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NYC Exposures & Pesticide 2003 Sept 23, 2003 | Aug 17, 2003 | Aug 6-10, 2003 | July 31, 2003 | Sept 20, 2002 | Sept 13, 2002
From: Jenn I'm sorry to contact you again so soon, but I felt it important to alert folks that spraying happened again in Brooklyn and Queens yesterday or early this morning. I'm already experiencing an increase in symptoms, just as I was getting over the effects of the spraying two weeks ago. There are links below for information and maps. I'm also including some information about reimbursements for air filters and AC's. This is a FEMA program for all of us living in the area affected by the air of the WTC disaster. There are apparently millions of unused dollars in this grant program because people have not been adequately notified and have not applied in great numbers. It's a fairly easy process, see below. Almost everyone I've heard back from has mentioned experiencing a similar set of symptoms in the past two weeks that they originally thought might have been allergies or flu, but were generally stronger than usual. Many have also noticed joint pains and burning sensation in the lungs and throat, and itching eyes and skin. Don't know if I mentioned this before, but tingling/numbness in my face, tongue, and lips is another symptom I'm experiencing, which is unusual for my set of typical reactions to chemical exposures. It turns out this one is explicitly listed on the materials data sheet for the pesticide they are using. My doctor noted that there was a rise in reports of similar symptoms for the last couple of weeks. Please report any potential pesticide symptoms to the the NYC Department of Health Poison Control Center (212-POISONS/764-7667) and the Pesticide Poisoning Registry (800-322-6850). Please ask your doctor to follow the city's requested procedure and to do so also. http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/doh/pdf/chi/chi21-1.pdf I imagine that some folks are not experiencing any effects from the spraying. That's good news, and my purpose in sharing this information is not to alarm you, but hopefully to raise your general awareness. I believe this issue of exposure to noxious substances is going to be a significant one for the next several years or decades in our lives, in a variety of forms (from building materials to pesticides to the environment to bio-attacks). We are probably going to be exposed to greater and greater numbers of harmful chemicals more and more frequently, and while one or two exposures are not likely to cause any noticable changes, the effects over time are likely to become more severe and could potentially lead to a serious injury. We've already experienced several applications a year for three or four years now--what might the potential ramifications of this be in 15 years? The more we can reduce the levels and types of what we are exposed to now, the better our health will be in the long run. Until these chemicals are properly handled and studied and limited where appropriate, please protect yourself whenever you feasibly and reasonably can. And look after the welfare of others as well--pass it on.
Take care, PS. If you would like to know more about my personal experience with a chemical injury, I am working on getting it up on http://www.themask.org.
=============================================================== Subject: more about air filters, air conditioners & supplies Here is information from a few different sources about reimbursement and sources for air filters, purifiers, AC's, vacuums, etc. I bought air filters under this program, and am just learning about the other options. Note that the deadline has been extended to Jan 31, 2003. Please forward this on to groups and others who might be interested. I'll post it up on my website http://www.themask.org soon. Thanks, Jenn PS. Works great for fighting pesticides, too.
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Hello,
------------------- i have just learned today that fema is offering reimbursement of up to $500 for air filtration systems to all nyc residents...they did not advertise and (sadly) only 1% of the population has taken this offer...registration opportunities end september 30...if interested go to http://www.cleanairprogram.com where you will find contact information to register...at least the city is giving us a little something to protect ourselves...
-------------------- I bought HEPA filters from Cutting Edge Catalog, online at http://www.cutcat.com. The owner is aware of the FEMA program, that's how I first found out about it. The reimbursement application went very smoothly. I remember a short form and a 10-minute phone interview. I had to send in the original receipt. A check showed up a few weeks later. It's offered in conjunction with the WTC air difficulties--we're in the affected zone. There was no need for a doctor's signature or anything. It was a pretty easy and painless process, for a change. I had tried the electrostatic filters, but didn't find them useful, and possibly even irritating as far as the electromagnetic field goes (I tend to be sensitive to that, too). Got rid of them a while ago. I now have a Healthmate Plus, because it filters out more of the substances I react too (can't remember exactly what). However, I didn't feel a need to get the ultraviolet-zapper feature. I've had mine (two, one for each room in my case) for over six months now and am happy with them. More noise than the electrostatic ones, but fair enough. They also blow air out and move it through the room, so they double as fans. |
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