A Center for Disease Control (CDC) study release on Wednesday confirmed fears that the government trailers that have been housing victims of Hurricane Katrina are giving off dangerous chemicals. The CDC study found emissions of toxic chemicals to be four to eleven times higher in the trailers, than in the average US home.
It is believed that the main danger is from the chemical formaldehyde, which is found in many building materials, such as wood glue. Formaldehyde. Combined with the trailers' poor ventilation, many fear that people, especially children, who have stayed in the trailers for extended periods of time, could face lifelong health complications. Many children who stayed in trailers have since come down with various respiratory problems such as asthma, and formaldehyde is a considered a probable carcinogen.
The CDC is now urging that everyone be moved out of the government trailers. Please contact your representative and urge them to assist the victims of Katrina. Ask them to make sure that everyone is moved into safe housing, and that the government continues to provide housing for victims of Katrina. Additionally, please ask them to make sure that people who have been housed in these trailers have access to medical care to monitor for and treat any illness that arises from chemical exposure.
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Mississippi State University - Organic Fruit & Vegetable Web Page
Mississippi State University - Organic Gardening
Southern Organic Resource Guide - Mississippi Organics