his own house. He found the pillow helps with his neck pain and headaches, and said that the pillow would help individuals with these problems.”

"The endorsement of the Nikken Sleep System by the World Federation of Chiropractic has created unlimited potential for health and wellness worldwide,” says Dr. Garret Moscos, N.M.D., D.C. “Good quality sleep is essential for the body to repair itself. This repair occurs during the five stages of sleep. However, to accomplish this, the body must be in a relaxed, restful and supported environment – an environment created by the Nikken Sleep System. Our association with the WFC will ultimately introduce thousands of health professionals worldwide to Nikken products for health and wellness."

To find out more about the products mentioned go to: www.GettingHealthyUSA.com