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Thank you for listening to the Chemical Sensitivity Podcast!
Amplifying voices of people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) and research about the illness.
Brought to you by journalist and communication studies researcher, Aaron Goodman, Ph.D.
Generously supported by the Marilyn Brachman Hoffman Foundation.
DISCLAIMER: THIS PROJECT DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE
The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images, and other material from this project are for informational purposes only. None of the material 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 heard or read from this project.
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Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) is often seen as a condition that mostly affects older people. However, recent studies indicate young adults may be especially affected by MCS. Research suggests young adults have the highest prevalence, may be more likely than other age groups to develop the condition, and seem particularly vulnerable to the mental-health impacts of living with chemical intolerance and the social isolation it can bring. This episode's guest, Abby Steeves, recently complete...
You’re listening to The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast. I’m Aaron Goodman. In this episode, we discuss illness memoirs as evidence, resistance, and survival. We explore the seminal 1994 memoir by Australian writer, Diana Crumpler, Chemical Crisis: One Woman's Story, Humanity's Future? I speak with Roxana Delbene, PhD, a linguist and medical humanities scholar who studies how people with so-called contested illnesses, including Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), use language and st...
This episode of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast explores something many listeners live every day: toxic exposures hidden in everyday products. I’m speaking with researcher Adrianna Trifunovski and environmental health professor Dr. Caroline Barakat about their study on women’s awareness, beliefs, and avoidance of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in personal care and household products. We discuss: Which chemicals many women recognizeWhich fly under the radarHow symptoms drive behaviorAnd what ...
On February 3, 2023, a freight train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, in the U.S. Days later, a “controlled burn” released a massive plume into the air. Many residents who returned home soon became ill. In this episode of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast, Aaron Goodman speaks with sociologist Madison Scott and toxic exposure expert Professor Lynn Singer. They explore how: Toxic exposure triggered ongoing symptoms akin to Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS),...
This episode of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast is a game-changer. It counters widespread misinformation and misunderstanding about Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), an illness that affects millions around the globe. You'll hear Aaron Goodman in conversation with Beatrice Golomb, Professor in Residence in Medicine at the University of California in San Diego in the U.S. Professor Golomb explores: How MCS is clearly not a psychological condition, but an illness influenced by mitochondrial ...
In this episode of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast, we’re exploring youth, chronic illness, and MCS. You'll hear Aaron Goodman speaking with Imogen Harper, Ph.D., a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Sydney in Australia. She explores how: · Diagnosis of illnesses like MCS in youth is often complex and requires adults noticing symptoms and advocating. · Parents and caregivers can play a crucial in navigating medical s...
In recent weeks, as many listeners know, I've been exploring ways to challenge false arguments that MCS is a psychological disorder. I hope you find this episode of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast helps. You'll hear me in conversation with Kevin Elliott, Ph.D. He is the Red Cedar Distinguished Professor of Philosophy of Science at Michigan State University in the U.S. I was delighted to speak with Kevin, learn about his important research — and I am excited to share this episode with you.&nb...
Thank you to everyone who took time to share feedback about The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast through the 2025 listener survey. The goal was to learn more from you about how the podcast contributes to awareness, education, and support around MCS. Share your feedback anytime on social media — and you can reach me at aaron@chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org Listen at https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@podcastingMCS #MCSAdvocacy #MultipleChemi...
In the latest episode of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast, we’re exploring medical invalidation. It's something virtually everyone with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) has experienced and it can be devastating. Researcher Allyson Bontempo, Ph.D. joins Aaron Goodman on the podcast to discuss her work on healthcare invalidation and discusses: · What she calls an “epidemic” of medical invalidation for people with MCS and other illnesses. · &...
The newest episode of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast is available now! It's called “Synthetic Food Dyes & MCS.” Researcher and psychology professor Rebecca Bevins tells Aaron Goodman how she discovered her son’s extreme reactions to synthetic food dyes — petroleum-based additives linked to anxiety, aggression, and cognitive disruption. Their conversation reveals the impacts of everyday chemicals, something people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) a...
The newest episode of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast is available now! It's called “Chemical Production, Regulation, & MCS." I’m speaking with Miriam Diamond, Ph.D., an expert in chemical contaminants and a professor at the University of Toronto in Canada. You'll hear Professor Diamond explore: How tens of thousands of toxic chemicals are produced, yet many people with MCS are still dismissed.There is insufficient research into the harms of chemicals.The industries th...
In the latest episode of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast, we uncover what people with the illness already know — there is no such thing as safe fragrance. I speak with Professor Gertrud Morlock from Justus Liebig University Giessen in Germany. You'll hear her share: What her lab found when screening 42 perfumes.Why fragrance formulas are shielded as trade secrets, and how even small amounts can be toxic. How ethanol in perfume enhances skin penetration and persistence.And what “unscente...
Millions of people live with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS). We are often the best sources of knowledge about the condition. In this special episode of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast, I explore listeners’ important questions. I turn to people with MCS for answers, as well as researchers who specialize in the condition. We explore: How to survive in toxic housingTraveling safely with MCSWhich countries recognize MCS as a disabilityHospital accommodationsWhy fragrances are so perva...
For people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), this is often our reality: We're told the illness isn’t real — it's just in our heads — and the law refuses to protect us. In this episode of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast, Professor Doron Dorfman, a disability law scholar at Seton Hall University School of Law in Newark, New Jersey, in the U.S., explores how: People with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) face discrimination because courts often dismiss fragrance-free policies a...
Check out the latest episode of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast! It's called “RVs, Formaldehyde, & Toxic Exposures.” I’m speaking with environmental anthropologist, Nicholas Shapiro, Ph.D., associate professor at the University of California in Los Angeles. You’ll hear Nicholas explore how after Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, tens of thousands of people were exposed to dangerous levels of formaldehyde in government-supplied RVs. Many developed chronic illnesses and s...
The latest episode of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast is available now! It's called “Fragrance & Indoor Air Quality.” I’m speaking with Jeffrey Siegel, Ph.D., Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Toronto. He is an expert in healthy and sustainable buildings, ventilation, and indoor air quality. A lot of people with MCS contact him, and he has compassion for folks with the illness. You’ll hear Professor Siegel explore: · Th...
The newest episode of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast is available now! It's called “Women’s Scented Products and Environmental Justice.” I’m speaking with Ami Zota, associate professor of Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia University in New York. Professor Zota explores how women of color are disproportionately affected by toxic exposures and unregulated chemicals in beauty, intimate, and personal care products. Thank you for listening! Plea...
The newest episode of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast is available now! It's called “Chemical Intolerance & the Body.” I’m speaking with Linus Andersson, associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Umeå University in Sweden. His carefully designed experiments have shown how people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) or Chemical Intolerance (CI) react to small amounts of chemicals. You’ll hear Linus explore: · How he believes 1 ...
The newest episode of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast is available now! It's called “Environmental Disability.” I’m speaking with Norwegian sociology researcher, Pia Aimée Tordly. Her research on Environmental Disability is informed by her experiences living with MCS. When Pia first developed the illness in 2010, she lost her job, had move 10 times, and had no other option but to live in her vehicle for a time. Since then, she has completed two master’s degrees focused on E...
Check out the newest episode of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast! It's called “MCS Advocates and Activists.” I’m speaking with two women in the U.S. and two women in Canada. All have severe MCS and are activists when it comes to the illness, creating awareness and calling for change in unique and important ways. You’ll hear them explore: Why they decided to engage in advocacy How they respond to disbelievers and ask people to choose fragrance-free productsA...
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