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Bringing Light

to Tough Subjects

Bio-detoxification need not be expensive or financially unattainable. Long Beach, Mississippi resident, Marta Knowlton, and her husband have made detoxification and health restoration affordable by choosing to make their health a priority, thus forgoing less important purchases. Ms. Knowlton recommends, “People have to be proactive and develop a total commitment to their health.” Affordable detoxification was also a focus of Kurt and Lee Ann Billings, authors of MOLD: The War Within, after their family’s exposure to mold and chemicals post-Katrina. In MOLD: The War Within, the Billings detail the detoxification plan that not only restored, but surpassed, their family’s prehurricane health.

Bio-detoxification need not require thousands and thousands of dollars; however it does require personal commitment and needs to be guided and monitored by a medical professional. Beware of any quick, fix-everyone type of solutions as bio-detoxification and health restoration is very individual and can be affected by many factors such as genetics, health history, exposure history, etc.

Regina Santella, PhD, director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, recommends in MOLD: The War Within to minimize future toxic exposures. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), controlling the sources of toxic exposures and ventilation is most important. However, when this is not possible, which may be the situation for many trailer occupants in the coming months during the housing transition, the following steps can be taken to help minimize exposures in their new housing environments:

1. Use an air purification unit in each room, if possible. If not, create a “clean” sleeping room in which all family members can sleep. The AAFA recommends that consumers not use “ozone generator” machines as they can produce 10 times more than the acceptable level of ozone, which is 50 parts per billion. An air purification system that contains a true HEPA filter will capture at least 99.97% of all microscopic particles 0.3 microns in diameter or larger from the air that passes through it. Units under $100 that meet these requirements are readily available in stores. Although more expensive units may provide more air exchanges in a room per hour and may filter out a higher level of contaminants, people working with limited financial resources likely will notice an initial reduction in air particulates by using one of the lesser expensive models. However, in order to maintain the same initial level of improved air quality, replacement of pre-filters and the HEPA filters is necessary. The more contaminated the indoor air is with airborne particulates, the more frequently filters will need to be replaced. Please note that with filtration-type air purification units, one unit is only effective for one room. One filtration-type unit will not service a three-room apartment.

2. Use a high quality furnace filter if relocated to an apartment or a house.

3. Use vent filters in furnace/AC registers to help trap air contaminants, such as dirt, dust, smoke particles, and pollen-size particles, etc. Vent filters are readily available at stores.

4. Medical doctors at Louisiana State University (LSU) state, “The bedroom is the most important room in which to implement environmental control measures, such as encasing mattresses and pillows in vinyl or semi-permeable covers.” This may be especially necessary in a hotel environment or if used mattresses are provided.

5. Use a natural roach-killer bait to eliminate cockroaches. According to scientists at LSU, the residue of dust mites and cockroaches commonly trigger asthma attacks. A common household remedy is one-half part baking soda mixed with one-half part sugar placed in cut-down paper cups left in strategic places where cockroaches frequent. (For more natural pest control methods, please see

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MOLD:

The War Within