Re: Mycotoxins and filters

[Guest guest]

If your focus is on fungal fragments and spores (solids) a HEPA filter will

remove >99% of the fungal biomass.

The problem that remains is that the very smallest fragments that remain are

also able to penetrate very deeply into the lungs because of their size. So,

they represent (in my opinion) much more of the percentage of any toxic

threat than that 1% would indcate.

Dr. Straus did a paper in which he tested that post-filtered biomass for

toxicity using an assay of protein inhibition. It was still measurably

toxic, I think.

Personally, I don't think filtration alone in a very toxic environment is

enough, It wasn't for us.

The reason is because those smallest particles are the most damaging.

But it helps- both for filtering incoming fresh (nontoxic) air in a home..

and in respirators for entering toxic environments for brief periods.

The fact that filters often don't remove enough to make air healthy is

another argument for dilution, assuming you can get clean air. Dilution and

filtration is better than either alone..

[Guest guest]

Thanks, and I guess that is problem with forced air furnace rather than

floor board heaters, etc, it keeps particles suspended, where they can

be inhaled, rather than settled. I'm sure this is only a problem for

people who are very sensitive like myself and some people here though.

I have mixed feelings now about room air cleaners because of this since

they keep air circulating and I think suspend particles. I guess the

real solution is house should be cleaner (my house should be cleaner.

I fall behind due to fatigue), and perhaps run air cleaner only when I

leave house and turn it off when I return home. I also bought free

standing area heaters, oil filled, and almost forgot about them, need

to set them up. It's cold here already (how quickly it changes!!!).

What I did last year was put the stand alone area heaters in each room

I use to provide heat, including the room where the thermostat is, and

that way furnace runs less. It saves a bit on the heating bill

also.

--- In , LiveSimply <quackadillian@...>

wrote:

>

> If your focus is on fungal fragments and spores (solids) a HEPA

filter will

> remove >99% of the fungal biomass.

[Guest guest]

I used to have a house that was a disply of air purifyers and filters,

none of them helped a twit in my moldy house that I lived in for many

years before I knew it was contaminated. And hepa filtration has never

helped me since-or any other type-I have spent a small fortune on air

purification and filtering-no matter how large they are ,they only

filter the small amount of air around them. Perhaps if you are

sensitive to dust only ,keep an imaculate house, and just need allitle

extra, it might help-but if I could have all that money back now that I

am totally broke, I would never buy an air filter of any kind, save

that money for moving, or to buy a geodesic dome tent to live in your

back yard.

> filtration is better than either alone..

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

What's an infrared lamp? Is that like a heat lamp? I love to get

under a heat lamp but I'm afraid of using them much since they get so

hot..afraid something will tip it over or I'll fall asleep with one on

somewhere. Are infraed as hot?

I have the Austin Air also and get tired of replacing the the prefilter

also. For one thing, they are inconvenient to replace and then the

cost. I have taken the filter material down to fabric shop and bought

some polyester material as close to it as I can find, but then I have

to cut to size and still feel hasseled that I have to turn the machine,

which is QUIT heavy, upside down, unscrew the bottom, to lift out the

prefilter, SO what I do is in addition to the Austin made prefilter, I

put a pre=pre-filter over the OUTSIDE of the machine. Just some

material from the fabric store and tape that to the outside where I can

change it easily. It doesn't look as nice but if company is coming, I

can take them off easily. I was thinking of even trying a fabric with

a print on it, to kind of make it look 'deliberate' instead

of 'utilitarian'. If I HEMMED the fabric perhaps I could throw it in

the wash instead of throwing it away, and that way keep the prefilter

clean longer. What do you think???

>

> I wonder about 24/7 air filters too which I use. Austin.

[Guest guest]

Yes, a simple infrared bulb. I bought a...geez, what would you call

it, clip on lamp? I guess so...with a...a guard, I guess you would

call it. A few years ago. I don't know if those terms are mechanically

correct but the idea was if the lamp fell the bulb would not break.

And you can get more expensive infrared lamps. I really like the heat

and they even make saunas out of them, so, they're good for you.

That's kind of clever what you did with your Austin. I never put the

screws back on--just put the bottom plate on and it always holds. I do

not clean the prefilter enough for the same reason, a hassle.

I went out to see one more short-term rental today. I've decided the

whole rental idea is probably not for me. As Semco is saying, rentals

present all kinds of problems. It was a beautiful day tho so a lovely

ride. Seemed like a nice house--a lot of stone steps up to the

entrance, tho, wouldn't be so fun in winter. The " apartment " looked

like an executive hotel room. There was a galley kitchen, a main room

that was carpeted with a nice bed, a bureau, a workspace, an LCD tv,

and a bathroom.

Well, my MCS rendered it bothersome. Dont' know what it was. Suspect

it was the synthetic carpet and the newish kitchen, and maybe the

furniture (high end particle board). I mean, I could've easily had a

business meeting there but never would want to *live* there.

Meanwhile, she noted I might want to hike in the woods behind her

house. I said, Probably not, I suspect you have deer. Yes, she said,

lots of deer. I said, have you ever had lyme disease? She said, no but

all my pets have.

OTOH, she has had both knees replaced and is fatigued all the time.

Many people do have lyme and just don't realize it.

Anyway, it won't be easy for me to find a place if I can get out of

here. It's actually healthier HERE, with my wood floors and Bioshield

paint and Austin Air Filters, than any rental place I've seen!

[Guest guest]

I have had the same experience. I went into some places that just

REEKED of odor and people there not noticing. Once you are in some

place long enough, you get used to organic odors, or that has been my

experience, but certainly you can smell them when you WALK IN, but

people ignore. I used to also.

>

> I believe you, I believe you!

> In looking at rentals and even places to buy, tho, I have to tell you,

> a lot of homes are sicker than mine.

>

[Guest guest]

Actually, I don't. Anymore than most others do or probably than you &

your wife did. Perhaps less, since you had family to move near/go to?

In fact, you might have more, since you have a spouse still able to

work. I have to support myself while navigating this.

I'm not " complaining " just I don't think I ever gave the impression

that I'm financially so solvent I can just easily make choices in this

situation. Just the opposite.

Also, for a mold sensitive person, I'm not sure a moldy building can

be " fixed " .

> So, I guess what I was saying is that compared to a lot of people, you

> have more flexibility because you have the financial wherewithal to

> move and your biggest concern is finding a healthy place, which is

> very, very hard, but not as hard as the problems that would come if

> you were also dealing with these other harrowing situations in

> addition to having been hypersensitized and having Lyme disease.

>

[Guest guest]

I have thought about this post of yours, Live, esp this paragraph. I

hope that this post of mine goes through to the list.

I found your post extremely offensive. I doubt you will understand

why, but esp this paragraph. What right do you have to make

assumptions about my situation, to quantify my suffering, to imply in

an extremely offensive way that I am lucky because though I have lyme

disease & have been hypersensitized to mold and chemicals, apparently

I don't have it as hard as other people?

This makes me not want to post for a while. I am going to just take a

break. I won't leave the list but I'm not going to read for a while. I

also will go back today and delete many of my public posts so they're

not on the record, and I will no longer write openly about my

situation. This post also disgusts me considering I've backchanneled

you in answer to your backchannels, about some of my problems.

I also haven't appreciated your backchannels in many respects either,

so please don't backchannel me. I have had to defend myself

backchannel because of your dire predictions about moving (you have,

in backchannelling me, at times raised the spectre of me, and I

paraphrase, being lost in the suburbs with no ability to work, and

have critiqued the way I handled the difficult situation with the

developer and demolition in our building...without even really knowing

what was going on).

You are stressful for me, and I now understand why others get upset

with you. I think you need to think about your posts before you post,

because people who are struggling really don't need to be judged.

> So, I guess what I was saying is that compared to a lot of people, you

> have more flexibility because you have the financial wherewithal to

> move and your biggest concern is finding a healthy place, which is

> very, very hard, but not as hard as the problems that would come if

> you were also dealing with these other harrowing situations in

> addition to having been hypersensitized and having Lyme disease.

>

>