TUCSON, Ariz. — Christa Malleck took off the rubber gloves she wears around the house before taking a minute to talk about her chemical sensitivities.

“You have to forgive me today,” she said. “I might not make as much sense as usual because of all the pollen blowing around.”

Malleck suffers from Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and has had to dramatically change her lifestyle in order to prevent becoming ill from certain things, such as pollen and perfume. Malleck's symptoms range from headaches to heart palpitations.


“It’s like a bad trip," she said.

She has not had MCS her whole life and did not previously understand her now fragrance-free lifestyle. Malleck wears a mask to prevent the sensitivities occasionally but finds it easier to avoid places like Home Depot,shoe stores,Old Navy and nail salons that aggravate her condition.

“The absolute worst place is the local library," said Malleck, who said that her sensitivities have something to do with the carpet cleaner used in the library.

Though there are places that can be avoided, some day-to-day situations are harder than others, such as going to people's houses. She and her husband, who is also chemically sensitive, usually meet with others somewhere outdoors or suggest their house.

Dr. Kristi Mattson, an adviser of the Southern Human Ecology Action League, works to provide information about the harmful effects of chemicals on human health and to make a cleaner, less toxic environment.

HEAL celebrates an upcoming awareness week in May. Its goal is to raise awareness through at least one article in a local newspaper. Throughout the year, HEAL members get together online or have meetings to educate the public about chemical sensitivities.

Mattson is particularly sensitive to things such as perfume, smoke and fragrant laundry products and said the condition can be very severe.


“You can sometimes have life-threatening reactions from small exposures to everyday chemicals," she said.

The reactions usually involve the central nervous system, causing headaches, confusion and rage reactions. There can also be a mood shift due to the chemical intoxication of the brain.

“You could walk past the perfume counter at the department store and become dizzy and very angry,” Mattson said.

At home, Mattson uses organic products. For house cleaning, she uses a lot of hydrogen peroxide because it is very good at killing bacteria and mold.

“We have no carpet in our house because there are a number of problems with carpet," Malleck said. "New carpet can have as many as 200 chemicals."

To demonstrate the effects carpet can have on someone with MCS, Malleck described a study where baby mice died immediately after being enclosed in a jar with a piece of new carpet.

Malleck said there are a lot of things made with pesticides that people are unaware of. Even trash bags have pesticides and perfumes, she said.

Arizona has recognized chemical sensitivities as a potential illness and disability. MCS is a silent disability, said Malleck, because you can’t look at someone from a distance and tell that they have it.

“If a parent has MCS, it is very hard for them to attend a lot of school events or sporting events," she said. "They can become so weak that they cannot walk and may become very sick if they are around someone wearing perfume."

Malleck said she wants people to understand that MCS is not a choice, it's an illness.

“I want people to be cognizant about what chemicals they have on,” she said.

Though Malleck and Mattson want to raise awareness of their conditions, not all people are willing to accomodate.

Marissa Dew, a student at Florida State University, does not think that strangers should have to be more conscious about the scents on their body.

“It is very unfortunate that people have this problem but there’s no way we are ever going to get rid of scents, so maybe they should help themselves," Dew said. “I don’t think the world is going to accommodate them."

Dew said she feels people with MCS should take proper precautions to protect themselves and shouldn't get angry with the stranger who sprayed perfume that morning or had a cigarette on his or her personal time.

“People who have diabetes have to take insulin, people who can’t walk use a wheelchair, and people who have food allergies avoid those foods,” Dew said.

Mattson addressed the more practical answer for people with MCS: Avoidance is the mainstay of this lifestyle.