By Blair Braitenbach
Staff reporter
Do you have a nagging ailment that won’t go away and that doctors can’t seem to get a fix on? According to an indoor air pollution expert, the problem might be coming from the everyday chemicals in your house.
On March 19, Dr. Joyce Woods, faculty member for the school of nursing at Mount Royal College in Calgary, addressed a group of about 50 individuals for the Oilfields/Okotoks Health Foundation’s final installment of its speaker series at the Turner Valley Golf Club.
Woods – who has been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis and has suffered a heart attack – said at 64 years of age most of her conditions have been mitigated simply by removing the amount of chemicals stored in her house. Pointing to a number of studies conducted throughout North America attributing chronic and life-threatening diseases to air pollutants, Woods said there needs to be a change in attitude, lifestyle and habits to recognize their harmfulness.
“We’re a society that wants to pop a pill,” Woods said, noting recurring headaches as an example. “Symptoms are a red flag and we should be watching them.”
Woods explained that the United States’ Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that indoor air pollution is one of the most serious environmental issues of our time, next to radon and pesticides. She added that the EPA claims that indoor air pollutants are three to 70 times higher than outdoor air pollutants.
“We’re now recognizing the environment as a culprit for what is happening,” Woods said.
With windows left closed and homes more tightly sealed to provide greater energy efficiency, Woods said the effects of indoor air pollution are compounded. She said “outgassing” chemicals build up in the home – such as cooking oils, heating fuels, building products, furnishings, electrical equipment and cleaning products – reaching toxic levels. In addition, with windows and airways tightly sealed, high humidity creates a favourable environment for mould, bacteria, viruses, fungi, mites and other undesirables. She added people typically inhale 10,000 to 20,000 litres of air per day, along with about “two heaping tablespoons” of assorted chemicals and particles.
Woods claimed that only one in nine breast cancer diagnoses is linked to heredity, the rest are attributed to the environment. As well, Woods said the Red Cross has shown there are 287 chemicals found in umbilical cord blood samples – 180 of which are known cancer-causing chemicals, 206 neurotoxins and 186 linked to birth defects and mutations. Overall, Woods said children are far more prone to diseases linked to common air pollutants than adults.
Woods also took issue with the drug Ritalin to help children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). She argued that Ritalin hampers children’s imagination and that the drug is often prescribed without any evidence of a neurological or psychological abnormality. Aside from extreme cases, Woods said she believes Ritalin is over-prescribed with serious side effects including irritability, depression, difficulty communicating, violence and suicidal tendencies.
“Ritalin is a very dangerous drug,” Woods said.
However, before people begin tossing out their entire household cleaning products and start heading for the hills, Okotoks pediatrician Dr. Robert Haslam said people should take Woods’ information with a grain of salt.
Haslam was in attendance at Woods’ presentation, and although he acknowledged environmental toxins are cause for certain health concerns, he disagreed with some of Woods’ findings.
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“The speaker perhaps portrayed a lot of information that suggested various toxins could cause various things in adults and children, where I didn’t think there was the scientific proof to back that up,” Haslam said.
In particular, Haslam found fault with Woods’ breast cancer findings. Woods said that many women with breast cancer have been found to have a number of toxins in their breast tissue.
“I would look for, before any statement was made, that the same test be done in a normal population of people as compared to the breast cancer (patients). If there was a real difference, then I’d begin to be concerned,” Haslam said.
Haslam added that he disagreed with Woods’ statements that the increase in childhood cancer can be related to environmental toxins. Haslam said most studies show that leukemia and brain cancer in children are highly linked to genetics.
In addition, as a pediatrician, Haslam disagreed with much of Woods’ statements opposing the use of Ritalin. He said there is a definitive test to conclude whether or not a child has ADD or ADHD. Haslam agreed that some doctors do over-prescribe the drug, however, he said in many cases he has seen the benefits of the drug, giving ADD and ADHD children hope for a bright future.
“If it’s used properly and monitored carefully, it can change the life of a family and child right around,” Haslam said.
Haslam concluded that Woods’ work has merit, but said people should be wary of some of her findings.
“It’s an interesting field, and there is a lot of work to be done and I wouldn’t poo poo it. (However), nor would I believe a lot of it until I’ve been convinced it’s been looked at carefully,” Haslam said.
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