CHEMICAL INTOLERANCE

B. Hileman, Chemical Intolerance, Chemical and Engineering News, 2005, 83, 41, 24. 

Annals of the New York Academy of Science (2001) The Role of Neural Plasticity in Chemical Intolerance, vol. 933. New York Academy of Science. 

Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) or multiple chemical intolerance (MCI) is a term used to describe a variety of symptoms associated, in some cases, with exposure to indoor air contaminants. Individuals with this syndrome seem to respond to very low levels of chemicals, and the condition can involve various organ systems. It appears to be induced by a wide variety of agents, but once induced it can be triggered by low-concentration exposures to numerous other chemicals. Indoor air pollutants not only appear to set off symptoms in the chemically intolerant, but several studies suggest that some pollutants or pollutant mixtures may also initiate the condition. This phenomenon has been described in... 

Individuals with chemical sensitivity, also referred to as chemical intolerance, are those who react adversely to low levels of chemicals that are tolerated by the general population. These include Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Fibromyalgia (FM), and Gulf War Syndrome (GWS). Each is a clinically defined condition that can give rise to chemical sensitivity, but there is, however, considerable comorbidity between them. Each is addressed individually, followed by a discussion of its similar responses to chemical stimuli. 

Bell et al. have proposed a neural sensitization model to account for the observed hypersensitivity on some individuals to low level chemical exposures in MCS.fi7 20 22 These researchers describe neural sensitization as the progressive host amplification of a response over time from repeated, intermittent exposure to a stimulus. They report that drugs, chemicals, endogenous mediators, and exogenous stressors can all initiate sensitization and exhibit cross-sensitization between different types of stimuli. Laboratory studies with animals have demonstrated sensitization to several toxic chemicals, including formaldehyde, toluene, and pesticides. Animal studies have also shown cross-sensitization with formaldehyde and cocaine. Human laboratory studies with chemically intolerant humans have shown heightened sensitization specific chemical exposures as well as to nonspecific experimental challenges. 20 ... 

In a following article on sensitization in chemically intolerant individuals, Bell and her colleagues write I20 ... 

Severe chemical intolerance is prevalent among 20-47% of patients with MCS, CFS, and/or FM. ... 

Bell IR, Baldwin CM, Schwartz GE. Sensitization studies in chemically intolerant individuals Implications for individual difference research. Ann NY Acad 5a 2001 933 38 47. 

Immune dysregulation syndrome Multiple chemical intolerance Panallergy... 

Baldwin. C.M. et al., 1999. Odor sensitivity and respiratory complaint pro les in a community-based sample with asthma, hay fever, and chemical intolerance. 15 403-409. 

The error in Runge-Kutta calculations depends on h, the step size. In systems of differential equations that are said to be stiff, the value of h must be quite small to attain acceptable accuracy. This slows the calculation intolerably. Stiffness in a set of differential equations arises in general when the time constants vary widely in magnitude for different steps. The complications of stiffness for problems in chemical kinetics were first recognized by Curtiss and Hirschfelder.27... 

The second factor relates to environmental issues. Much will depend on how dangerous will actually be global consequences of Earth pollution with mamnade extra heat, chemicals, etc., associated with traditional types of energy production. Note, that nuclear fusion, which sooner or later is anticipated to be developed, also is expected to pollute Earth with extra heat. If such pollution occurs intolerable, the development and corrunercialization of solar power pltints, which produce no extra heating of the Earth and in other respects also seem to be envirorunentally friendly, may obtain high priorities. 

Lactose, the milk sugar, is a reducing disaccharide consisting of glucose and galactose moieties. The estimated annual worldwide availability of lactose as a byproduct from cheese manufacture is several million tons [1,2], but only about 400 000 t/a lactose is processed further from cheese whey [3], Non-processed whey is an environmental problem due to its high biochemical and chemical oxygen demand [2], The use of lactose as such is limited by two main factors relatively low solubility of lactose in most solvents and lactose intolerance in human body [1]. 

Aqueous, alkaline fuel cells, as used by NASA for supplemental power in spacecraft, are intolerant to C02 in the oxidant. The strongly alkaline electrolyte acts as an efficient scrubber for any C02, even down to the ppm level, but the resultant carbonate alters the performance unacceptably. This behavior was recognized as early as the mid 1960 s as a way to control space cabin C02 levels and recover and recycle the chemically bound oxygen. While these devices had been built and operated at bench scale before 1970, the first comprehensive analysis of their electrochemistry was put forth in a series of papers in 1974 [27]. The system comprises a bipolar array of fuel cells through whose cathode chamber COz-containing air is passed. The electrolyte, aqueous Cs2C03, is immobilized in a thin (0.25 0.75 mm) membrane. The electrodes are nickel-based fuel cell electrodes, designed to be hydrophobic with PTFE. 

Halstensen, T.S., Lovik, M., Alexander, J. and Smith, E. (1997). Environmental chemicals and food allergy/intolerance, a synopsis, Environ. Toxicol. Pharmacol., 4, 179-185. 

Obase, Y., Shimoda, T., Tomari, S., et al. (2001) Effects of pranlukast on aspirin-induced bronchoconstiiction differences in chemical mediators between aspirin-intolerant and tolerant asthmatic patients. Ann. Allergy. Asthma. Immunol. 87, 74-79. 

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