Tough times. need some advice

[Guest guest]

This might seem a long post but I've decided to put everything

important that has happened to me this year in one message, so please

bear with me

Near the building I live in, there is a large office building - the

central tax administration office for my district and a few smaller

banks. If memory serves me well, the building was built in 1986. It

has ordinary windows that can be opened. Therefore the designers

probably didn't have AC units on their minds when they designed it.

This building hadn't caused me ANY problems whatsoever until Spring

this year... then all hell broke out.

In March the pavement near the entrance of this building was heavily

contaminated with something that would later turn out to be

trichothecene mycotoxins, probably those made by Stachybotrys. I and

other tenants of my building brought these toxins to our flats on the

soles of our shoes, and they eventually spread over carpets, some

furniture etc. After heavy rains in late Spring the contamination on

the pavement subsided considerably. I thought that would be the end of

it but how wrong I was...

During Summer this year (which was hellishly HOT here) I noticed that

the air that was coming from that building was also contaminated -

that's what some moldies would call mycotoxin plumes. I noticed that

these mycotoxin plumes were the strongest during the work hours (7 AM

- 6 PM), while during night they would be much weaker.

I attributed these mycotoxin clouds to their AC units, which, as it

turned out, were placed in really large numbers in 2006 almost on

every single window! I think their AC units are either moldy inside

(not maintained properly) OR they are spreading something even worse

that exists in the building OR both.

I noticed that theit basement (treasury) is probably the worst

regarding contamination, which led me to believe that they might have

some live Stachy growing there... but I have no proof.

My assumption as to what happened with that part of pavement in early

Spring is that someone might have cleaned a really moldy AC unit

(there are two hanging on two windows just above the problematic

pavement place) and the mycotoxins simply fell on the ground.

The only certain thing is that their AC units can blow some really bad

stuff and virtually engulf the nearest building in the mycotoxin

cloud. I had to keep my windows closed or left only ajar - to prevent

from choking on this horrible stuff. The chronic fatigue, brain fog

and other neurological problems plagued me all this summer. CSM would

definitely help, but of course it couldn't fix the main problem - the

building across the street that kept poisoning me.

Other tentants haven't likened their ailments to the building nearby,

but some of them complained that they had blood running from their

noses (unusal), while others complained on unusually frequent dental

problems, and chronic fatigue and so on - it all points out to

mycotoxins in the air.

I think that the people in the building in quesiton are not using the

AC units now as much as during summer because it's a lot colder.

Now on to the main questions -

1) concerning immediate health issues

Although I tried really hard to keep everything clean - and tossed

every heavily contaminated object - it seems that there is a

relatively small amount of mycotoxins that have settled on everything

in my flat (floors, carpets, curtains, furniture etc.) and these

objects emit the toxins slowly but surely - especially overnight if I

turn on the heater (even the one that doesn't blow air). In the rooms

I am during the daytime I can't detect now any object that has

UNACCEPTABLE level of contamination. However, I guess they all offgass

small amounts of toxins during night, and since all doors and windows

are now closed, this creates a kind of mycotoxin gas chamber. Phew!

In the morning I often wake up unrefreshed with aching stomach, and

lately with aching LIVER and aching left KINDEY. Also I think my

spleen is affected. All this usually passes during daytime when I move

to other rooms or go outside, but during nights and mornings it's

always the same. Now I am reallly worried. I know frequent exposures

to even small amounts of trichothecenes are cumulative and can cause a

lot of bad things. What can I do?

Is it worthwhile to attempt to clean every single thing in the flat

with ordinary detergent? Or would I only worsen the condition (spread

toxins)?

Not all objects are equally contaminated. Some are not contaminated at

all, some very little, and I recently found several in my mother's

room that are really badly contaminated, probably because the

contamination doesn't bother her like me and she doesn't clean it like

I would if the room was mine.

2. Concerning the options I have regarding the problematic building.

If that was a residential building, I guess things would be much

easier (say, to scare someone for his/her health). However, this is a

government building and obviously I can't do much, if anything. I

called them by phone and asked them if they had any floodings or

excessive moisture problems and they quickly said - NO, we never had

any of that. And that was the end of the conversation.

I'm really frightened by what that building can do to me in the

future. I'm especially afraid of the next Summer season when this

problem will probably be even more pronounced.

I mean, I can send them some papers about toxic mold and how badly

maintained AC units can be the breeding ground for some really harmful

fungi, but I'm afraid it will all come to nothing since they're

obviously not experiencing any immediate health problems.

Does anyone have any idea what I could do with that building - do I

have any rights to call on and ask for the inspections? (I'm not

living in USA but in a small east-european country).

-Branislav

[Guest guest]

Dear Branislav

My feeling is that heat makes toxic areas off gas more-making the

summer or a warm apt more intolerable-My outdoor living area was

totally toxic when it was hot-and even walking into the apt was enough

to make me shake all over-I could feel the toxin terribly-the way those

of us that have this affliction understand-I finally gave up and went

camping in the mountains untill things cooled off-now I am able to

work. I think it is totally useless to try and convince the government

employees that they should do anything about their AC units, or

anything else-but go ahead and try. I attempted to de-contaminate my

apt this June-with strong peroxide and quats- cost me over $2,000-with

very limited success. I know you have suffered long and hard-and I

think you should start to look for a long term solution-one that

will " manage " your illness.Living even near other people is not on my

long range plan. I am trying to find acerage in the desert, and have

small modulars-with all the water stuff in one modular-then if

something leaks I don't loose the entire home. good luck

K

aren > This might seem a long post but I've decided to put everything

> important that has happened to me this year in one message, so please

> bear with me

>

[Guest guest]

heat and humidity, not good. one thing about my tiny apaerment is that

its easy to cool. the kids say its to cold but I fell better with the

cold, I think ac's should be designed to run and filter air

continioudly while the therastat adjusts itself to keep rooms a

caertain temp. I think bad things happen (grow) in ac's because of the

constant starting and stoping of air flow.

--- In , " carondeen " <kdeanstudios@...>

wrote:

>

> Dear Branislav

>

[Guest guest]

Branislav,

Is there any hope that you could install some kind of filtered, powered

ventilation system, something like

a heat recovery ventilator or energy recovery ventilator with the air intake

vent very far up and hopefully in the clear of

these moldy plumes from the building next door?

That might be able to be adjusted to keep your apartment slightly

pressurized as well..

Thats the only thing I can think of...

On 9/21/07, Branislav <arealis@...> wrote:

>

> This might seem a long post but I've decided to put everything

> important that has happened to me this year in one message, so please

> bear with me

>

> Near the building I live in, there is a large office building - the

> central tax administration office for my district and a few smaller

> banks. If memory serves me well, the building was built in 1986. It

> has ordinary windows that can be opened. Therefore the designers

> probably didn't have AC units on their minds when they designed it.

> This building hadn't caused me ANY problems whatsoever until Spring

> this year... then all hell broke out.

>

> In March the pavement near the entrance of this building was heavily

> contaminated with something that would later turn out to be

> trichothecene mycotoxins, probably those made by Stachybotrys. I and

> other tenants of my building brought these toxins to our flats on the

> soles of our shoes, and they eventually spread over carpets, some

> furniture etc. After heavy rains in late Spring the contamination on

> the pavement subsided considerably. I thought that would be the end of

> it but how wrong I was...

>

> During Summer this year (which was hellishly HOT here) I noticed that

> the air that was coming from that building was also contaminated -

> that's what some moldies would call mycotoxin plumes. I noticed that

> these mycotoxin plumes were the strongest during the work hours (7 AM

> - 6 PM), while during night they would be much weaker.

>

> I attributed these mycotoxin clouds to their AC units, which, as it

> turned out, were placed in really large numbers in 2006 almost on

> every single window! I think their AC units are either moldy inside

> (not maintained properly) OR they are spreading something even worse

> that exists in the building OR both.

>

> I noticed that theit basement (treasury) is probably the worst

> regarding contamination, which led me to believe that they might have

> some live Stachy growing there... but I have no proof.

>

> My assumption as to what happened with that part of pavement in early

> Spring is that someone might have cleaned a really moldy AC unit

> (there are two hanging on two windows just above the problematic

> pavement place) and the mycotoxins simply fell on the ground.

>

> The only certain thing is that their AC units can blow some really bad

> stuff and virtually engulf the nearest building in the mycotoxin

> cloud. I had to keep my windows closed or left only ajar - to prevent

> from choking on this horrible stuff. The chronic fatigue, brain fog

> and other neurological problems plagued me all this summer. CSM would

> definitely help, but of course it couldn't fix the main problem - the

> building across the street that kept poisoning me.

>

> Other tentants haven't likened their ailments to the building nearby,

> but some of them complained that they had blood running from their

> noses (unusal), while others complained on unusually frequent dental

> problems, and chronic fatigue and so on - it all points out to

> mycotoxins in the air.

>

> I think that the people in the building in quesiton are not using the

> AC units now as much as during summer because it's a lot colder.

>

> Now on to the main questions -

>

> 1) concerning immediate health issues

>

> Although I tried really hard to keep everything clean - and tossed

> every heavily contaminated object - it seems that there is a

> relatively small amount of mycotoxins that have settled on everything

> in my flat (floors, carpets, curtains, furniture etc.) and these

> objects emit the toxins slowly but surely - especially overnight if I

> turn on the heater (even the one that doesn't blow air). In the rooms

> I am during the daytime I can't detect now any object that has

> UNACCEPTABLE level of contamination. However, I guess they all offgass

> small amounts of toxins during night, and since all doors and windows

> are now closed, this creates a kind of mycotoxin gas chamber. Phew!

>

> In the morning I often wake up unrefreshed with aching stomach, and

> lately with aching LIVER and aching left KINDEY. Also I think my

> spleen is affected. All this usually passes during daytime when I move

> to other rooms or go outside, but during nights and mornings it's

> always the same. Now I am reallly worried. I know frequent exposures

> to even small amounts of trichothecenes are cumulative and can cause a

> lot of bad things. What can I do?

>

> Is it worthwhile to attempt to clean every single thing in the flat

> with ordinary detergent? Or would I only worsen the condition (spread

> toxins)?

>

> Not all objects are equally contaminated. Some are not contaminated at

> all, some very little, and I recently found several in my mother's

> room that are really badly contaminated, probably because the

> contamination doesn't bother her like me and she doesn't clean it like

> I would if the room was mine.

>

> 2. Concerning the options I have regarding the problematic building.

>

> If that was a residential building, I guess things would be much

> easier (say, to scare someone for his/her health). However, this is a

> government building and obviously I can't do much, if anything. I

> called them by phone and asked them if they had any floodings or

> excessive moisture problems and they quickly said - NO, we never had

> any of that. And that was the end of the conversation.

>

> I'm really frightened by what that building can do to me in the

> future. I'm especially afraid of the next Summer season when this

> problem will probably be even more pronounced.

>

> I mean, I can send them some papers about toxic mold and how badly

> maintained AC units can be the breeding ground for some really harmful

> fungi, but I'm afraid it will all come to nothing since they're

> obviously not experiencing any immediate health problems.

>

> Does anyone have any idea what I could do with that building - do I

> have any rights to call on and ask for the inspections? (I'm not

> living in USA but in a small east-european country).

>

> -Branislav

>

>

>