The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast

Can people with MCS fight discrimination even without full medical recognition?
In this episode of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast, Aaron Goodman speaks with human-rights lawyer Paloma Torres López, co-founder of MEDUSA Human Rights in Madrid, Spain.
They discuss:
Why people with MCS shouldn’t have to wait for full medical recognition
Disability rights and the social model of disability
Accessibility and reasonable accommodation
Discrimination at work, in schools, healthcare and public spaces
Fragrance-free environments as an accessibility measure
Paloma explains how environmental barriers can prevent people with MCS from participating equally in society — and why disability and human-rights law may offer another path toward recognition, access and equality.
Listen and subscribe where you get your podcasts:
https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/1970633/episodes/19721803-beyond-medical-recognition-mcs-disability-human-rights-paloma-torres-lopez
Listen and subscribe on YouTube.
Transcription available in all languages:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbVdvkyZO_A

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The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images, and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. No material or information provided by The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast, or its associated website is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. 
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Thank you very much to the Marilyn Brachman Hoffman Foundation generously supporting the podcast!

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How can better measurement of MCS and chemical intolerance help reduce misunderstanding, missed cases, and misdiagnosis?
In this episode of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast, Aaron Goodman speaks with Raymond Palmer, PhD, a biostatistician and research professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio who has studied chemical intolerance for more than a decade.
You'll hear:
Why better recognition may help address misunderstanding and misdiagnosis
How the QEESI can help identify and measure MCS and chemical intolerance
The TILT model and the potential role of environmental exposures
Research into genetics, mast-cell activation, and biomarkers
Why listening to patients and improving recognition matter
A conversation about how researchers are working to better measure and understand MCS and chemical intolerance — and why doing so could help change how people with the illness are recognized and treated.
Links:
The QEESI (Quick Environmental Exposure and Sensitivity Inventory)
Raymond Palmer, PhD
Support the show
Thank you very much to the Marilyn Brachman Hoffman Foundation generously supporting the podcast!

If you find the podcast helpful, please consider becoming a monthly or one-time supporter:
https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/1970633/supporters/new
https://buymeacoffee.com/mcspodcast  
Follow the podcast on YouTube!  Captions available in any language. 
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Fragrance pollution, known as kogai, has become a growing public-health concern in Japan, affecting millions of people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) and others who experience adverse health effects from everyday fragranced products.
In this episode, Aaron Goodman speaks with Keiko Fukaya, Professor Emeritus Ryoichi Terada, and Yuri Kitagawa about the rise of fragrance pollution in Japan, its impact on daily life, and the movement to reduce unnecessary chemical exposures.
Topics include:
Fragrance pollution and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS)
Living with MCS in Japan
Schools, workplaces, and public accessibility
Environmental justice and social exclusion
Fragrance microcapsules and laundry products
Consumer advocacy and public policy
What other countries can learn from Japan
Listen now and subscribe:
https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/1970633/episodes/19587898-mcs-and-the-hidden-costs-of-fragrance-pollution-in-japan
Listen and subscribe on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/EzLPXZr0EOc
Support the show
Thank you very much to the Marilyn Brachman Hoffman Foundation generously supporting the podcast!

If you find the podcast helpful, please consider becoming a monthly or one-time supporter:
https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/1970633/supporters/new
https://buymeacoffee.com/mcspodcast  
Follow the podcast on YouTube!  Captions available in any language. 
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How do regulators decide that a chemical exposure is safe—and what happens when those standards fail to protect people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS)?
In this episode, Professor Laura Vandenberg from the University of Massachusetts Amherst explains why testing chemicals one at a time, relying on the “average” person, and assuming low doses are harmless may overlook real-world exposures and vulnerable populations.
We discuss:
Fragrance
Chemical mixtures
Endocrine disruptors
Industry influence
And what a more precautionary approach to chemical safety could look like.
Listen now & subscribe:
https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/1970633/episodes/19539201-mcs-and-the-limits-of-chemical-safety-laura-vandenberg-phd
Watch & subscribe on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6r3pSMPqpo
Laura Vandenberg and colleagues' 2023 paper:
A science-based agenda for health-protective chemical assessments and decisions: overview and consensus statement
Support the show
Thank you very much to the Marilyn Brachman Hoffman Foundation generously supporting the podcast!

If you find the podcast helpful, please consider becoming a monthly or one-time supporter:
https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/1970633/supporters/new
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Why do some health conditions gain recognition while others remain difficult to classify, diagnose, or accommodate?
Aaron Goodman speaks with Geoffrey Bowker, Professor of Informatics at the University of California, Irvine, and author of Sorting Things Out: Classification and Its Consequences, about medical classification systems and what they can teach us about MCS.
You'll hear:
• Why MCS remains difficult for many healthcare systems to classify and recognize
• How medical classifications influence diagnosis, accommodation, and support
• Why some health conditions fit established categories while others remain contested
• The role of patient knowledge and lived experience in healthcare
• What lessons Long COVID may offer for the future recognition of MCS
• What could help MCS gain broader recognition within medicine and society
Listen now and subscribe:
https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/1970633/episodes/19445366-the-recognition-gap-mcs-medical-classification-geoffrey-bowker-phd
Watch & subscribe on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yjGCEIMre0
Support the show
Thank you very much to the Marilyn Brachman Hoffman Foundation generously supporting the podcast!

If you find the podcast helpful, please consider becoming a monthly or one-time supporter:
https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/1970633/supporters/new
https://buymeacoffee.com/mcspodcast  
Follow the podcast on YouTube!  Captions available in any language. 
Please follow the podcast on social media:

Facebook
Instagram
X
BlueSky
TikTok