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Hi-

I'm new to this list and hope to get valuable info from whoever offers some.

I'm a victim of a critically sick building in which I live...or should I say,

" merely survive

by a thread " lo these many years before finding out the toxic state of my

residence.

Among other things, I believe the main culprits to be PETROCHEMICAL

PARTICULATES accessing my apartment via holes around piping inside radiators

-- just discovered by me (first by hypothesis, then by actually finding

these) when removing the front grating on my 5 apartment radiators.

I have been deathly ill for over 14 years, dating from the time I began

working full-time in my home...and I believe I was becoming this ill long

before, from the time I moved into this building (a modern, relatively new

building); however, the toxic illnesses crept up more slowly since I was away

at work those earlier years.

I just discovered these radiator (and window, et al.) defects 4 weeks ago

after putting 2 and X together in my angry, activist brain. Finally I have a

cause for my neurotoxicity, peripheral neuropathy, asthma (first diagnosed 3

years ago and now on multiple medications after 5 ER visits) and incessant,

recurring debilitating bedriddenness due to severe headaches, excrutiating

abdominal pain and ileus (paralyzed intestine), unbearable nausea, fever and

lassitude...and, of course, loss of work due to incapacitation and a

continuing miserable state of health.

Help! How does one get changes made by the landlord?

External " vents " on the ground floor of the building I believe to be a

CHIMNEY which provides these petrochemicals to the outside of the building

and up through the window defects (new windows...but with plenty of thin

spaces all around for volatiles and particulates to seep in). This, I also

just discovered 4 weeks ago...always thinking that big giant " ventilator " was

a giant building air conditioner. Nope, it turns out, it giantly vents our

boiler room into the street and has a very narrow (a few feet) of concrete

slab above it. Not large enough nor protectively built enough to shield the

apartments above (as I live on the 9th Floor and am severely affected).

Also, a restaurant below at right angles to this building vent (our building

is a whole block long) features its own kitchen vent from which spew fuels

and petrochemicals, I presume...yet this vent is not shielded at all. No

concrete, no awning, nothing, nada

to prevent fumes and smoke, etc. from reaching our windows above and into our

rooms.

This has been a deadly experience for me and has ruined the better part of my

life, my health and my finances. But now that I can trace the cause, does

anyone on this list have ideas about my courses of action:

1. Healthwise

2. Buildingwise

3. Legalwise

3. Municipalitywise (New York City)

In the meantime, I am madly duct-taping most of my windows shut to cut the

ingress

of black toxic soot and stuffing radiator-wall defects with aluminum foil and

duct-taping tightly over these. Also am duct-taping any thin-thin gaps

between walls and windows, walls and radiators, walls and wall sockets,

switches, etc. Anything where any fumes of any kind can seep in (as I have

had horrible disabling episodes when others are painting, floor-stripping,

carpet-glue-ing, and who knows what else is being emitted from

users-of-toxics in this building.

Sorry for this lengthy post, but hope you will all bear with me and provide

me with some suggestions and ideas. Thank you all in advance. --Madigana