Information about Environmental Issues

Dealing with sensitivity is a delicate and complex matter. If a person is very sensitive to electrosmog, electromagnetic fields, etc, they are probably quite ill in other ways. Approaches to dealing with these are very individualistic and are hard to generalize.

The general rule in sensitivity is to GO SLOW AND GO LOW.

Sensitivity is usually due to 2 factors – enhanced psychological sensitivity to the stimulation of the sensors in the skin especially and / or hyper-reaction of response systems due to toxicity of the nervous or metabolic systems to magnetic field exposure. Usually people have a combination of factors. The former is often aided by awareness, education and reassurance. The latter can only be helped with detoxification. Treating toxicities is paramount as a component of managing the whole person, even with MT's (magnetic therapies). Sensitivities can range from very mild to very severe. Knowing where they are in this range will greatly guide the approach to take.

The first goal in sensitivity is to decrease the amount of field exposure. You can control duration, total area of ​​exposure and / or location of exposure and intensity, and sometimes the frequency or frequencies. Reduction of any one of these may help. All we can do is reduce / eliminate one at a time to find which one / ones work / s for a given person at a given. Treatment is usually a “moving target” since the treatment continuously changes the body's processes and often needs to be adjusted as the therapeutic changes – usually for the better – occurrence. This is akin to peeling the layers of the onion. In homeopathy terms, it is called Hering's Law.

If the sensitivity is severe, reduce all 3 parameters (area, duration or intensity) and see if that helps. First, establish the settings (usually duration and level) at which the sensitivity began, if it occurred only after the treatment had been happening for some time. You can try to go back to settings that worked before sensitivity reactions started. Continue the treatment at that prior level until the body feels comfortable. It may never feel comfortable going any higher. If the person becomes comfortable again at a previous level, stay at that level for at least a week and then gradually build back up again. Go slow and low in people with sensitivity. Go very slow – a minimum of one level, frequency or intensity of only one variable every week.

In some people, intensity is important. In others, duration is more important. In others, limiting how much of the body is exposed (area) is more important. In others, selecting other parts of the body to treat is more important, that is, remote to the problem area – up higher in the body or lower in the body. From an acupuncture perspective – Above the problem in the front and lower than the problem in the back. In some people, the program settings or frequencies may be more important. Knowing the programs in the system is critical. Some programs can usually be very sedating or even over-sedating. Some may be over-stimulating, and depend on the cause of the sensitivity.

Limiting exposure to other non-ionizing radiation exposures at the time of treatment would help too. Examples are, sitting close to TVs (within 15 feet), sitting in front of computer monitors for hours, fluorescent lighting, noise vibrations (including some kinds of music), UV exposure (sunlight) of uncoated skin, using other electric devices such as hair dryers, heating blankets, cell phones without hands-free accessories / adapters, microwaves, photocopiers, and many workplace electric equipment devices, etc. These appliance or equipment sources are a set-up to experiencing sensitivity with MT systems. Some occupations may set-up people for over-exposure and sensitivity, that is, the work acts as a primer to increase sensitivity to other exposure sources.

The use of any therapeutic system requires the confidence that comes from experience. Every application of MT is an experiment since the output is not guaranteed. Still, some kinds of prediction are possible or should be considered when certain individuals are seen.

Throw aways, cast offs, disposable – are terms we would use for trash or waste, right? We certainly would not use these terms to describe our friends, our families, our loved ones or ourselves. However, large corporations, hand in hand with our government, are now telling us that many of us in our society are disposable.

In our world, the 'quick fix' has become the preferred method of dealing with things. We spray away odors, bugs, weeds, and anything else that others us. Our penchant for haste and ease has led us to want increasingly more products we can use in this manner. Moreover, our government and industry have tacitly formed a partnership to bring them to us, many times without prior studies to determine the risks posed by these time-saving products.

Throughout the past twenty years, many pesticides in particular (a term that includes herbicides) have been developed to replace the DDT and dioxin-related ones that caused so many past environmental problems. The newer pesticides are supposedly safer, but are they? We assume that our government would not allow products to be sold that were hazardous to society. But, is our assumption correct?

We depend on our governmental agencies to protect us from products that are harmful. But the misshapen and deformed thalidomide babies born in the seventies showed us that these agencies are not as watchful as we would like them to be. Nor do most of them have the regulatory authority to adequately protect the American public.

The watchdog for pesticides, the Environmental Protection Agency, is a case in point. The EPA and the chemical industries have a revolving door, through which chemical industry executives go to work at the EPA, and EPA employees are hired by the chemical industry. The pesticide-producing chemical companies are huge contributors to Presidential and congressional campaigns. Any incentive to toughen laws on pesticides to adequately protect the public from their potential harm is lost in these massive contributions. Many EPA employees are dedicated to their jobs and concern about the effect of pesticides on humans and the planet we inhabit. Their job of protecting the public, however, is complicated by the lack of adequate laws and regulations.

These regulations include the one that allows pesticides to be registered by the EPA (and offered for sale) after manufacturers supply information on the toxicity of the active ingredient. Unfortunately, there have been many instances in which the toxicity information provided to the EPA was wholly or partly fraudulent. Most people assume that the EPA tests these products when they are submitted for registration. The EPA not only does not test pesticides, it does not even have a system for ensuring that the tests that are done by the manufacturers are accurate. Registration of pesticides is based solely on the test data submitted for the active ingredient.

The active ingredient, however, is only one part of the full pesticide toxicity. Pesticides contain inert ingredients (surfactants, stabilizers, etc.) that in many cases are much more toxic to humans (and other animals) than the active ingredient. Some pesticides have even been found to contain toxic waste. Since the full formulation of the pesticide is never tested, the synergy between the inerts and the active ingredient (which can be even more toxic than the inerts and active ingredients separately) remains unknown. The full formulation of a pesticide is only tested after it causes poisoning incidents, and then then it is too late to protect the public.

Therefore, what we end up with on the market are pesticides which actual formula has not been tested. These products are then used around the chronically ill. They are used in homes and in yards where children (who detoxification systems are still forming) live and play. They are used in nursing homes where the elderly (whose bodies can not withstand environmental toxins due to reduced detoxification capacities) live. Only after illnesses begin to develop in people who use (or are exposed to) the products are medical studies begin to identify and quantify the problems caused by these pesticides. Before that, they are presumed safe by the public because they are registered with the EPA.

However, the EPA is the first to say that no pesticide is “safe.” In the EPA's registration process, they require a design for each pesticide called the 'LD50.' LD50 stands for 'Lethal Dose 50,' or according to the EPA, “the dose at which 50% of the animals died.” According to the EPA, the “lower LD 50, the more toxic the compound.” There are oral, inhalation, and dermal LD50 studies for pesticides. These studies are performed on laboratory rats, rabbits, and sometimes guinea pigs.

A better overview of what the term 'LD50' means can be found at Alberta Agriculture Food and Rural Development ( http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/pesticides/b_1.htm )

“LD50 values ​​are used to rate the toxicity of the pesticides. The LD50 is an abbreviation for the dose (expressed in milligrams per kilogram of body weight of the test animal) that is lethal to 50 per cent of the group of test animals. example, if a pesticide has an oral LD50 value of 10 mg / kg, and the test animals each weigh 1 kg, 50 per cent of the animals would die of poisoning if each ate 10 mg of the pesticide. ”

The LD50 values ​​for pesticides are developed using healthy adult animals. (There is still doubt about whether data from rats, rabbits, and guinea pigs can be reliably extrapolated to humans.) However, most toxicologists would agree that there are three groups of people who are more vulnerable to the effects of pesticide overexposure: children, the elderly, and chronically ill persons. Recent studies have also shown that a growing fetus is far more susceptible to pesticide damage than previously thought.

Using just the first three groups (children, chronically ill, and elderly) leads us to a startling discovery – a whooping 59.07% of Americans fall into the category of being more vulnerable to overexposure to pesticides. Since pesticides are now touted as a panacea for everything from fleas to weeds, they can be found everywhere. Schools spray on a weekly basis in cafeterias, and almost as frequently in other school areas. Public buildings usually have a maintenance contract with a pesticide contractor. Lawns are fertilized with synthetic chemical fertilizers and sprayed with pesticides everywhere from parks to golf courses to homes.

Therefore, the undering message here is a very one. Persons with chronic illnesses, children and the elderly are disposable commodities insofar as our government and the chemical companies are concerned.

Recent research has also shown that women, because of their much higher estrogen production, are far more susceptible to the ravages of pesticides than men. Many pesticides have been found to be estrogenic, meaning that the pesticides link with estrogen receptors to disrupt many bodyily functions. According to the US Bureau of the Census' 1998 estimates, women comprise 51% of the American population. So, does that mean that women are disposable too?

What we are left with when we have removed the chronically ill of both sexes, healthy women, children and the elderly is that the only non-disposable category left is healthy males. Is this really the message we want to offer the citizens of this country? Is it the way we want our nation represented to the world? Even more important, is this the message we want to give to the next generation?

Is not it time we changed this message and stopped operating by Risk Factors? The Risk Factor method of doing business presumes that a certain number of persons will be harmed by a product. If the challenged positive benefit value to society from the product outweighs the possible law suits generated by persons harmed by the product, then the product is okayed for sale. In other words, the Risk Factor means some people may be maimed or killed by using the product in the manner suggested by the manufacturer. The people who are maimed or killed are the losers in the Risk Factor gamble. But, are we who are not maimed or killed really the winners?

How can we continue to justify progress at all costs? We, as a nation, a culture, a world, need to recognize that without public demand for this type of product, it would not have been created or marketed. So, the next time you reach for that bug killer or weed killer, please remember – you could end up being part of the Disposable Society yourself – the key word here is “killer.” In the Risk Factor game of Chance, it could well be your number that comes up.

On October 27, 2011, forty-seven middle school students in St. Louis Clair Township, OH were treated for pesticide poisoning. Students were treated for illnesses such as nausea, headaches, dizziness, and difficulty breathing. Six were taken to area hospitals. The pesticides were applied – according to label instructions – to the playing fields outdoors . The children were indoors yet 47 students fell ill. Does this not scream, “PESTICIDES ARE DANGEROUS”?

The symptoms described above are often associated with school-aged children which indicates that pesticide related illness often goes unrerecognized and unreported. Countless scientific studies cite irrefutable evidence that pesticide exposure to children causes far higher rates of cancer, autism, ADHD, birth defects, learning disabilities, organ damage and more. According to a report in January 2003 from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children nationwide aged 6 – 11 have higher concentrations of pesticide residue in their bodies than any other age group. And the EPA concurs that children's developing bodies are less able to detoxify toxic chemicals. Again, does this scream, “PESTICIDES ARE DANGEROUS”?

The evidence is indisputable. The studies linking pesticides to diseases are numerous and contain blatant association of illnesses, defects, abnormalities, etc. to pesticides even at levels considered to be 'safe' such as following the package labels for application. So what gives?

Consumers need to wake up!

We have the right to demand that our children not be awash in pesticide drift. And go beyond the children – think about yourself, your pets, the next generation who will need exorbitant health care just to manage through all the disease we bought on ourselves.

Several states have gotten a clue and begon to ban certain pesticides or to enact legislation that requires any pesticide spraying to be done when no children are nearby. That is a step forward but government and its many hands in many pies can only do so much. Case in point, this accident in Ohio was an everyday occurrence – the chemicals were applied according to the instruction instructions (regulated), no children were present (not required but good practices), and it was an approved pesticide (regulated) – yet many students became ill, some to the point of hospitalization. And these chemicals in their bodies will not just go away … They are now a part of their growing bodies sort of like plastic in the landfill.

As a consumer, as a parent, as a citizen and as a resident of planet Earth, we must demand the cessation of the use of toxic pesticides! This situation that poisoned 47 kids was a pesticide sprayed to remove clover on an athletic field. Really? The health of our children is disposable due to the presence of some harmless plant that has no effect on the ability to use the athletic field but strictly diminishes the aesthetics of wanting a sea of ​​green grass. That represents some seriously warped priorities but I do not blame the public as so few know the truth about these dangerous chemicals.

The statistics and data are irrefutable that pesticides are dangerous and particularly so for children. Take a step to challenge the unhealthy norm of synthetic, toxic chemicals and demand that they should not be used around your children. Write your elected officials, refuse to use toxins in your home, and if you are really motivated, inquire at your school and at the local businesses you frequent and make a point to let them know how dangerous these pesticides are. No right-minded individuals would intentally poison the masses – they just do not know it is happening.

The truth is, pesticides are dangerous whether we whisper it or scream it. Just ask those 47 middle school students in Ohio – they know all about it.

I was at my local farmers market this summer getting my weekly produce. I approached a man selling apples and asked him if they were organic. “Nothing can be grown truly organic!” he told me. Usually I am up for debt, but I was so shocked that someone at a local farmers market would be saying this to me. I simply walked away and found another person to buy from. This bothered me for weeks and when I went back to challenge him, he was gone. So I thought I might be able to shine some light on this subject.

It is true that most gardens or crops have some sort of need for pesticide control. These little nuisances can cause significant damage to a crop. There is a reason that government agencies have set standards for organic certificates allowing use of pesticides to protect organic produce. However, it is important to note, these pesticides must be made up of completely organic materials.

Synthetic pesticides arrived during WWI and WWII. Chemicals like nerve gas and mustard gas where just the beginning. Looking for an outlet for these chemicals, they began using them to control insects, bacteria, fungus, weeds and other nuisances. These chemicals were not only short term, but had severe consequences. I have written articles about the damage synthetic pesticides cause, so I will not spend too much time on that. It is just important to note that there are thousands of toxins in synthetic pesticides today.

Organic agriculture has been around for hundreds of years so there are countless methods to growing crops organically. The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) actually has a list of approved organic pesticides that are available for use. I also recently stumbled upon a mixture that is being used in India called “Panchagavya”. It is an interesting mixture of five cow products mixed together. You can Google this further if interested. Organic farmers also use natural repellants such as, rotation rotation, insect traps, and the introduction of predatory species, micro-organisms and certain plants to warn of pests. Plants like garlic, peppers, anise and more are also good natural repellants to plant in smaller crops. There are countless mixtures on the internet to use for organic growth, but remember too much is not always the best. Over applying organic pesticides can kill the pests instead of detour them.

I grow my own organic garden at home and have experienced with many different organic pesticides. There are some that work better in the climate I live than others. Garlic has been my favorite and most useful so far. As for the gentleman I talked about at the beginning, I am not sure what he actually meant with his comment. It is possible he was talking about organic pesticides; it is also possible he was just not educated. I can only hope the next time I am faced with that situation, I can have an adult conversation and help educate others.

A chilling fact – the likelihood of Americans coming into contact with a bed bug within the next 5 years is statistically 100%. Will you be prepared to keep on going and leave that pest behind or will it latch onto your life, invade your privacy, make you miserable and drain your bank account? Be prepared! Avoid bed bugs as it is very simple.

STEP ONE – EDUCATION

Bed bugs live anywhere humans gather. They are small, nocturnal parasitic creatures that are drawn to carbon monoxide (what we exhale). There are two mouth parts – one injects an anesthetic and the other sucks your blood. They can live more than a year between feeds and an infestation can multiply exponentially in a short period of time.

About 70% of the population has a reaction to the anesthesia which are the bed bug 'bites' which are similar to mosquito bites. But 30% of the population does NOT react which means you could have bed bugs and not even know it! But they are definitely visible to the human eye – approximately 1/4 inch long and range in color from opaque orange to a dark red the color of a scab depending on how recently they fed.

They are expert hiders and understanding that is the crux of prevention. They can hide in the folds of fabric of mattresses, luggage, clothing, etc .; up underneath or behind furniture, artwork and light fixtures; and have been known to come in with international shipments of tile, clothing, books, etc. They are about half the size of an apple seed.

STEP TWO – BE PARANOID!

When you purchase anything, have a high-beam flashlight available and thoroughly inspect prior to bringing anything inside so you do not introduce them into your home. Peel back fabric, turn things over, etc.

When you travel, inspect the mattress, the linen layers, behind the head board, the artwork above the bed and all around the bed side tables. Look for bed bugs and their signs which are fault streaks of blood or dark dots (these are excrement).

When someone comes to visit – inspect their belongings and do not hesitate for fear of hurt feelings! THE BEST PLACE TO GET BED BUGS IS IN THE LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT OF AN AIRPLANE, SHUTTLE BUS, TRAM, RENTAL CAR, BUS, TAXI OR ANY OTHER FORM OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION !!! So even if Aunt Betty is insanely sterile and had not left home for 10 years, she could easily have picked up some just itching to jump off in your home!

STEP THREE – USE PROVEN PRODUCTS TO KILL AND REPEL

A variety of products exist that kill and repel bed bugs. Choose wisely by using natural products that are safe vs. synthetic chemicals which are dangerous and / or do not work. use these products to protect yourself by:

Spray yourself and belongings prior to travel or going to a populated venue.

Spray luggage before any travel.

Use a light spray on the linen layers, behind the headboard, behind the artwork, etc. to create a barrier that no bed bug will cross.

When purchasing new items, get a large garbage bag and spray a few times inside the bag. You can then place the items in the bag, seal it tightly for a few days and make sure all bed bugs are killed and eggs destroyed.

Before Aunt Betty comes in or you come home from a trip, spray luggage down and wait a few minutes to allow bed bugs to die or jump off.

Use on your kid's back pack prior to going to school to repel bed bugs (head lice too!).

Give a bottle to every college student living in a dorm or apartment, every nursing home resident, and any patient in a hospital as these are some of the fastest growing segments of infestations.

STEP FOUR – TREAT SAFELY IF YOU MUST

If an infestation is established, the best method for eradication is via fogging which can be performed by a homeowner for a fraction of the cost of hiring someone to perform the job. DO NOT be fooled into thinking you must hire a professional! And do not use toxic chemicals to treat bed bugs as those chemicals will only hurt you and not offer control. Heat treatments can be successful but they are very expensive and can destroy marriages as not everything can withstand a sustained 120 degrees.

The best plan is to prevent bed bugs in the first place which can be implemented through education, diligence, thorough inspections and the use of safe products. You do not need to be a victim! As the chances of you coming across a bed bug are basically 100%, use these steps to protect yourself and keep them away!

So far the 21st century is not providing to be a very good one. We find taxes and grocery prices rising, millions of people unemployed, and a declining American infrastructure that, in many ways, has been allowed to deteriorate to the point of becoming safety hazards. Roads, bridges, levees, schools, and water treatment facilities are among the responsibilities of federal, state, and local Governments, which due to lack of astute financial planning and routine repair and updating are adequate to meet the growing population's needs. It's a bad situation which does not look to get any better very soon. A good example of how these things are affecting the public is to examine the water treatment services available in our country today for pharmaceutical products.

Did you realize that every time you take a drink of municipal water you're ingesting harmful substances that can build up in your body and cause problems in later years? The government has also gotten lax in regulating the standard of the water that is being made available to our people. Testing requirements have not kept up with the times, and treatment plants are not equipped to take care of the various chemicals that are being found in larger concentrations in the water. This is especially true in big cities, which may surprise you, because you'd think they would have the best water.

One of the problems that's being found in our drinking water is residual amounts of prescription pharmaceuticals. Did you ever consider what happens to the medications you put into your body? It's true that some of them are absorbed into your system, but the excess goes right through your body and out into the wastewater led for sewage treatment plants. The water is then treated in the minimum standards established by the government which does not remove all of the pharmaceuticals. When the tap water in 24 large urban areas was tested for these chemicals, traces of antibiotics, antidepressants, heart medications, weight loss pills, and other drugs were found. It is really scary to think that we are ingesting all of these unneeded drugs into our bodies.

You can take steps to remove these hazardous substances from the drinking water that comes into your home by using some type of water filter. Do not let salesmen try to give you a bill of goods about a reverse osmosis filtering system. These are expensive, and they do not remove all the dangerous chemicals from the water. Instead you want a multi-filter unit containing at least one granulated activated carbon filter, a filter capable of filtering out extremely tiny particles, and one made of resin. The whole system should not cost you more than a couple hundred dollars.

The same symptoms that are identified by treatment professionals as Panic Disorder are among the myriad symptoms found in pesticide poisoning. Cholinesterase inhibiting pesticides impair the autonomic nervous system, leading to a wide variety of physical problems that may look like, among other things, the Panic Disorder. This often leads to improper diagnoses and potentially dangerous treatments.

The Autonomic Nervous System starts in a region of the brain called the hypothalamus. The Autonomic Nervous System controls the functions of the body's internal organs. The purpose of the body's interior organs is to maintain a constant internal environment.

The Autonomic Nervous System regulates the following organs: heart, lungs, blood vessels, liver, fat depots, exocrine glands, the gastrointestinal tract, adrenal medulla, kidney, ureter, bladder, sex organs, skin, eyes etc. It also controls the following functions: heart rate, blood pressure, regional blood flow, breathing, cellular metabolism, gastrointestinal motility, secretion of exocrine glands, body temperature, emptying of hollow viscera etc. – in short, housekeeping chores within the body. These functions are usually involuntary.

Autonomic reflexes are initiated by stimuli. For example, the smell of food causes salivation and secretion of digestive juices. Many automated reflexes involve negative feedback that causes our bodies to make appropriate adjustments to adapt to or leave the environment. An example of this is the 'fight or flight response.' Emotion can have a great influence on automatic functions.

The autonomous nervous system is comprised of a central portion that lies within the central nervous system and a peripheral portion. The main autonomous centers are in the hypothalamus from which tracts of efferent fibers (nerves) descend through the body. The autonomic nervous system is divided into three parts: the sympathetic nervous system, the parasympathetic nervous system, and the enteric nervous system.

The autonomous nervous system governs muscles
· In the skin (around hair follicles; smooth muscle)
· Around blood vessels (smooth muscle)
· In the eye (the iris; smooth muscle)
· In the stomach, intestines and bladder (smooth muscle)
· Of the heart (cardiac muscle).

The sympathetic nervous system is called into action for “fight or flight” situations. It originates in the spinal cord, and uses predominately acetylcholine to carry out its functions. The parasympathetic nervous system, which also utilizes acetylcholine to send messages, comes into play during relaxation and digestion. When we relax, the parasympathetic nervous system works to save energy – our blood pressure decreases, our heart beats more slowly, and our digestive processes start. The enteric nervous system is a meshwork of nerve fibers that inspire the gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, and gall bladder to do their jobs.

As you can see, acetylcholine (ACh) is a vitally important neurotransmitter for all mechanical nervous system transmissions. Simply put, acetylcholine is the neurotransmitter that allows messages to travel through our bodies through our autonomic nervous system. Acetylcholine (ACh) is synthesized in the body from acetyl-CoA and Choline. Acetyl-CoA is produced from fats and sugars. Choline comes from the following foods: egg yolks, lecithin, legumes, meat, milk, soybeans, and whole-grain foods.

The following physical symptoms may result from a disorder of the automatic nervous system: tingling or burning hands and feet, feverish or flushed feeling, blurred vision, dizziness or lightheadedness, a feeling of choking, heart pounding, shortness of breath, nausea, faintness, excessive sweating, ringing or buzzing in the ears, or feeling excessively hot or cold.

Common symptoms of a panic attack include: increased heart rate, dizziness or lightheadedness, shortness of breath, inability to concentrate, and confusion. Some people having panic attacks also experience a feverish or flushed feeling, blurred vision, dizziness, a feeling of choking, shortness of breath, excessive sweating, nausea, and ear disorders. Because of the similarity in symptoms, many persons suffering from chemical injury from pesticides or other neurotoxins are falsely diagnosed as suffering from panic attacks.

Pesticides cause damage to the automatic nervous system by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase. Acetylcholinesterase is an enzyme in nervous tissue, muscles and red blood cells that causes the neurotransmitter acetylcholine to break down into parts that can be readily excreted. The accumulation of acetylcholine in the body causes over-stimulation of acetylcholine receptor sites in both the central and peripheral nervous systems. High acetylcholine in the brain causes sensory and behavioral disorders, poor coordination, depressed cognition and depressed respiration.

Pesticides act as irreversible acetylcholinesterase inhibitors by binding cholinesterase so that the enzyme can not do its job. This causes a build up or over-accumulation of acetylcholine. Too much acetylcholine causes one or more of the following symptoms resembling a panic attack to develop: tingling or burning hands and feet, feverish or flushed feeling, blurred vision, dizziness or lightheadedness, a feeling of choking, heart pounding, shortness of breath, nausea , falseness, excessive sweating, ringing or buzzing in the ears, or feeling excessively hot or cold.

Paraoxonase, a member of the A-oxonzse family, is an enzyme that breaks down acetylcholinesterase inhibitors such as pesticides before they bind to the cholinesterases, thus affording the human body some protection from pesticides. However, not all people have the same levels of these oxonases. People who bodies produce less of this enzyme are at higher risk of pesticide poisoning in environments where pesticides are used.

As you can easily see, Panic Disorder symptoms may result from overexposure to pesticides that damage the Autonomic Nervous System. With the wide variety and abundance of pesticides and neurotoxic petrochemicals in use in our society today, environmental exposures are an exceptionally likely cause of panic attacks.

Therefore, it is faulty reasoning to suppose that the behavioral modification techniques used to correct Panic Disorder are useful for persons suffering from chemical injury just because the symptoms of pesticide exposure emulate those of panic attacks. Most of the behavioral modification techniques used in Panic Disorder require re-exposing oneself to situations in which panic occurred for desensitization purposes. This re-exposure could easily result in further damage to the autonomous nervous system if the initial panic attacks are the result of environmental exposures.

Recent research studies using a very small group of participants have determined that persons with MCS are biochemically similar to persons with Panic Disorder. The creators of these studies need to look further to determine whether their research participants who are biochemically similar share other commonalities such as a history of exposure to pesticides. Merely concluding that if persons with Panic Disorder have a certain chemical marker in their blood and persons with MCS have the same marker, then MCS equals Panic Disorder is very faulty reasoning.

That is much like saying that because a cat has whiskers and a dog has whiskers that a cat is a dog or vice versa.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) is the US government's leading agency accountable for conducting studies focused on basic-science, disease-oriented research, global environmental health, clinical research, and multidisciplinary training for researchers.

The NIEHS is consistently working towards lowering the burden caused by human illness and disability through in depth comprehension of how environmental factors could influence the creation and advancement of human diseases.

The NIEHS, in close cooperation with the National Science Foundation (NSF), has recently announced a funding opportunity entitled Centers for Oceans and Human Health (COHH).

The COHH program necessitates the solicitation of grant proposals which contain processes to address the difficulties involving evacuating oceans and human health.

The primary function of the COHH program is to provide links between people in ocean sciences and biomedical communities in the hopes of supporting interdisciplinary studies in locations where thorough understanding of marine processes and ecosystems harbor the possibility to reduce public health risks.

With the primary goal of improving the nation's knowledge concerning the impact of the ocean on human health, the NIEHS encourages interested applicants to submit proposals that will address Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) research and marine pollution, including the effects of chemical toxins, effects of global climate changes to the oceans, et cetera.

The COHH program plans to grant 3-4 awards with an estimated total budget of $ 4.2 million for the fiscal year 2012.

Interested applicants are asked to submit their applications electronically to the Grants.gov website. Deadline of submissions will be on November 22, 2011.

Institutions or organizations will be permitted to apply as long as they are any of the following:

a) Higher Education Institutions, either public / state controlled or private

b) Profit and Nonprofit organizations such as small businesses

c) local Governments with the US and its territories and possessions

d) Independent school districts

e) Public Housing Authorities / Indian Housing Authorities

f) Native American Tribal Organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)

g) Faith-based or Community-based Organizations

h) Regional Organizations

The COHH program is also driven by the NIEHS's desire to explore the end results of human exposure to environmental agents, thereby considering that these studies will lead to:

a) the identification of agents that may be hazardous and contain the risk of giving humans diseases, disorders and defects;

b) the establishment of effective disease prevention strategies

c) the improvement of human health effects due to environmental agents

d) the development of products and technologies geared towards the better understanding of the effects of harmful environmental agents

e) and lastly, the successful education and training of research scientists in all areas of environmental health research.

Amino acids are the raw nutrients needed to manufacture neurotransmitters.

Neurotransmitters are chemicals that are used to relay, amplify and modulate electrical signals between a neuron and another cell. The three major categories of substances that act as neurotransmitters are:

1. amino acids (primarily glutamic acid, GABA, aspartic acid & glycine)
2. peptides (vasopressin, somatostatin, neurotensin, etc.) and
3. monoamines (norepinephrine, dopamine & serotonin) plus acetylcholine .

The major “workhorse” neurotransmitters of the brain are glutamic acid (glutamate) and GABA. The monoamines & acetylcholine perform specialized modulating functions, often confined to specific structures. The peptides perform specialized functions in the hypothalamus or act as co-factors elsewhere in the brain.

What do neurotransmitters do?

Neurotransmitters help regulate pain, reduce anxiety, promote happiness, initiate deep sleep, and boost energy and mental clarity. The neurotransmitters that cause excitatory reactions are known as catecholamines. Catecholamines, epinephrine and norepinephrine (adrenaline) are derived from the amino acid phenylalanine. Inhibitory or relaxing neurotransmitters include serotonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). The neurotransmitter serotonin is produced from the amino acid tryptophan. GABA is produced from the amino aid glutamine.

Sound sensitivity, light sensitivity, touch sensitivity, and EMF sensitivity – are they related?

It is believed that sound sensitivity is caused by serotonin imbalance. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have also determined that serotonin decreases the body's sensitivity to light. Since people who have sensitivity to both light and sound often have touch sensitivity and EMF sensitivity, it is reasonable to hypothesize that these typically mediated symptoms are all related to serotonin deficiency.

Treating sound, light, touch and EMF sensitivity

The neurotransmitter serotonin is produced from the amino acid tryptophan, which is no longer allowed to be sold over the counter. However, 5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan) is the direct precursor to serotonin, and is available at most stores that carry supplements. 5-HTP is usually sourced from the seeds of the Griffonia Simplicifolia plant. Production of 5-HTP as a supplement increased when L-tryptophan was banned in the United States because of a tainted batch which caused serious side-effects in users.

5-HTP has many advantages over L-tryptophan. Besides being safer to produce and arguably more potent, it easily crosses the blood-brain barrier and effectively increments central nervous system (CNS) synthesis of serotonin. Its role as an intermediary in the biosynthesis of serotonin indicates that this chemical may indeed be effective in treating serotonin-related disorders.

Intestinal absorption of 5-HTP does not require the presence of a transport molecule, and is not affected by the presence of other amino acids; therefore it may be taken with meals without reducing its effectiveness.

Amino acids are the “building Blocks” of the body. Beside building cells and repairing tissues, they form antibodies to combat invading bacteria and viruses. They are part of the enzyme and hormonal system, they build nucleoproteins (RNA & DNA), they carry oxygen throughout the body and they participate in muscle activity. When protein is broken down by digestion the result is 22 known amino acids. Eight are essential (meaning they can not be manufactured by the body) the rest are non-essential (and can be manufactured by the body with proper nutrition).

Supplementation with amino acids has been shown to reduce light, sound, touch and EMF sensitivity by making more of the “building blocks” necessary for neurotransmitter formation available to the body.

Stress is an all-purpose term for anything that causes the body to activate its “stress circuit,” the process designed to mitigate upsetting events. When the brain receives a disturbing signal, the hypothalamus immediately releases corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), which causes the pituitary gland to release another hormone, adrenocorticotropin (ACTH). ACTH tells the adrenal glands to release yet more hormones, including cortisol, while related neurological signals stimulate the release of epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine.

These hormones place the body in a 'flight-or-fight syndrome' in which the blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature rise; and the muscles get ready to tense. People with a chronic illness tend to live in the 'fight-or-flight syndrome' all the time.

Stress can exhaust the body's mental and physical resources. The body processes that occur during stress use up an inordinate amount of nutrients, leaving the body nutritionally deficient. A nutritionally deficient body does not have the resources (amino acids) necessary to make the critical important neurotransmitters needed by the brain to prevent light, sound, touch and EMF sensitivity.

Other important nutrients for overcoming light, sound, touch and EMF sensitivity include B-6, magnesium, and potassium. B-6 helps transform tryptophan into serotonin. Magnesium helps the brain release and absorb serotonin.

Livestock and cattle operations can produce very high levels of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide. Nitrogen in food sources produces ammonia and hydrogen sulfide gases during digestion that is released into the air by livestock as the food passes through excretion. These gases cause an obvious unpleasant odor and can also lead to health problems and physical damage to animals, adversely affecting overall livestock production.

Effects on Livestock Operations

Studies have shown that the most common effect of ammonia in livestock facilities is eye irritation, however, at higher concentrations (more than 20ppm) ammonia can have more serious effects, such as:

• Decreased Birth and Wean Rates
• Reduced Gain Rates – Pig gain rates can be reduced by 12% with ammonia exposure at 50ppm and by 30% with ammonia exposure at 100-150ppm.
• Reduced Feed Efficiency
• Lesions / Abscesses – Tracheal and nasal lesions in pigs have been reported with ammonia exposure at 100-150ppm.
• Respiratory Diseases – Pigs and turkeys have exhibited a reduced ability to clear their lungs of bacteria with ammonia exposure at 50-70ppm.
• Excessive Mucous Production – Turkeys with ammonia exposure as low as 10ppm showed unhealthy mucous production after just 7 weeks.
• Increased Condemnation Rates – Even ammonia exposure at just 10-15ppm can reduce a pig's resistance to infection, giving way to potentially life-threatening livestock diseases.

Effects on the Community
• Pungent Odors – Odors from livestock facilities can be a sore subject for rural communities because residents not connected to livestock operations are often bothered by odors that interfere with their daily activities.

• Safety Risks – Hydrogen sulfide is produced when organic matter (such as animal waste) breaks down and is then released into the ground. This hydrogen sulfide can then contaminate drinking water, raising public health concerns.

• Environmental Implications – Global warming and volcanic eruptions are the leading cause of hydrogen sulfide accumulation worldwide, but livestock excretions are also contributing to rising levels of hydrogen sulfide. High levels of hydrogen sulfide can cause sickness and temporary death in humans, animals and plants. In fact, geoscientists have concluded that over 250 million years ago unusually high hydrogen sulfide levels in the oceans and earth's atmosphere led to the most wide-scale mass extinction in the earth's history.

A microbial inoculant uses beneficial microbes- creating an antioxidant effect to naturally break down and eliminate ammonia odor as well as reduce hydrogen sulfide putrefaction. In fact, some poultry houses using microbial innocules have eliminated ammonia gases entirely (with an average reported ammonia level of 5-6ppm after use). Due to increased production resulting from lower ammonia and hydrogen sulfide levels, livestock operations can generate profits up to three times higher than the cost of using a quality microbial innoculant. These solutions can be used for dairy cattle foot baths, manure treatment, to wash down milking parlors, sprayed on pastures, and even applied directly to the animals themselves to keep skin and hides healthy. To read more, please visit our livestock solutions page.

As bad as the municipal water treatment facilities are being described these days, there's another source of water that can be even worse. Regulations and testing procedures in municipal plants are out-dated and less than adequate, but still they are in place to help make sure the water produced meets minimum standards. When it comes to private well water, though, no regulations apply, and many people fail to think about having tests run on their water sources. The result of this unintentional neglect is that as many as 20,000,000 Americans may be ingesting water that is both impure and filled with contaminants.

Once upon a time in our history, well water was considered the cleanest, freshest available. You can even read stories describing early pioneers who hand dug wells and were thrilled with the water that ensued without treating it in any way. That was then, though, and this is now. Pollution was almost non-existent when these wells were being used, and there was little, if any, chemical run-off into the groundwater. Now there are thousands of potential contaminants that can be found in water all over the globe.

A step is necessary now that our forefathers would have never imagined. If you are drinking from a well, you need to take measures to protect yourself and your family. Making sure that the toxins in the water are removed is your responsibility and yours alone. So where do you start to conquer what may be a huge problem?

Initially you need to find out what kind of contaminants you're dealing with. You may be able to sense some of the problems that are present. If the water coming from your taps is cloudy, rusty-colored, or tastes or smells bad, then you know right off that you have some contaminants to deal with. Not every problem with your water will be detrimental to human health, however, and these things need to be taken into consideration, too. For instance, hard water is not going to hurt anyone, but it is going to clog pipes and pumps and cause you heads somewhere down the line.

After you've determined what you're trying to remove from the water, you'll have a choice to make relating the type of filtering system to install. You can choose systems considered “point of use” which means that you'll need to install similar devices on every tap that's being used in your house. The alternative is a “point of entry” system that regulates all of the water coming into your home at the place where it enters the building. There are pros and cons to each method, so it's up to you to decide what type of system will be best.

The difference between an organic raised animal and a conventional raised animal are pretty simple. Organic raised animals eat better, live better, are healthier, look better and are simply, happy animals. If you look at the American diet, you can tell the difference between those who eat at McDonalds and those who cook a wholesome meal. Organic is quickly becoming the new “old” way of life.

Thanks to programs like the American Humane Association (AHA) and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), National Organic Standards have been put in place. Organic animals must be feed only certified organic foods, never given growth hormones, never given antibiotics, have unlimited access to the outdoors and be raised on organic certified pastures.

Have you seen that happy cow commercial? The fields are green and clean, the cows are happy and the picture of it all is beautiful. That is how an organic farm looks. Unlike conventional farms, the number of animals is lower. This gives the animals room to breath and roam freely. Organic farmers make sure their animals can access the outdoor and have the ability to come inside from the harsh weather. They also insure their animals have plenty of clean straw to nest in or lay on. Chickens are not cooped up in tiny cages, pigs are free to run around, and even the barn cats have it made.

Organic raised animals do not need the use of hormones and antibiotics. They are spread far enough apart, that if one gets sick it does not spread through the whole herd. They employ the use of holistic health care and if one animal needs antibiotics, they will not sell the meat as Certified Organic. This keeps the healthy meats in our families bellies and the bad meats at the store.

Be careful when choosing between organic and natural. The USDA defines natural as animals raised without the use of additives and minimally processed. These farmers may choose to raise their animals without hormone or antibiotic, but there is no third party to ensure their honesty. There are stringent rules and regulations enforced on organic farms. They are also monitored for our well-being.

It is hard to make this change. Let's face it organic food is expensive and not easy to come by. However, organic farming is a growing trend and the benefits are out- weighing the cost by far. People are being educated on the health issues related to conventional farming and making a stand. Organic food is becoming more available and most stores are making a point to carry as much as possible.

If not for our own health, think of the planet and all that is on it. It is not up to humans to decide if a cow should grow faster than genetically natural and a chicken should live in a 1 square foot radius for its short productive life. What happened to compassion? Organic farmers care about their animals and the planet. They are people to look up to and strive to compare. I know we live in a great society and it is only a matter of time before we become more compassionate again. As always from my family to yours, sleep well.

Drinking water is a major issue with every human being, and well it should be. Our bodies are made up mostly of water, and we are in constant need of replenishing it. For decades, people in the United States took it for granted that the municipal water that came flowing from their taps on demand was clean and free of toxins. After all, safe water is mandated by government regulations, and people just blindly accepted that what they were getting was the best water available. Now no one is so sure, yet we all know how valuable fresh water is to our well-being. What are our alternatives, and what is the best one?

Currently the government has placed regulations on 90 different contaminants that are present in the water being processed by municipal filtration plants. While that may sound pretty good at first glance, you have to realize that there are still about 260 contaminants in the water that are not being regulated or removed. Every five years the government takes a look at water standards and makes recommendations for changes. In the meantime, we are still receiving water in our homes that really is not as clean as we'd like. If you've ever watched the government impasses and arguments on TV, then you probably have little faith that new federal laws removing the impurities are going to happen any time soon.

A lot of people have turned to bottled water as an alternative. Of course, per ounce, this is a very expensive alternative, and the product usually is not any better than the municipal water from where the bottling plant is located. The initial notice that bottled water came from fresh, clear mountain lakes which really does not exist anyplace on the globe even if a company was inclined to use them. Beside, all of our water resources have been contaminated, including secluded lakes and streams, by farm and industrial run-off, acid rain, and other environmental pollution issues.

Filtered water is usually your best option. Whether you choose a filtered water pitcher or a whole-house system, it will make difference. Of course, how much difference will be dependent on the type of filtering system you install and which contaminants it is designed to remove. There are toxic substances in municipal water that can make you and your family sick, especially the elderly and very young children. Even if the system you choose is fairly costly, there's no way you can put a price on the safety of your family.

Water treatment is an engineering process that helps water to return to its natural state, making it suitable for required use. Industries often require heavy use of water but utilizing fresh water reserves is not feasible, which is why used water (commercial and domestic purposes) is treated and is then distributed for industry use. Major industries hire water treatment plants to provide them with services including testing, chemical or biological treatment in order to efficiently use water. Here are the three basic services offered.

1. Legionella Testing and Evaluation

Cooling towers in industries are open systems that have a high chance of being infiltrated with bacteria. Water in the towers is typically warm during the summers, which is why it is the ideal breeding ground for bacteria. This water is also intact with the environment and if left untreated, it could cause environmental issues affecting human health. However, before the water can be treated, it must be tested to understand the level of bacteria involved. Once the testing is conducted, it can be easier to conjure a chemical or biological handling of the water. Facilities or industries that do not conduct Legionella testing tend to over feed biocide in the systems. This is detrimental to the systems and causes an increase in maintenance cost.

2. Water Treatment Consultants

Companies providing industrial treatment of water always provide their customers with efficient consultation before taking on any project. They will ensure that the customer gets adequate information about heating and cooling systems along with the chemical processes needed to treat water. With consultation services, customers can understand the cost factor behind the mechanical process of testing and chemical treatment. With this understanding, they can even lower their annual cost and then have an improved system through expert analysis. In cases of water system maintenance, this also proves to be very beneficial.

3. Correlation Coupon Studies

Water systems often have high corrosion rates. If not effectively monitored, the systems can lead to heavy maintenance and repair costs. One of the main services offered by such companies is that of corrosion testing and evaluation. Test coupons are one of the inexpensive means of monitoring levels of corrosion. This is done by observing the mils-per-year corrosion rate of coupons in the system. When corrosions are timely detected, repairing can be done effectively without going through additional cost factors.

These three major water treatment services are a necessity for any company that wants to have an environmentally safe water system.

Wastewater treatment is the process of farming and recycling sewerage water for re-use. Untreated water contains a high level of contamination, dirt and bacterial elements that can destroy or pollute reserves. The world is already facing a dearth of fresh water drinking reserves and therefore, the untreated needs to be treated so as to make it re-usable.

There are a number of ways that industrial wastewater can be treated, as countries are now establishing efficient ways to treat home and industrial wastewater distinctively. Here are some of the general ways that it is treated and how they help the environment.

Primary Treatment

Wastewater treatment is broken down into various processes, depending on the domestic and industrial nature of water. In the primary level, floating items and solids are removed. When the sewerage is moved from the sewers it enters a bar rack that holds back solid items and lets it flow through another container where inorganic (sands, stones) are eliminated. The solids that are removed are then handled by a sedimentation process where the solids are prepared for land filling. It is then disinfected to kill off pathogenic bacteria along with clearing excess chlorine. It is then passed out into the ocean, while the sludge that remains back in the container is used as fertilizers.

Secondary Treatment

The primary level is the conventional handling, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) it is not enough. The bacteria present can still be harmful for the environment; hence the sewerage is given secondary treatment, which is biological. Where the primary level only removes 50% of the matter, secondary removals 85% of it.

Advanced Treatment

It's easy to treat off domestic sewerage, but in case of industrial sewerage, there has to be advanced processes to clear heavy metals and toxic chemicals. This is done through complex processes such as microfiltration, carbon adsorption, and various methods of evaporation along with chemical precipitation.

If sewerage is disposed off without handling, the environment would be destroyed in a short span of time. Because the water is let run into the ocean, it needs to be cleaned and toxic materials need to be removed in the highest degree possible. These methods make it possible for it to be run into the ocean without killing marine life, while the remaining sludge acts as a fertilizer. In this way, agricultural lands get fertilizers which saves on fertilization and liquid costs as treated water is saved for agricultural purposes.