Re: Something that has given me a great deal of relief

[Guest guest]

,

When you replace the cartridges for your r5700, you should be able to get HEPA-only filter cartridges (purple color with pleated HEPA filter media inside) without the charcoal. They are a lot lighter and more comfortable to wear, but may not work well for you for the reasons you understand regarding concentrating particles that then let the volatiles through in higher concentrations. It is possible that you are only reacting to volatile compounds associated with mold (MVOCs) and the other solvent-type or styrene volatiles you have worked with post-sensitization do not affect you.

Steve Temes

Respirator I am using is aol safety r5700 has cartrage on filter and says it's good for organic vapor so I should be covered with the respirator as far as voc's go, but as you say with the hepa filters probably not. The respirator said it was good for asbestos and mold abatement and that's why I bought it. I have never used "paper" for lack of a better description "mask's" such as the one you suggest that has a diaphragm in it. Didn't think they were effective. For a long time I didn't think resperators like the one I am using were because I seemed to get sick weather I wore them or not. My problem was that I didn't wear it 24 hours a day I think if I had done this or used hepas like I am doing now than I would not have misled or fooled myself like this.

I often wondered how manufactures such as honeywell claim "lifetime" even if they only mean like 5 years that seems a lot especially when you factor in vocs getting collected and than regurgitated as you say. Some people say the glue they use in the manufacturing can make you sick. I think my throat feels a little dry when I am using them especially when I wake up in the morning. I have felt in the past hepas actually made me worse but attribute this to the swings we all endure and not to using the hepa. Correlation doesn't necessarily mean causation.

I have never directly associated voc's with the same crippling symptoms that mold seems to give me so while I am concerned about them I am very happy to finally get some relief from the mold symptoms. Anyone who has read my past post's here might have read that I actually worked with polyester resin's, epoxies, gelcoats, pollyuerathanes, acetone, fiberglass and gelcoat dust etc. on my boat POST MCS SBS or whatever you want to call it, mind you, just to prove to myself that I am not sensitive to these substances. I do credit doing this with taking my mold sensitivities to a new level but never with all these exposures to these substances did I have anywhere near the reactivity I have to mold.

Any suggestions for a mask that will filter tiny particles like mold but not voc's? Being the mask I am using works I would like to test this theory and see if I am very sensitive to voc's I have always thought not. Not in the way I am to mold and possibly other things such as pollen and what not.

Thanks for the suggestions Steve,

,

Cooler weather is correlated with less/slower fungal growth outdoors. However, it also affects the vapor pressure of VOCs. Be aware that HEPA filtration will do nothing to capture MVOCs. HEPA filters may even concentrate particles containing MVOCs on the filter which then will become an emitter of VOCs. You didn't mention what type of respirator you have been wearing. You should compare your HEPA or allergy mask (filtering facepiece respirator) with a charcoal filtered mask. Based upon your post, you will probably know whether it is working or not right away, . If the charcoal is more effective, it would demonstrate that you are reactive to the volatile compounds. You don't need a charcoal canister organic vapor cartridge respirator. You can use a charcoal impregnated or charcoal-layer facepiece (if it fits well) such as the Moldex 2400 N95 nuisance o/v mask (http://store.pksafety.net/mo24ovduma.html) or equivalent to filter low-level concentrations of MVOCs.

I hope this suggestion can give you more relief. Good luck.

Steve Temes

[Guest guest]

I think you may be surprised at just how much your mask leaks at the sealing points.

Jeff Charlton

999team.org

-----Original Message-----From: iequality [mailto:iequality ]On Behalf Of AirwaysEnv@...Sent: 29 November 2008 18:33To: iequality Subject: Re: Something that has given me a great deal of relief

,When you replace the cartridges for your r5700, you should be able to get HEPA-only filter cartridges (purple color with pleated HEPA filter media inside) without the charcoal. They are a lot lighter and more comfortable to wear, but may not work well for you for the reasons you understand regarding concentrating particles that then let the volatiles through in higher concentrations. It is possible that you are only reacting to volatile compounds associated with mold (MVOCs) and the other solvent-type or styrene volatiles you have worked with post-sensitization do not affect you.Steve TemesIn a message dated 11/27/2008 10:46:59 AM Eastern Standard Time, antares4141gmail writes:

Respirator I am using is aol safety r5700 has cartrage on filter and says it's good for organic vapor so I should be covered with the respirator as far as voc's go, but as you say with the hepa filters probably not. The respirator said it was good for asbestos and mold abatement and that's why I bought it. I have never used "paper" for lack of a better description "mask's" such as the one you suggest that has a diaphragm in it. Didn't think they were effective. For a long time I didn't think resperators like the one I am using were because I seemed to get sick weather I wore them or not. My problem was that I didn't wear it 24 hours a day I think if I had done this or used hepas like I am doing now than I would not have misled or fooled myself like this.I often wondered how manufactures such as honeywell claim "lifetime" even if they only mean like 5 years that seems a lot especially when you factor in vocs getting collected and than regurgitated as you say. Some people say the glue they use in the manufacturing can make you sick. I think my throat feels a little dry when I am using them especially when I wake up in the morning. I have felt in the past hepas actually made me worse but attribute this to the swings we all endure and not to using the hepa. Correlation doesn't necessarily mean causation. I have never directly associated voc's with the same crippling symptoms that mold seems to give me so while I am concerned about them I am very happy to finally get some relief from the mold symptoms. Anyone who has read my past post's here might have read that I actually worked with polyester resin's, epoxies, gelcoats, pollyuerathanes, acetone, fiberglass and gelcoat dust etc. on my boat POST MCS SBS or whatever you want to call it, mind you, just to prove to myself that I am not sensitive to these substances. I do credit doing this with taking my mold sensitivities to a new level but never with all these exposures to these substances did I have anywhere near the reactivity I have to mold.Any suggestions for a mask that will filter tiny particles like mold but not voc's? Being the mask I am using works I would like to test this theory and see if I am very sensitive to voc's I have always thought not. Not in the way I am to mold and possibly other things such as pollen and what not.Thanks for the suggestions Steve,On Wed, Nov 26, 2008 at 9:09 AM, <AirwaysEnvcs> wrote:

,Cooler weather is correlated with less/slower fungal growth outdoors. However, it also affects the vapor pressure of VOCs. Be aware that HEPA filtration will do nothing to capture MVOCs. HEPA filters may even concentrate particles containing MVOCs on the filter which then will become an emitter of VOCs. You didn't mention what type of respirator you have been wearing. You should compare your HEPA or allergy mask (filtering facepiece respirator) with a charcoal filtered mask. Based upon your post, you will probably know whether it is working or not right away, . If the charcoal is more effective, it would demonstrate that you are reactive to the volatile compounds. You don't need a charcoal canister organic vapor cartridge respirator. You can use a charcoal impregnated or charcoal-layer facepiece (if it fits well) such as the Moldex 2400 N95 nuisance o/v mask (http://store.! pksafety.net/mo24ovduma.html) or equivalent to filter low-level concentrations of MVOCs.I hope this suggestion can give you more relief. Good luck.Steve Temes

[Guest guest]

Hepa only might actually be what I have. My cartridges have a purple and yellow sticker on them. If you take the cartridge off and look inside through the bottom you can't seen any sign of charcoal, just a paper filter. I assumed it was charcoal because it has two separate one inch tall cylinders attached to eachother. Could simply be two stage hepa. I never really gave much credance to MVOC'S because everything I read indicates they are orders of magnitudes less than other comon expousures to VOC'S. The podcast Dr Crislip made had good arguments for MVOC'S not being in high enough concentrations as to be a factor in human health. This might or might not be different for those that are sensitized but tends to discredit those that believe MVOC'S are responsible for (or cause) mold related illness.

http://www.quackcast.com/spodcasts/files/c4db7ed7b538da98d316751e23eabea1-24.htmlAlso this article suggest's the same thing:

http://acmt.net/cgi/page.cgi?aid=12 & _id=52 & zine=show " studies have concluded that even in moldy environments, the maximum inhalation dose of mycotoxins is generally orders of magnitude lower than demonstrated thresholds for adverse health effects "

So I'm not saying their a factor just need some pretty good evidence to sway me in this direction. Haven't seen any yet.I lean more towards a really wicked allergic reaction to mold that isn't recognized by authorities becuase of the ellusive nature of the symptoms. I remember T Havocs saying that samples outside are commonly just as high indoors that would seem to indicate one shouldn't get better when they camp outdoors. While this definantly isn't true there could be a much milder level of illness from outdoor expousure that is eclipsed by indoor expousures or mistooken for indoor expousure and the connection is only realized by doing what I am doing to protect myself as close to 24 hours a day as possible with hepa filtration. Still have symptoms just a great deal of relief from what I had before I took this tact, A GREAT DEAL. If I was at a level of reactivity of 7 before this I am down to maybe 3 now on a scale of 1 to 10. So hard to gauge though if you don't have a relieable base point from which to judge, which I have to date not been able to acheive.

,

When you replace the cartridges for your r5700, you should be able to get HEPA-only filter cartridges (purple color with pleated HEPA filter media inside) without the charcoal. They are a lot lighter and more comfortable to wear, but may not work well for you for the reasons you understand regarding concentrating particles that then let the volatiles through in higher concentrations. It is possible that you are only reacting to volatile compounds associated with mold (MVOCs) and the other solvent-type or styrene volatiles you have worked with post-sensitization do not affect you.

Steve Temes

Respirator I am using is aol safety r5700 has cartrage on filter and says it's good for organic vapor so I should be covered with the respirator as far as voc's go, but as you say with the hepa filters probably not. The respirator said it was good for asbestos and mold abatement and that's why I bought it. I have never used " paper " for lack of a better description " mask's " such as the one you suggest that has a diaphragm in it. Didn't think they were effective. For a long time I didn't think resperators like the one I am using were because I seemed to get sick weather I wore them or not. My problem was that I didn't wear it 24 hours a day I think if I had done this or used hepas like I am doing now than I would not have misled or fooled myself like this.

I often wondered how manufactures such as honeywell claim " lifetime " even if they only mean like 5 years that seems a lot especially when you factor in vocs getting collected and than regurgitated as you say. Some people say the glue they use in the manufacturing can make you sick. I think my throat feels a little dry when I am using them especially when I wake up in the morning. I have felt in the past hepas actually made me worse but attribute this to the swings we all endure and not to using the hepa. Correlation doesn't necessarily mean causation.

I have never directly associated voc's with the same crippling symptoms that mold seems to give me so while I am concerned about them I am very happy to finally get some relief from the mold symptoms. Anyone who has read my past post's here might have read that I actually worked with polyester resin's, epoxies, gelcoats, pollyuerathanes, acetone, fiberglass and gelcoat dust etc. on my boat POST MCS SBS or whatever you want to call it, mind you, just to prove to myself that I am not sensitive to these substances. I do credit doing this with taking my mold sensitivities to a new level but never with all these exposures to these substances did I have anywhere near the reactivity I have to mold.

Any suggestions for a mask that will filter tiny particles like mold but not voc's? Being the mask I am using works I would like to test this theory and see if I am very sensitive to voc's I have always thought not. Not in the way I am to mold and possibly other things such as pollen and what not.

Thanks for the suggestions Steve,

,

Cooler weather is correlated with less/slower fungal growth outdoors. However, it also affects the vapor pressure of VOCs. Be aware that HEPA filtration will do nothing to capture MVOCs. HEPA filters may even concentrate particles containing MVOCs on the filter which then will become an emitter of VOCs. You didn't mention what type of respirator you have been wearing. You should compare your HEPA or allergy mask (filtering facepiece respirator) with a charcoal filtered mask. Based upon your post, you will probably know whether it is working or not right away, . If the charcoal is more effective, it would demonstrate that you are reactive to the volatile compounds. You don't need a charcoal canister organic vapor cartridge respirator. You can use a charcoal impregnated or charcoal-layer facepiece (if it fits well) such as the Moldex 2400 N95 nuisance o/v mask (http://store.pksafety.net/mo24ovduma.html) or equivalent to filter low-level concentrations of MVOCs.

I hope this suggestion can give you more relief. Good luck.

Steve Temes

[Guest guest]

Thing that scares me the most about these mask's are weather the diaphragms are working properly, that and it's easy to lock the filters in place cocky, I did this once. While I have never sustained any measurable permanent damage from mold exposure I wouldn't want to trust these mask's with pesticides or other toxic fumes without looking closely at the point at which these filters are connected to the mask to be sure they are not crocked.

I think you may be surprised at just how much your mask leaks at the sealing points.

Jeff Charlton

999team.org

-----Original Message-----From: iequality [mailto:iequality ]On Behalf Of AirwaysEnv@...Sent: 29 November 2008 18:33To: iequality Subject: Re: Something that has given me a great deal of relief

,When you replace the cartridges for your r5700, you should be able to get HEPA-only filter cartridges (purple color with pleated HEPA filter media inside) without the charcoal. They are a lot lighter and more comfortable to wear, but may not work well for you for the reasons you understand regarding concentrating particles that then let the volatiles through in higher concentrations. It is possible that you are only reacting to volatile compounds associated with mold (MVOCs) and the other solvent-type or styrene volatiles you have worked with post-sensitization do not affect you.Steve Temes

Respirator I am using is aol safety r5700 has cartrage on filter and says it's good for organic vapor so I should be covered with the respirator as far as voc's go, but as you say with the hepa filters probably not. The respirator said it was good for asbestos and mold abatement and that's why I bought it. I have never used " paper " for lack of a better description " mask's " such as the one you suggest that has a diaphragm in it. Didn't think they were effective. For a long time I didn't think resperators like the one I am using were because I seemed to get sick weather I wore them or not. My problem was that I didn't wear it 24 hours a day I think if I had done this or used hepas like I am doing now than I would not have misled or fooled myself like this.I often wondered how manufactures such as honeywell claim " lifetime " even if they only mean like 5 years that seems a lot especially when you factor in vocs getting collected and than regurgitated as you say. Some people say the glue they use in the manufacturing can make you sick. I think my throat feels a little dry when I am using them especially when I wake up in the morning. I have felt in the past hepas actually made me worse but attribute this to the swings we all endure and not to using the hepa. Correlation doesn't necessarily mean causation. I have never directly associated voc's with the same crippling symptoms that mold seems to give me so while I am concerned about them I am very happy to finally get some relief from the mold symptoms. Anyone who has read my past post's here might have read that I actually worked with polyester resin's, epoxies, gelcoats, pollyuerathanes, acetone, fiberglass and gelcoat dust etc. on my boat POST MCS SBS or whatever you want to call it, mind you, just to prove to myself that I am not sensitive to these substances. I do credit doing this with taking my mold sensitivities to a new level but never with all these exposures to these substances did I have anywhere near the reactivity I have to mold.Any suggestions for a mask that will filter tiny particles like mold but not voc's? Being the mask I am using works I would like to test this theory and see if I am very sensitive to voc's I have always thought not. Not in the way I am to mold and possibly other things such as pollen and what not.Thanks for the suggestions Steve,

,Cooler weather is correlated with less/slower fungal growth outdoors. However, it also affects the vapor pressure of VOCs. Be aware that HEPA filtration will do nothing to capture MVOCs. HEPA filters may even concentrate particles containing MVOCs on the filter which then will become an emitter of VOCs. You didn't mention what type of respirator you have been wearing. You should compare your HEPA or allergy mask (filtering facepiece respirator) with a charcoal filtered mask. Based upon your post, you will probably know whether it is working or not right away, . If the charcoal is more effective, it would demonstrate that you are reactive to the volatile compounds. You don't need a charcoal canister organic vapor cartridge respirator. You can use a charcoal impregnated or charcoal-layer facepiece (if it fits well) such as the Moldex 2400 N95 nuisance o/v mask (http://store.! pksafety.net/mo24ovduma.html) or equivalent to filter low-level concentrations of MVOCs.I hope this suggestion can give you more relief. Good luck.Steve Temes

[Guest guest]

Trailers made out of metal must be difficult to insulate properly. The

combination of an (inhabited) trailer made with materials that contain

formaldehyde or fake wood, heat, cold, humidity, and condensation must

be a daunting one to address.

I don't think simple dehumidification is adequate because a trailer is

going to be a closed environment for air without ventilation..

Even if the trailer is made exclusively of materials that don't grow

mold, the contents and any accumulated dust can in high humidity

situations. Trailers often spend time " off the grid " and refrigeration

equipment of any kind requires lots of current which means costs that

may not be bearable by low income folks.

When somebody doesn't have money, the impulse is to do without.. A

tiny HRV that runs on 12V with cleanable everything would be a great

solution for RVers because it would not cost a lot to run and could be

cleaned frequently. Yes, it would introduce humidity but so do people

breathing. An HRV also can reduce humidity if the indoor humidity is

more than the outside.. (more of a problem than the reverse.. IMO)

Almost anywhere, I would rather have a trailer with ventilation than

one without! An air conditioner is useful but when a car is

stationary, do people run their ACs off the battery, no? They need a

source of line voltage to air condition consistently...

A 12V HRV currently doesn't exist. Its a niche market that could be a

way to introduce some fairly sophisticated technologies to a group of

people who need them, affordably.

Crucial issue for RVers that may be on the road while its running,

heavy duty filtration.. That might require heavier fans but it would

pay off in health..

Compared to AC, fans are much more affordable and even if the humidity

is high, a fan will reduce the chance of a space growing mold.

ACs without cleaning and without (separate) ventilation, as we all

should know by now, are often trouble.

On Thu, Dec 4, 2008 at 10:47 AM, System Science Consulting

wrote:

>

>

> Dehumidification is a more likely solution to the problem and also provides

much better comfort in warm or hot conditions. Our primary cooling mechanism is

evaporation so keeping the indoor RH low allows us to be comfortable at much

higher dry bulb temperatures.

> Jim H. White SSC

>

>

> Re: Re: Something that has given me a great deal of

relief

>

> An HRV would be a great solution in a dry climate like Arizona or Southern

California. How would you factor in the humidity increase lets say on a southern

coast line like Houston, New Orleans, or say Miami. An HRV would increase the

likelihood of mold growth inside the trailer.

>

> The only options I see is on future trailers being built find alternative

building materials and construction methods to reduce the VOC levels. On

existing trailers a recirculating air purification system would reduce the

levels. We have tried to no avail to speak with FEMA on this subject and its

like a VODO topic.

>