Chemical Sensitivity

Why does a single whiff of a chemical make some people seriously ill, while others don’t even notice it? Researchers at the University of Washington, working with a team at the University of California at Los Angeles, have begun to map out how differently people can react to the same pesticides and chemicals. Some results of their research were published earlier this month in the science journal Nature.

Common Pesticides
Using common pesticides called organophosphates, such as diazanon chlorpyrifos and parathion, the scientists have shown that one person can be 100 times as sensitive to a particular chemical than another person. The research has also shown that babies start life with almost no resistance to these pesticides. "A little bit of difference in metabolism can make a lot of difference in response," says Clem Furlong, a professor in the UW’s Department of Environmental Health. The differences stem from an enzyme produced by the body.

Apparently, the same enzyme that is a contributing factor for vascular disease also regulates resistance to some pesticides. "Someone with low levels of that enzyme would be very susceptible to those pesticides," Furlong says. One outcome of the research is the hope that scientists can develop an injectable enzyme that would counteract the effects of insecticides and nerve agents, such as sarin, which was used in the Tokyo subway attacks.

Is there a Cure for Chemical Sensitivities?
There may never be a magic bullet to cure chemical sensitivities, however. No one enzyme or gene can fix all varieties of chemical sensitivities. Furlong’s research is a long way from explaining chemical illnesses such as Multiple Chemical Sensitivity or Gulf War Sickness. The reason is that there are so many chemicals that a victim might have been exposed to, and, after the fact, there’s no way to measure what doses they could have received. "If you want to get a really clear cause and effect," Furlong says, "you need to know how much."

Chemical Sensitivity Resources
Californians for Pesticide Reform
Website: www.igc.org/cpr. (Scroll down to see where you can download the PDF file on Pesticides and Human health).

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Website: www.epa.gov/oppfead1/safety/healthcare/ handbook/handbook.htm

The National Environmental Education & Training Foundation, Inc.
Request "Pesticides and National Strategies for Health Care Providers" at pesticides@neetf.org or call
(202) 833-2933 ext. 535.

Whidbey Island Chemically Injured Network offers support groups and special events. For more information, email: islandaire@pioneernet.netWhidbey Island Chemically Injured Network, POB 736, Clinton, WA, 98236.