Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

Presented by Steve Temes, Airways Environmental Services, Redbank, NJ

This advanced level presentation is an introduction to chemical sensitivities, or multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), which is an acquired functional disorder.  It will benefit indoor air quality professionals who perform investigations of health effects reported by building occupants.  Participants will learn the criteria used for the medical diagnosis of MCS, the results of prevalence studies of MCS in the American population, the reasons MCS has been considered a “controversial illness”, and how neurogenic inflammatory reactions experienced by individuals who have environmental chemical hypersensitivities are caused by neurophysiologic chemoreception mechanisms.

The information presented is taken directly from peer-reviewed scientific literature journal articles and government statistics with all citations included in the (attached) PowerPoint presentation slides and slide notes.

About Steve Temes

Steve Temes is an industrial hygienist who received a BA degree in Biological Sciences (Pre-Med) from Rutgers College in 1977 and a Master of Business Administration from Monmouth University in 1982. He is the owner of AirWays Environmental Services, where he is an indoor air quality consultant and a Certified Microbial Consultant (ACAC). Temes is active in the Indoor Air Quality Association. He has over thirteen years of experience in industrial and laboratory safety and health and is the co-author of several chemical patents.

Temes is experienced in industrial hygiene environmental risk assessment practices and hazard communication and has served as a consultant to commercial and residential property owners and managers performing investigations of building-related health complaints and analysis of indoor pollutants and HVAC systems since 1990. He has prepared many forensic cause-and-origin study reports as a building scientist in cases of water intrusion/condensation and resulting indoor microbial growth. He has also performed many hundreds of building studies in which occupants had expressed health complaints or concerns, identifying contaminant sources responsible for occupant symptoms and recommending effective corrective action. In his work, he has conducted personal interviews with thousands of individuals regarding their building-related symptoms and has acquired extensive experience with chemical sensitivities and related health issues.