Avoid Air Pollution

[circular]

I keep forgetting to mention ... IQAir (or was it Allergy Buyers Club I bought it through?) provides a form for a doctor to fill out to try to get it covered by medical insurance. They suggest a durable medical equipment code on it (it's in my car and I'm too lazy to put my shoes on and go get it but can report back). I wish I'd tried to get mine pre-approved. I'm not sure it will fly after the purchase if at all, but I'm going to try. Or, I may see if one is preapproved and if so, then use it on a second one. I don't recall when, where or how I got this form. Too darn much going on in my life.

I'm guessing the FIR saunas are less likely to get covered (?), but who knows.

Some years ago when I bought a new mattress I didn't have to pay tax. The mattress company provided a form for my doctor to sign that I needed it for my back and I just took it back to the seller before purchase. Relax The Back provides this for some of their products to be tax-free.

[TheBrain]

TheBrain, I just read your post about cleaning the HVAC system. I’m really sorry that your ERMI results were higher than what you had hoped. Were the molds detected ones that produce or ochratoxin or verrucarin A, or do you think that what you had in your system is from earlier environmental exposures, or from food? I see that Dr. Carnahan recommends a mold-free diet, while others who work in this area (including Shoemaker) say that mold in the diet isn’t an issue. Not sure what to make of that, but I avoid most foods on the high/moderate mold list anyway.

Hi LAC,

Thanks for your post. I suspect that my "extraordinarily high" levels of those two mycotoxins comes from past exposures to water-damaged buildings (WDBs), food, and exposure from my current home.

The molds detected as high in my ERMI test (Stachybotrys chartarum, three Aspergillus species, and Wallemia sebi) do correlate with my high levels of ochratoxin A (OTA) and verrucarin A (VRA) per my Great Plains' GPL-MycoTOX mycotoxins test. Aspergillus produces OTA, and Stachybotrys produces VRA (although other molds also produce these mycotoxins). Wallemia wasn't mentioned in my mycotoxin test results, but I've read that this mold often accompanies other molds in WDBs.

That said, my symptoms precede living in this house, and I can't say they got worse living here. My health has been declining since the year 2000, with a sharp drop in 2010.

I've read Dr. Carnahan's post on the low-mold diet. Given that I follow a ketogenic version of the paleo autoimmune protocol (AIP), I'd say I follow her diet fairly closely. I avoid sugar like the plague. I rarely eat pre-packaged foods. Interestingly, I'm sensitive to many of the foods she suggests people like us avoid.

If you test your HVAC system, you might consider checking the coil. I had my ducts cleaned, twice, and was told they were fine. Then I had the coil checked, per the advice of a second mold inspector. It was not good, and was re-polluting the ducts and my house. It was a struggle to get this cleaned properly, and I ended up removing my air conditioner altogether, which will have to be replaced.

I have detailed instructions from a reputable mold inspector, who is CIRS-aware, about how the HVAC coil should be cleaned (she doesn’t do remediation). She said this is something that is sometimes overlooked, which can be problematic for sensitive people. The furnace person followed her instructions, at least the second time around. I haven’t tested again, due to lack of funds, but will do so at some point. If there’s a problem, it’s probably with the execution. Let me know if you’re interested and I can forward the coil cleaning instructions.

I'm sorry to hear about your HVAC system woes. Ugh... What was found in the coil? Mold? Was there any standing water? The Mycometrics analyst we spoke to said we must have a water leak somewhere. I'm wondering if a coil can have a water leak (but I'm thinking just Freon is moving around in a coil?).

Earlier today, my husband explained to me how an air conditioner works, and how what we actually have is a heat exchanger. With a heat exchanger, the system can work as an air conditioner and as a heater. Which kind do you have? Do you mind if I ask what part of the country (or which country) you live in?

I'd very much appreciate getting a copy of the detailed instructions about how an HVAC coil should be cleaned. I'll send you a PM and provide my email address. Thank you!

[circular]

Let me know if you’re interested and I can forward the coil cleaning instructions.

Hi LAC1965, any chance you can provide those instructions here, or were they part of what you got for pay, such that it might not be appropriate?

[CoachDD]

Thanks The Brain. . . I am still researching and will let you know what I end up doing - I know Dr. Kelly Brogan also suggests a certain brand and I have a friend who suggests yet another one.

Best of luck to you - really hoping the Air Doctor works great!!

[TheBrain]

Thanks, CoachDD. Good luck with your search! I’m sure there are several “medical grade” brands, if that’s what you’re looking for. Ari Whitten, developer of The Energy Blueprint program, recommends SunLighten. Another reason I chose High Tech Health is that I did three sessions in that brand of sauna in a local clinic prior to collecting my sample for the urine mycotoxins test (to ensure I’d get a positive result, if I had mycotoxins in my body). I got a very positive result, so I know the sauna worked for me, and I liked my experience with the sauna.

[circular]

Okay, I found the form. It's in the footer at AllergyBuyersClub under Programs > Medical Reimbursement. It's quite generic, so one could probably make their own and adapt it as needed.

medical-certificate-2-1.pdf

[LA18]

Circular, that's a good idea. I feel like I shouldn't post the full report for the reason you cited, but I will type up the instructions for furnace cleaning and post them here.

Also, thanks for mentioning that insurance might cover the IQ Air. I'll have to look into that. They're just so expensive....

[LA18]

Instructions for cleaning my moldy furnace (paraphrased from report by Martine Davis, Indoor Environmental Testing, Inc., Madison, WI).

1. Remove furnace coil and accompanying drip pan from furnace and clean thoroughly. Make sure to clean the bottom and sides of the coil, which are not visible unless the coil is removed.

2. Once removed, the coil can be cleaned with mild detergent and a brush, or with compressed air or chemical spray (but caution is advised with this method because some chemicals are corrosive to the coil).

3. Disinfect the drip pan with hydrogen peroxide or a mild detergent and water. Use a brush if you have to in order to reach all the areas of both the coil and drip pan.

4. I’m quoting directly here: A furnace that had suffered dampness is likely to harbor mold growth on interior surfaces, particularly if the plenum is lined with a fiberglass sound liner. These liners tend to attract dust deposits which become food for mold when condensation or dampness occurs inside the furnace. Condensation and dampness frequently occur during the summer when the air conditioning is operating, particularly if the drain hose or the drain pan is blocked. Fiberglass liners should be replaced with new ones. The foil prevents or retards recurrence of mold growth since dust doesn’t stick to its surface easily. If that’s not feasible then removal of the sound liners is fine. If there are no liners present in the motor housing or in the air handling unit interior, then a simple HEPA vacuuming of the surfaces will suffice.

5. Holes on ducts should be sealed using either duct logs or foil tape.

She also recommended that I set my dehumidifier at 45%, and that I run it continuously in the summer, in order to maintain a humidity level of less than 60%.

[circular]

Thanks LAC! Who’d ‘a’ thunk I needed that on my home maintenance list too?! I did have the ducts cleaned when I moved in but I doubt they did this.

[antimatter37]

Here is a nice read on the link between particulate and NO air pollution and Alzheimer's. The bottom line from one of the studies quoted says the lifetime effect of living in areas with particulate air pollution is approximately equal to an additional 2.7 years of aging with regard to developing AD.

https://www.wired.com/story/air-pollution-dementia/