Studies of the Prevalence of Chemical Sensitivity and MCS

AUTHORS

YEAR // TITLE // SOURCE

"n" & State

CHEMICAL SENSITIVITY (CS) OR INTOLERANCE

SPECIFICALLY MULTIPLE CHEMICAL SENSITIVITY (MCS)

Bell IR, Walsh ME, Goss A, Gersmeyer J, Schwartz GE, Kano P.

1997. Cognitive dysfunction and disability in geriatric veterans with self reported intolerance to environmental chemicals. J. CFS, 3(3):15-42

AZ

37%
"especially sensitive to chemicals"

not assessed (na)

Bell IR, Miller CS, Schwartz GE, Peterson JM, Amend D.

1996. Neuropsychiatric and somatic characteristics of young adults with and without self-reported chemical odor intolerance and chemical sensitivity. [Review] [114 refs]. Arch Environ Health 51(1):9-21.

809 in
AZ

28%
"especially sensitive to chemicals"

with physician's diagnosis of MCS

Meggs WJ, Dunn KA, Bloch RM, Goodman PE, Davidoff AL.

1996. Prevalence and nature of allergy and chemical sensitivity in a general population. Arch Environ Health 51(4)(4):275-82.

1027 in NC

16.9% CS & allergy 12% CS weekly

3.9%
with CS daily

Kreutzer R and Neutra R

1995. Unpublished data on 4,000 randomly selected but representative adults in California collected by the state's Dept. of Health Services; cited by A. McCampbell in "Iatrogenic (physician-induced) hypochondriasis" (Psychosomatics 38(3):300-1, 1997, referenced to a personal communication with R. Kreutzer.) Study design and preliminary data (showing even higher prevalences) are reported by Kreutzer and Neutra in the US ATSDR's Final Report: Evaluating Individual Reporting Sensitivities to Multiple Chemicals, June 1996, ATSDR # PB96-187646.

4000 in CA

15.9%
with CS symptoms in multiple organs provoked by multiple exposures

6.3%
with physician's diagnosis of MCS

Kipen HM, Hallman W, Kelly-McNeil K, Fiedler N.

1995. Measuring chemical sensitivity prevalence: a questionnaire for population studies. Am J Public Health 85:574-7.

NJ

4% of Occupational Surveillance Patients

AUTHORS

YEAR // TITLE // SOURCE

"n" & State

CHEMICAL SENSITIVITY (CS) OR INTOLERANCE

SPECIFICALLY MULTIPLE CHEMICAL SENSITIVITY (MCS)

Bell IR, Schwartz GE, Amend D, Peterson JM,

Stini WA.

1994. Sensitization to early life stress and response to chemical odors in older adults. Biol Psychiatry 35:857-63.

AZ

34%
"especially sensitive to chemicals"

(na)

Bell IR, Schwartz GE, Peterson JM, Amend D, Stini WA.

1993. Possible time-dependent sensitization to xenobiotics: self-reported illness from chemical odors, foods, and opiate drugs in an older adult population. Arch Environ Health 48:315-27.

AZ

17%
with CS symptoms
from 4 of 5 exposures

(na)

Bell IR, Schwartz GE, Peterson JM, Amend D.

1993. Self-reported illness from chemical odors in young adults without clinical syndromes or occupational exposures. Arch Environ Health 48:6-13.

AZ

15%
with CS symptoms
from 4 of 5 exposures

(na)

Wallace LA, Nelson CJ, Highsmith R, and Dunteman G.

Note that these are all EPA researchers and that EPA approved this paper for presentation and publication.

1993. Association of personal and workplace characteristics with health, comfort and odor: a survey of 3948 office workers in three buildings. Indoor Air 3:193-205.

1995. Perception of indoor air quality among government employees in Washington, DC. Technology: Journal of the Franklin Institute,
332A:183-198

DC and
VA

of employees in EPA's Waterside Mall Headquarters said they were "especially sensitive" to common chemical exposures in after carpet installation. In two other EPA buildings used as controls, Crystal and Fairchild, 32% and 29% respectively said they were "especially sensitive." 33% of an additional 3,000 controls from the Library of Congress Madison Building also said they were "especially sensitive"

(na)