HARRISBURG, PA – Cleaning compounds and pesticides are among the chemicals listed in a report linked to developmental disabilities, including behavioural and learning disabilities.
The Clean Water Fund and Physicians for Social Responsibility released May 11 “In Harms W,” a study of lead, mercury, cadmium, and manganese; pesticides; dioxins and PCBs; solvents used in gasoline, glues and cleaning solutions; and nicotine and alcohol.
The report found that one million children in the United States now exceed the accepted level above which lead affects behaviour and cognition. The report also found that over 80 percent of adults and 90 percent of children in the United States have residues of one or more harmful pesticides in their bodies.
“it is critical that we understand and, as a matter of public policy, address the impactof these neurotoxic chemicals on developmental and learning disabilities,” says Dr. Ted Schettler, a practicing physician and one of the report’s co-authors. “The urgency of this issue is underscored by the dact that between 5 percent and 10 percent of school children in America have learning disabilities, and at least an equivalent amount have ADHD,” (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).
The concerns raised by this report suggest the need for a new precautionary approach that protects the health of future generations by reducing exposure to these neurotoxicants, says Robert Wendelgaa, Pennsylvania director of Clean Water Fund.
One place we can start is by passing state legislation that would reduce the use of pesticides in our schools, making sure that the school environment doesn’t put our children in harm’s way.”
Copyright 2000 National Tradre Publications, Inc.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
Scented products emit harmful chemicals: study
Some Toxic and possibly carcinogenic substances are not listed on the label
The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday November 9, 2010 – By Wendy Koch
Popular scented products – including those claiming to be “green” – Emit chemicals not listed on the label, including some considered toxic and possibly carcinogenic, a study says.
Each of the 25 tested products emitted at least one chemical classified as toxic or hazardous under U.S. law, and 11 gave off at least one chemical listed as a possible carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, according to the study published online in the journal Environmental Impact Assessment Review.
Lead author Anne Steinemann, a civil and environmental engineering professor at the University of Washington, says her study is the first to look at fragranced products.
The products emitted a total of 133 chemicals, about 17 each. But only ethanol was listed on labels. Manufacturers are not required to list ingredients in fragrances. A bill pending in the United States Senate would require it.
Half of the products tested made claims about being “green, organic or natural,” but “they emitted just as many toxic chemicals,” Steinemann said.
The study analyzed top-selling air fresheners, laundry products including detergents, and personal-care products such as soaps and cleaning products. It does not disclose brand names. “We don’t want to give people the impression that if we reported on product ‘A’ and they buy product ‘B,’ they’re safe,” said Steinemann. “The whole class is problematic.”
The researchers placed a sample of each product in a closed glass container at room temperature and tested the air for volatile organic compounds. Because product formulations are proprietary, they couldn’t determine whether a chemical came from the product base, the added fragrance or both.
The most common chemical was citrus-scented limonene, which Steinemann says can mix with air to create formaldehyde. Also emitted from at least half were three chemicals classified as toxic: pine-smelling alpha–pinene; ethanol; and acetone, a solvent in nail polis remover. “Yes, it’s low-level exposure, but low levels add up,” she said, adding the EPA sets no safe limit for many of the chemicals detected.
The International Fragrance Association North America says the report “unnecessarily alarms the public with insinuations of danger.” It says most materials can be toxic in high concentrations. The study does not discuss health effects, but two national surveys last year by Steinemann found 20 percent of people reported health problems from air fresheners; 10 per cent from laundry products. Complaints were twice as common in people with asthma. She suggests people clean with vinegar and baking soda, open windows for ventilation and use unscented products.
McClatchy – Tribune Newspapers
The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday November 9, 2010 – By Wendy Koch
Popular scented products – including those claiming to be “green” – Emit chemicals not listed on the label, including some considered toxic and possibly carcinogenic, a study says.
Each of the 25 tested products emitted at least one chemical classified as toxic or hazardous under U.S. law, and 11 gave off at least one chemical listed as a possible carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, according to the study published online in the journal Environmental Impact Assessment Review.
Lead author Anne Steinemann, a civil and environmental engineering professor at the University of Washington, says her study is the first to look at fragranced products.
The products emitted a total of 133 chemicals, about 17 each. But only ethanol was listed on labels. Manufacturers are not required to list ingredients in fragrances. A bill pending in the United States Senate would require it.
Half of the products tested made claims about being “green, organic or natural,” but “they emitted just as many toxic chemicals,” Steinemann said.
The study analyzed top-selling air fresheners, laundry products including detergents, and personal-care products such as soaps and cleaning products. It does not disclose brand names. “We don’t want to give people the impression that if we reported on product ‘A’ and they buy product ‘B,’ they’re safe,” said Steinemann. “The whole class is problematic.”
The researchers placed a sample of each product in a closed glass container at room temperature and tested the air for volatile organic compounds. Because product formulations are proprietary, they couldn’t determine whether a chemical came from the product base, the added fragrance or both.
The most common chemical was citrus-scented limonene, which Steinemann says can mix with air to create formaldehyde. Also emitted from at least half were three chemicals classified as toxic: pine-smelling alpha–pinene; ethanol; and acetone, a solvent in nail polis remover. “Yes, it’s low-level exposure, but low levels add up,” she said, adding the EPA sets no safe limit for many of the chemicals detected.
The International Fragrance Association North America says the report “unnecessarily alarms the public with insinuations of danger.” It says most materials can be toxic in high concentrations. The study does not discuss health effects, but two national surveys last year by Steinemann found 20 percent of people reported health problems from air fresheners; 10 per cent from laundry products. Complaints were twice as common in people with asthma. She suggests people clean with vinegar and baking soda, open windows for ventilation and use unscented products.
McClatchy – Tribune Newspapers
Monday, November 15, 2010
There is no greener way of cleaning and disinfecting than using only Tap Water
Study: Misleading Green Claims in 95% of Home/Family Products
Cleanlink News October 29 2010
More than 95 per cent of consumer products claiming to be green are committing at least one of the “sins” of greenwashing, according to The Sins of Greenwashing: Home and Family Edition, released by TerraChoice, an environmental marketing company. The study also finds big box retailers stock more “green” products and more products that provide legitimate environmental certifications than smaller “green” boutique-style stores. Greenwashing is defined as the act of misleading consumers about the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service. The 2010 study reveals that greenwashing has declined slightly since 2009, with 4.5 per cent of products now “sin-free”, compared to only 2 per cent in 2009. The study also finds that marketers and product manufacturers are getting better, with greenwashing down among those who have been focused on environmentally preferable practices longer than others. The proportion of “sin- free” products is five times greater in “mature” categories like building, construction and office products than in “immature” categories like toys and baby products. “We found 73 per cent more ‘green’ products on the market today than in 2009,” said Scott McDougall, President, TerraChoice. “This is great news and it shows that consumers are changing the world by demanding greener goods and that marketers and manufacturers are taking note.” The TerraChoice study, the third since 2007, surveyed 5,296 products in the U.S. and Canada that make an environmental claim. Between March and May 2010, TerraChoice visited 19 retail stores in Canada and 15 in the United States. “The increase from just 2 per cent to 4.5 per cent may seem small, but we see it as early evidence of a positive and long lasting trend,” said McDougall. “We are also pleased with the finding that those home and family product categories that are more mature have less greenwashing and more reliable green certification.” Product categories studied in the 2010 report include baby care products, toys, office products, building and construction products, cleaning products, house wares, health and beauty products, and consumer electronics. “’Greenwashing’ is an issue that touches many industries, and education and awareness play a key role in helping to prevent it,” said Stephen Wenc, President, UL Environment. “We’re hopeful that the trends and tips identified in this study will help our business partners confidently and appropriately share their environmental achievements with their consumers.”
Cleanlink News October 29 2010
More than 95 per cent of consumer products claiming to be green are committing at least one of the “sins” of greenwashing, according to The Sins of Greenwashing: Home and Family Edition, released by TerraChoice, an environmental marketing company. The study also finds big box retailers stock more “green” products and more products that provide legitimate environmental certifications than smaller “green” boutique-style stores. Greenwashing is defined as the act of misleading consumers about the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service. The 2010 study reveals that greenwashing has declined slightly since 2009, with 4.5 per cent of products now “sin-free”, compared to only 2 per cent in 2009. The study also finds that marketers and product manufacturers are getting better, with greenwashing down among those who have been focused on environmentally preferable practices longer than others. The proportion of “sin- free” products is five times greater in “mature” categories like building, construction and office products than in “immature” categories like toys and baby products. “We found 73 per cent more ‘green’ products on the market today than in 2009,” said Scott McDougall, President, TerraChoice. “This is great news and it shows that consumers are changing the world by demanding greener goods and that marketers and manufacturers are taking note.” The TerraChoice study, the third since 2007, surveyed 5,296 products in the U.S. and Canada that make an environmental claim. Between March and May 2010, TerraChoice visited 19 retail stores in Canada and 15 in the United States. “The increase from just 2 per cent to 4.5 per cent may seem small, but we see it as early evidence of a positive and long lasting trend,” said McDougall. “We are also pleased with the finding that those home and family product categories that are more mature have less greenwashing and more reliable green certification.” Product categories studied in the 2010 report include baby care products, toys, office products, building and construction products, cleaning products, house wares, health and beauty products, and consumer electronics. “’Greenwashing’ is an issue that touches many industries, and education and awareness play a key role in helping to prevent it,” said Stephen Wenc, President, UL Environment. “We’re hopeful that the trends and tips identified in this study will help our business partners confidently and appropriately share their environmental achievements with their consumers.”
Monday, November 8, 2010
Study Reveals Germiest Hot Spots at School
Cleanlink News October 21 2010
In the cafeteria, the biggest threat may not be the kid that wants to eat your French fries or what is truly inside a hotdog. A recent study conducted by Dr. Charles Gerba and the University of Arizona in a K-12 school system found that the germiest place at school is the cafeteria table.
Researchers from the University of Arizona swabbed classrooms and common area surfaces at six schools in a K-12 school system to determine the relative numbers of total heterotrophic bacteria and coliform bacteria on frequently touched hard, non-porous surfaces.
In addition to the cafeteria table, the most contaminated sites include:
• the computer mouse, which harbored nearly twice as many bacteria than desktops
• the bathroom paper towel handle
• water fountain
• bathroom sink faucets
• library table
• computer keyboard.
Of the top eight most contaminated surfaces out of twelve sampled in the schools, six were in common areas demonstrating the need for a joint prevention effort among teachers, students and other school personnel.
Each day, about 55 million students and 7 million staff attend the more than 130,000 public and private schools in the United States(1) – in fact, more than seven in 10 children (38 million) of school-aged children (aged 5-17 years) in the United States missed school in the past 12 months due to illness or injury(2).
"Some bacteria, are capable of causing infections and tend to collect on frequently touched surfaces – particularly in areas where there is a lot of hand-to-mouth contact like the cafeteria table," explains Dra. Aliza Lifshitz, internist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and editor of VidaySalud.com. "To help your children minimize the spread of germs, encourage them to wash their hands frequently or use an alcohol-based hand rub, especially when sharing school supplies or taking turns using the computer."
Dr. Aliza has the following suggestions to help keep a cleaner classroom:
• Disinfect hot spots: Even if a classroom starts out clean, germs can – and do – build up all day. In fact, evidence of Influenza A virus was found on 13.6% of swabbed surfaces in the morning and jumped to about 50% by the afternoon(3). That's why teachers should implement a routine of frequently disinfecting germ hot spots in the classroom, like desktops and doorknobs, with disinfecting wipes, as directed. This can help supplement what the custodian is already doing.
• Arm them with the right tools: Parents should consider bringing teachers hand sanitizer or canisters to help make clean-up easier.
• Avoid Touching Surfaces in the Bathroom: Parents should teach kids to use paper towels to press the flush lever on the toilet and when turning water faucets on and off. If there are lids on the toilets, kids should learn to put them down before flushing.
• Walk the walk at home: children may be bringing more than just homework home to their families. That's why it is important for parents to adopt the same routines at home, such as wiping down frequently-touched surfaces like the remote control, countertops, phones and light switches.
(1) CDC. Guidance for School Administrators to Help Reduce the Spread of Seasonal Influenza in K-12 Schools during the 2010-2011 School Year. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/school/guidance.htm. 2010.
(2) CDC. Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Children: National Health Interview Survey, 2008.
(3) University of Arizona workplace study, Fall 2005, Dr. Charles P. Gerba Unpublished
SOURCE Clorox
In the cafeteria, the biggest threat may not be the kid that wants to eat your French fries or what is truly inside a hotdog. A recent study conducted by Dr. Charles Gerba and the University of Arizona in a K-12 school system found that the germiest place at school is the cafeteria table.
Researchers from the University of Arizona swabbed classrooms and common area surfaces at six schools in a K-12 school system to determine the relative numbers of total heterotrophic bacteria and coliform bacteria on frequently touched hard, non-porous surfaces.
In addition to the cafeteria table, the most contaminated sites include:
• the computer mouse, which harbored nearly twice as many bacteria than desktops
• the bathroom paper towel handle
• water fountain
• bathroom sink faucets
• library table
• computer keyboard.
Of the top eight most contaminated surfaces out of twelve sampled in the schools, six were in common areas demonstrating the need for a joint prevention effort among teachers, students and other school personnel.
Each day, about 55 million students and 7 million staff attend the more than 130,000 public and private schools in the United States(1) – in fact, more than seven in 10 children (38 million) of school-aged children (aged 5-17 years) in the United States missed school in the past 12 months due to illness or injury(2).
"Some bacteria, are capable of causing infections and tend to collect on frequently touched surfaces – particularly in areas where there is a lot of hand-to-mouth contact like the cafeteria table," explains Dra. Aliza Lifshitz, internist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and editor of VidaySalud.com. "To help your children minimize the spread of germs, encourage them to wash their hands frequently or use an alcohol-based hand rub, especially when sharing school supplies or taking turns using the computer."
Dr. Aliza has the following suggestions to help keep a cleaner classroom:
• Disinfect hot spots: Even if a classroom starts out clean, germs can – and do – build up all day. In fact, evidence of Influenza A virus was found on 13.6% of swabbed surfaces in the morning and jumped to about 50% by the afternoon(3). That's why teachers should implement a routine of frequently disinfecting germ hot spots in the classroom, like desktops and doorknobs, with disinfecting wipes, as directed. This can help supplement what the custodian is already doing.
• Arm them with the right tools: Parents should consider bringing teachers hand sanitizer or canisters to help make clean-up easier.
• Avoid Touching Surfaces in the Bathroom: Parents should teach kids to use paper towels to press the flush lever on the toilet and when turning water faucets on and off. If there are lids on the toilets, kids should learn to put them down before flushing.
• Walk the walk at home: children may be bringing more than just homework home to their families. That's why it is important for parents to adopt the same routines at home, such as wiping down frequently-touched surfaces like the remote control, countertops, phones and light switches.
(1) CDC. Guidance for School Administrators to Help Reduce the Spread of Seasonal Influenza in K-12 Schools during the 2010-2011 School Year. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/school/guidance.htm. 2010.
(2) CDC. Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Children: National Health Interview Survey, 2008.
(3) University of Arizona workplace study, Fall 2005, Dr. Charles P. Gerba Unpublished
SOURCE Clorox
Monday, November 1, 2010
Cover Story - Quirky stuff
Toronto Star – Saturday March 31, 2007
Shelly Sanders Greer – Special to the Star
Funky flooring, speakers tucked away in the wall and a sensitive toilet fan – meet a few home goodies that are oddly practical.
They may be quirky household items, but they’re also useful.
I didn’t set out to find a toilet fan or invisible speakers at the recent Metro Home Show. And I didn’t go looking for flooring that looks like it should be hanging on the walls of a modern art gallery.
But these products, with their unusual appeal and functions, were hard to miss. And when I looked more closely at them, I found they were actually quite practical.
Toilet Fan
The Panfan is a product that gets right to the heart of what can be a big problem – toilet odours. It attaches to the toilet. With a fan that draws air from the rim holes, odours are removed.
Manfred Dietrich, owner / general manager of Intersteam Technologies, the Hamilton based business that distributes the Panfan, says this product not only gets rid of odours, it also creates a healthier environment with the elimination of airborne spores.
“The hospitality industry as well as residential consumers are interested in this product, especially with the consciousness of public hygiene being much higher today than in the past,” Dietrich says.
Dietrich explains that when the automatic sensor senses an occupant, it sends a signal to engage the Panfan. The fan draws air up through the ports from the bowl and sucks the air out of the bowl. This air moves up into the tank through a charcoal filter. The sensor then recognizes the absence of the occupant and shuts off the fan.
The Panfan also means ceiling fans and deodorizers are not required. This can even help lower your energy bills as Dietrich says “ceiling fans use a lot more power than the Panfan and they remove heated air from homes. The Panfan directly targets odour, is energy-efficient and creates a healthier environment.”
There are two Panfan models available: the Plug-in version which can be wired in for $169; and a battery model, which costs $209 and includes the battery and charger.
For More information call 1-800-281-4413 or visit www.intersteam.com .
Shelly Sanders Greer – Special to the Star
Funky flooring, speakers tucked away in the wall and a sensitive toilet fan – meet a few home goodies that are oddly practical.
They may be quirky household items, but they’re also useful.
I didn’t set out to find a toilet fan or invisible speakers at the recent Metro Home Show. And I didn’t go looking for flooring that looks like it should be hanging on the walls of a modern art gallery.
But these products, with their unusual appeal and functions, were hard to miss. And when I looked more closely at them, I found they were actually quite practical.
Toilet Fan
The Panfan is a product that gets right to the heart of what can be a big problem – toilet odours. It attaches to the toilet. With a fan that draws air from the rim holes, odours are removed.
Manfred Dietrich, owner / general manager of Intersteam Technologies, the Hamilton based business that distributes the Panfan, says this product not only gets rid of odours, it also creates a healthier environment with the elimination of airborne spores.
“The hospitality industry as well as residential consumers are interested in this product, especially with the consciousness of public hygiene being much higher today than in the past,” Dietrich says.
Dietrich explains that when the automatic sensor senses an occupant, it sends a signal to engage the Panfan. The fan draws air up through the ports from the bowl and sucks the air out of the bowl. This air moves up into the tank through a charcoal filter. The sensor then recognizes the absence of the occupant and shuts off the fan.
The Panfan also means ceiling fans and deodorizers are not required. This can even help lower your energy bills as Dietrich says “ceiling fans use a lot more power than the Panfan and they remove heated air from homes. The Panfan directly targets odour, is energy-efficient and creates a healthier environment.”
There are two Panfan models available: the Plug-in version which can be wired in for $169; and a battery model, which costs $209 and includes the battery and charger.
For More information call 1-800-281-4413 or visit www.intersteam.com .
Monday, October 25, 2010
Drought Could Impact Jan/San Industry
Cleanlink News October 15 2010
A once unthinkable day of reckoning is looming on the Colorado River, which provides water for 28 million people in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, neighboring communities, as well as farming locations throughout the Southwest.
The Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. agency directly involved with water distribution in the country, estimates that for the first time Lake Mead-the heart of the lower Colorado River basin's water system-could drop below 1,075 feet, a crucial demarcation line. This is the result of an 11-year drought, according to Terry Fulp, who is the Bureau's director of the Lower Colorado Region."This is the lowest 11-year average in the 100-year-plus history of flows on the basin," Fulp says.The water shortage could impact all water customers, home and industry, as well as cleaning professional who use water for a variety of cleaning tasks from cleaning carpets to mopping floors.An emergency option the plan allows is to draw more water from Lake Powell in Utah, the river's other key reservoir. At this time, Lake Powell has actually risen 60 feet over its 2004 low, mainly because certain states, such as Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah, have not been accessing their full allocation.Adding to the concerns, scientists predict that prolonged droughts will likely be even more frequent in decades to come."Really the only answer is conservation," says Klaus Reichardt, president and founder of Waterless No-Flush Urinals. "In the last ten years, the average per-capita household use of water in Phoenix and Las Vegas has dropped more than 20 percent, but it looks like even more will be necessary." Reichardt attributes this reduction mainly to:• Less water being used for landscaping• The introduction of more advanced low-flow/no-water restroom fixtures• More responsible use of water in manufacturing facilities."Technology is on our side, we are developing more ways to reduce water use," Reichardt adds. "I just hope Mother Nature will give us a little more time to get these systems up and running."
A once unthinkable day of reckoning is looming on the Colorado River, which provides water for 28 million people in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, neighboring communities, as well as farming locations throughout the Southwest.
The Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. agency directly involved with water distribution in the country, estimates that for the first time Lake Mead-the heart of the lower Colorado River basin's water system-could drop below 1,075 feet, a crucial demarcation line. This is the result of an 11-year drought, according to Terry Fulp, who is the Bureau's director of the Lower Colorado Region."This is the lowest 11-year average in the 100-year-plus history of flows on the basin," Fulp says.The water shortage could impact all water customers, home and industry, as well as cleaning professional who use water for a variety of cleaning tasks from cleaning carpets to mopping floors.An emergency option the plan allows is to draw more water from Lake Powell in Utah, the river's other key reservoir. At this time, Lake Powell has actually risen 60 feet over its 2004 low, mainly because certain states, such as Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah, have not been accessing their full allocation.Adding to the concerns, scientists predict that prolonged droughts will likely be even more frequent in decades to come."Really the only answer is conservation," says Klaus Reichardt, president and founder of Waterless No-Flush Urinals. "In the last ten years, the average per-capita household use of water in Phoenix and Las Vegas has dropped more than 20 percent, but it looks like even more will be necessary." Reichardt attributes this reduction mainly to:• Less water being used for landscaping• The introduction of more advanced low-flow/no-water restroom fixtures• More responsible use of water in manufacturing facilities."Technology is on our side, we are developing more ways to reduce water use," Reichardt adds. "I just hope Mother Nature will give us a little more time to get these systems up and running."
Monday, October 18, 2010
BED BUG FEVER
Reports of the bloodsuckers are up – and so is the paranoia
By Dakshana Bascaramurty – The Globe and Mail – September 20, 2010
When Ottawan Lisa Vod traveled to Toronto, this past weekend, she brought the grubbiest contents of her wardrobe to the hotel: a ripped hoodie, an old sweatshirt and worn-out sweatpants. Before she left Ms. Vod, a 34-year-old factory worker, knew she’d trash those clothes before she went home. She kept her nice outfits in the car to change into right before she went out on the town.
They may seem like extreme measures, but Ms. Vod has been bitten by the bed-bug hysteria infesting major Canadian cities in recent months. Last year, Toronto Public Health received 1,500 reports of bed bugs. As of the end of August, they’d already racked up 1,334 reports for 2010, including 258 that month alone.
Rising even faster than the reports is bloodsucker paranoia. Victims trade stories about the lasting psychological effects on online bed bug forums, those in charitable organizations business have become leery of donations, and people who have infestations keep mum among friends and colleagues out of fear they’ll be stigmatized.
Exterminators and entomologists have floated various theories of why bed bugs – whose numbers had declined in the past few decades only to tick upward recently - are back.
Susan Sperling, a spokeswoman for Toronto Public Health, says their increase could be due to the fact that people are traveling more and taking the critters with them in their suitcases from one city to another. Another reason could be the ban of broad-spectrum residual pesticides – which were found to have other serious negative health effects. A built-up resistance to chemicals could also be to blame, she says.
Ms. Vod researched hotels on Trip Advisor before finding one she hoped was bed bug free. “I will inspect the room … to make sure,” Ms. Vod wrote in an email before she left for Toronto. “Now because it seams to be all over the news, I’m overstressed.”
Adam Radomsky, an associate psychology professor at Montreal’s Concordia University who is completing a three year body of work on contamination fears, likens bed-bug disgust and discomfort to what happened with SARS and H1N1.
“Things were very narrow in the beginning for those problems. The anxiety, the fear, the panic spread much further and I think it’s the same phenomenon happening here.” Fear can take shape even when there isn’t clear evidence of contamination, he says. “We can feel contaminated thinking about something, remembering something.”
Another problem with bed bugs, says Andrew Keddie, an insect pathologist at the University of Alberta, is that “as a rule, you don’t find them.”
Their shape – they’re small, dark and have flattened bodies – make them hard to detect, he says. In many cases the bites are the only evidence of bed bug presence. They’re often flat and itchy and appear in arcs of three on the skin, which are nauseatingly described as “breakfast, lunch and dinner.”
After a sleepless night in her Toronto condo in April, Jessica showed up to work groggy and on edge. When her co-workers asked if she was ok, she broke down into tears and confessed she might have bed bugs.
“They said, ‘We’re going to support you, but we’re not going to touch you or go near you,’ “ she recalls.
For Jessica, 26, who did not want her last name used for fear of seeing her property value decline, the pests not only consumed her blood (as evidenced by the bite marks all over her body), but also her thoughts. Could she hug her colleagues? Could she have guests over? Was it ok for her to sleep at a friend’s place?
While she dealt with her share of cockroach, mice and ant infestations in previous Toronto apartments, the bed bugs affected her the most, she says.
For weeks, even after two visits by an exterminator who sprayed her apartment, she’d come home from work and search every nook and cranny in the house for bed bug carcasses.
“I just wanted to find evidence, to find proof they were there,” she says.
On websites such as Bedbugger.com, users – cloaked in anonymity – share tales of how their own bed bug problems affected their sleep and their ability to concentrate at work. Many confess to feeling shame about their infestations and being labeled as unhygienic despite the fact that even luxury condos and five-star hotels have been sites of infestations.
In Michelle Heath’s Winnipeg apartment, there’s a light sprinkling of white power around all the baseboards. “I look like a cocaine addict,” the 24-year-old office manager says with a laugh. “I just need to know there’s something there.” A year ago, at her previous residence, Ms. Heath discovered bed bugs just a few weeks after she moved in. Her apartment was sprayed, but it didn’t solve the problem, so she found a new place to live.
During the ordeal, she only told her bosses about the problem - and that was just because she needed time off to deal with it. She feared others at the office would treat her differently if they knew. “I felt like a total freak because I had bed bugs,” she says. “Do I go to work, do I not go to work?”
While she gets more shut-eye now than she did a year ago – when it was only three or four hours a night – she says thoughts about the bloodsuckers keep her up and have caused her to over think everything.
“[Bed bugs] poo on your bedding and it’s like little black spots. So any time I see a little black spot , nine times out of 10 it’s lint or something, but I have to look at it right away and figure out what it is,” she says.
In Toronto, the fact that bed bugs are on the rise has alarmed some non-profit organizations and second hand merchants, as well. Red Door Family Shelter, a Toronto charity, stopped accepting donations of upholstered furniture and mattresses this spring because of the city’s bed-bug problem. “We were receiving complaints from our ex-residents who had received [furniture],” Bernnitta Hawkins, the organization’s executive director, says. The cost of testing furniture for bed bugs is so high that it just made more sense to turn down all couches, armchairs and mattresses, putting the onus on residents to use what money they have to make such purchases themselves.
Ms. Heath trashed her brand new $1,000 mattress and all other furniture when she moved to a new apartment, but she still sometimes worries bed bugs may be lurking in various corners of her apartment: hiding in shoes, burrowing under her box spring, scurrying up her bedroom walls at night. “Even if there hasn’t been one, you’re totally psychologically like, ‘I can feel it! I can feel it!’”
By Dakshana Bascaramurty – The Globe and Mail – September 20, 2010
When Ottawan Lisa Vod traveled to Toronto, this past weekend, she brought the grubbiest contents of her wardrobe to the hotel: a ripped hoodie, an old sweatshirt and worn-out sweatpants. Before she left Ms. Vod, a 34-year-old factory worker, knew she’d trash those clothes before she went home. She kept her nice outfits in the car to change into right before she went out on the town.
They may seem like extreme measures, but Ms. Vod has been bitten by the bed-bug hysteria infesting major Canadian cities in recent months. Last year, Toronto Public Health received 1,500 reports of bed bugs. As of the end of August, they’d already racked up 1,334 reports for 2010, including 258 that month alone.
Rising even faster than the reports is bloodsucker paranoia. Victims trade stories about the lasting psychological effects on online bed bug forums, those in charitable organizations business have become leery of donations, and people who have infestations keep mum among friends and colleagues out of fear they’ll be stigmatized.
Exterminators and entomologists have floated various theories of why bed bugs – whose numbers had declined in the past few decades only to tick upward recently - are back.
Susan Sperling, a spokeswoman for Toronto Public Health, says their increase could be due to the fact that people are traveling more and taking the critters with them in their suitcases from one city to another. Another reason could be the ban of broad-spectrum residual pesticides – which were found to have other serious negative health effects. A built-up resistance to chemicals could also be to blame, she says.
Ms. Vod researched hotels on Trip Advisor before finding one she hoped was bed bug free. “I will inspect the room … to make sure,” Ms. Vod wrote in an email before she left for Toronto. “Now because it seams to be all over the news, I’m overstressed.”
Adam Radomsky, an associate psychology professor at Montreal’s Concordia University who is completing a three year body of work on contamination fears, likens bed-bug disgust and discomfort to what happened with SARS and H1N1.
“Things were very narrow in the beginning for those problems. The anxiety, the fear, the panic spread much further and I think it’s the same phenomenon happening here.” Fear can take shape even when there isn’t clear evidence of contamination, he says. “We can feel contaminated thinking about something, remembering something.”
Another problem with bed bugs, says Andrew Keddie, an insect pathologist at the University of Alberta, is that “as a rule, you don’t find them.”
Their shape – they’re small, dark and have flattened bodies – make them hard to detect, he says. In many cases the bites are the only evidence of bed bug presence. They’re often flat and itchy and appear in arcs of three on the skin, which are nauseatingly described as “breakfast, lunch and dinner.”
After a sleepless night in her Toronto condo in April, Jessica showed up to work groggy and on edge. When her co-workers asked if she was ok, she broke down into tears and confessed she might have bed bugs.
“They said, ‘We’re going to support you, but we’re not going to touch you or go near you,’ “ she recalls.
For Jessica, 26, who did not want her last name used for fear of seeing her property value decline, the pests not only consumed her blood (as evidenced by the bite marks all over her body), but also her thoughts. Could she hug her colleagues? Could she have guests over? Was it ok for her to sleep at a friend’s place?
While she dealt with her share of cockroach, mice and ant infestations in previous Toronto apartments, the bed bugs affected her the most, she says.
For weeks, even after two visits by an exterminator who sprayed her apartment, she’d come home from work and search every nook and cranny in the house for bed bug carcasses.
“I just wanted to find evidence, to find proof they were there,” she says.
On websites such as Bedbugger.com, users – cloaked in anonymity – share tales of how their own bed bug problems affected their sleep and their ability to concentrate at work. Many confess to feeling shame about their infestations and being labeled as unhygienic despite the fact that even luxury condos and five-star hotels have been sites of infestations.
In Michelle Heath’s Winnipeg apartment, there’s a light sprinkling of white power around all the baseboards. “I look like a cocaine addict,” the 24-year-old office manager says with a laugh. “I just need to know there’s something there.” A year ago, at her previous residence, Ms. Heath discovered bed bugs just a few weeks after she moved in. Her apartment was sprayed, but it didn’t solve the problem, so she found a new place to live.
During the ordeal, she only told her bosses about the problem - and that was just because she needed time off to deal with it. She feared others at the office would treat her differently if they knew. “I felt like a total freak because I had bed bugs,” she says. “Do I go to work, do I not go to work?”
While she gets more shut-eye now than she did a year ago – when it was only three or four hours a night – she says thoughts about the bloodsuckers keep her up and have caused her to over think everything.
“[Bed bugs] poo on your bedding and it’s like little black spots. So any time I see a little black spot , nine times out of 10 it’s lint or something, but I have to look at it right away and figure out what it is,” she says.
In Toronto, the fact that bed bugs are on the rise has alarmed some non-profit organizations and second hand merchants, as well. Red Door Family Shelter, a Toronto charity, stopped accepting donations of upholstered furniture and mattresses this spring because of the city’s bed-bug problem. “We were receiving complaints from our ex-residents who had received [furniture],” Bernnitta Hawkins, the organization’s executive director, says. The cost of testing furniture for bed bugs is so high that it just made more sense to turn down all couches, armchairs and mattresses, putting the onus on residents to use what money they have to make such purchases themselves.
Ms. Heath trashed her brand new $1,000 mattress and all other furniture when she moved to a new apartment, but she still sometimes worries bed bugs may be lurking in various corners of her apartment: hiding in shoes, burrowing under her box spring, scurrying up her bedroom walls at night. “Even if there hasn’t been one, you’re totally psychologically like, ‘I can feel it! I can feel it!’”
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