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Environmental
Health Center - Dallas
8345 Walnut Hill Lane, Suite 220
Dallas, TX 75231
11/21/2000
To Whom it May Concern:
This letter of endorsement
is for ecologically clean and environmentally safe housing.
The scientific facts are clear: indoor air pollution is a major
health threat to millions of Americans.
The National Academy
of Sciences reports that 20 to 30% of the population is now
suffering from heightened sensitivity to chemicals and related
substances in indoor air. Some facts are: (1) radon causes
between 5,000 to 20,000 lung cancer deaths each year; (2) indoor
air pollutants cause between 3,500 and 6,500 additional cancer
cases per year; (3) indoor air contaminants cause significant
increases in medical costs and declines in work productivity;
(4) 30% of all office workers suffer from "sick building
syndrome;" (5) Garibaldi and Dixon, as far back as 1988
in the Journal of the American Medical Association (April 8,
1988 Vol. 259, No. 14), state that research indicates respiratory
tract infections caused by indoor air pollutants annually account
for 75 million physician visits, 1.25 million hospitalizations,
$15 billion in direct medical costs, 150 million lost work days,
and $59 billion in indirect costs such as lost income from work
absenteeism; (6) Canada reports that up to 15% of school children's
learning abilities are being impaired due to indoor air pollutants.
Many are being misdiagnosed as autistic, mentally retarded,
learning disabled, dyslexic, etc. The Environmental Research
Foundation, Annapolis, MD, states pollution causes people to
commit violent crimes; homicide, aggravated assault, sexual
assault and robbery. Research by Roger D. Masters at Dartmouth
College reports that some US counties have only 100 violent
crimes per 100,000 people per year; other counties have rates
of violent crime that are 30 times as high.
I have known Dr.
Alex V. Delgado for almost 15 years and consider him an authority
in this field. I fully support his work in this area.
Environmental
Medicine Associates
#2 Steele Street, Suite 200
Denver, CO 80206-5708
December
2, 2000
To Whom It May Concern:
Re: Need for homes
free of chemicals.
Many chronically
ill patients urgently need homes where they can live free of
exposures to the many man-made chemicals commonly found in homes
built in the United States today.
An increasing number
of physicians recognize inhalant chemicals as contributing (if
not causative) factors in chronic illness. The medical
literature substantiating this recognition grows larger each
year. Two such articles include 1) Molhave L. et al, Human
Reactions to Low Concentrations of Volatile Organic Compounds.
Environ Int 12:167-176, 1986. 2) Lorig TS et al.
The effects of Low Concentration Odors on EEG Activity and Behavior,
Journal of Psychophysiology 5:67-77, 1991.
In my more than 20
years of practice in Denver, I have encountered an increasing
number of patients who are actively seeking chemically cleaner
environments in which to live and work. Those patients
who have been able to build environmentally cleaner homes have
usually improved their health considerably.
11/2/00
To Whom It May Concern:
The present generation
of children are in great jeopardy because there is so much indoor
air pollution at the present time. Many ventilation systems
are not properly maintained. Many chemicals are used indoors
such as neurotoxic pesticides even though it is accepted and
known that these can cause brain and nervous system damage,
plus damage to the immune, reproductive and endocrine systems.
These are used even though safe effective substitutes are available.
Cleaning and deodorizing materials are often toxic. Furnishings
such as carpets, particle board cabinets and shelving, and stuffing
in couches and mattresses can be very toxic. Construction
material such as wallboard, insulation, paint, waxes, etc also
often contain toxic registered chemicals. We must do more
to protect the youngsters and ourselves. Our air, food,
water, clothing, homes, schools and workplaces should all be
environmentally safe. If we do not change what we are
doing, we shall not have a silent spring, but also a silent
summer, fall and winter. Many of the medical, emotional
and learning problems of the present generation are directly
due to these forms of pollution.
Sincerely,
Doris J. Rapp, M.D.,
FAAA, FAAP, FAEM
Clinical Ass't Prof. of Pedi at SUNYAB
Board certified in peditrics, pediatric allergy and environmental
medicine.
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