Lemons of the International Union of Toxicology
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Ms. Shawn Lamb
Executive Director, International Union of Toxicology
1821 Michael Faraday Drive, Suite 300
Reston, Virginia 20190
[email protected]
International Congress of Toxicology
Chair, Scientific Program Committee
Daniel Cyr
INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier
Universitй du Quйbec
[email protected]
Dear Ms. Lamb and Dr. Cyr,
We are writing to call your attention to an ongoing promulgation of misinformation that the International Union of Toxicology (IUTOX) and the International Congress of Toxicology have assisted in promoting.
On July 20, 2007, Dr. Jack Thrasher, Toxicologist, filed a letter of complaint, via the IUTOX fraud and ethics violation reporting site. The complaint was regarding a presentation given at the IUTOX XI International Congress of Toxicology in Montreal, Canada. It was Risk from Inhaled Mycotoxins from Mold-Infested Produce. Abstract of the presentation states:
"RISK FROM INHALED MYCOTOXINS FROM MOLD-INFESTED PRODUCE
C.Y. Chan, C.R. Robbins, P. Fallah, B.D. Hardin, and B.J. Kelman
Veritox, Redmond, USA
Indoor Environmental Hygiene Laboratory, Redmond, USA
Despite the findings of learned bodies,there continue to be concerns throughout North America and Northern Europe about mycotoxins from mold spores in indoor environments. We developed preliminary data on the level of spores generated from dropping moldy lemons into a wastebasket, associated maximum potential dose of mycotoxins, and risk of adverse effects from inhaling mycotoxins during this activity. Five lemons were inoculated with Penicillium and grown in closed containers until >50\% of the surface was covered with mold. In each trial, one lemon was dropped from a height of 180 cm into a wastebasket....Even at these relatively high spore levels, our data indicates that the spore levels measured and potentially-associated doses of mycotoxin are not sufficient to cause adverse effects."
The presenters were the environmental risk management corporation, VeriTox, Inc. and its affiliated laboratory, Indoor Environmental Hygiene Laboratory. In this presentation, lemons were dropped into a waste basket. The projected conclusion from this experiment is that VeriTox, Inc. has been able to scientifically establish humans do not become ill from exposure to microbial toxins in water damaged buildings. It was also promoted in the presentation that this conclusion is the scientific consensus of learned bodies. Veritox Inc. is a corporation known to be prolific in the business of expert witnessing for defendants named in mold litigation. Their position within the courts is consistently that human illness is not plausible from microbial toxin exposure indoors.
Health Canada, Minister of Health, Residential indoor air quality guidelines for moulds, enacted March 12, 2007 and pursuant to the subsection 55(3) of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, is an example of the true accepted scientific consensus. Health Canada finds:
Mould growth can influence air quality because both spores and mycelial fragments are dispersed into the air and can be inhaled. Their penetration into the bronchial tree depends on their size. The smaller particles penetrate deeper into the lungs.
Three features of mould biochemistry are of special interest in terms of human health: Mould cell walls contain (1->3)-Я-D-glucan, a compound with inflammatory properties; Mould spores and mycelial fragments contain allergens; and The spores of some species contain low molecular weight chemicals that are cytotoxic or have other toxic properties (e.g. satratoxins and atranones produced by Stachybotrys chartarum).
In laboratory animal studies, instillation of fungal antigens (Penicillium sp. and Aspergillus sp.) and fungal cell components [(1->3)-Я-D-glucan] resulted in an inflammatory response in the lungs of rodents, while instillation of Stachbotrys chartarum spores resulted in severe histological and biochemical changes.
.the large number of mould species and strains growing in buildings and the large inter-individual variability in human response to mould exposure preclude the derivation of exposure limits.
In agreement with the laws of Canada, in Dr. Thrasher's complaint to the fraud and ethics committee of IUTOX, he wrote:
"From: Jack Thrasher, Ph.D.
To: [email protected]
Cc: Nina Immers
Sent: Friday, July 20, 2007 10:13 PM
Subject: Water Damaged Buildings
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing out of scientific concern with the hope of drawing your attention to a very serious matter with far reaching ramifications; one that is proliferating erroneous scientific information to a diverse spectrum of science. At your recent meeting the following subject matter was introduced by the authors as follows:
IUTOX ICTMontreal, Canada (July 15-19, 2007)
Bruce Kelman, PhD, DABT, FATS, and Clara Chan, MS, will present the poster
Risk from Inhaled Mycotoxins from Mold-Infested Produce (Abstract #PT6.105)
at the International Union of Toxicology (IUTOX) XIth International Congress of Toxicology on July 17, 2007 in Montreal, Canada."
The lab that they cite as the second author, "Indoor Environmental Hygiene
Laboratories", is also Veritox.
Key spin sentence, meant to confuse:
'Despite the findings of learned bodies, there continue to be concerns throughout North America and Northern Europe about mycotoxins from mold spores in indoor environments.' What are the learned bodies to which these authors refer? The only publications, which are position papers, available on this subject are written by these authors alone and/or individuals associated with them. Their fallacious argument has been published in ACOEM, AAAAI and ACMT.
The authors of this abstract continue to ignore the overall complexity of the
indoor water-damaged environment, which contains a host of mold and bacteria
(gram negative and positive) genera, mycotoxins, endotoxins, 1-3-beta-Dglucans, antigens, MVOCs among others. In addition, spores are not the only
particulates. Gorny and Brasel have clearly demonstrated that fine particulates less than the size of spores are also present. This fine particulate matter contains mycotoxins and other toxic materials. They are inhaled deep into the alveoli where simple diffusion takes place. I believe it is incumbent upon your August Body to make sure that the correct information is conveyed to the world toxicologists. After all, even the IOM report, Damp Indoor Spaces, refutes whatthese authors are attempting to convey. In addition, they never mention the bacteria of the genera of Streptomyces and Nocardiopsis that also produce toxins that, according to the work of Hirvonen's group in Finland and Pestkas group at MSU, act synergistically with mycotoxins (macrocyclic trichothecenes at least) to cause inflammatory conditions both in vivo and in vitro. Let us look at
the true science of the issue, not a poorly designed bench study that uses citrus fruit contaminated with Penicillium. The design does not adequately address the complexity of the environment created by water intrusion resulting in subsequent microbial (bacteria and molds) contamination. Finally the papers by Lewis on Aspergillus species isolated from tertiary cancer patients and from cases of aspergillosis demonstrate that gliotoxin is produced in vivo and in vitro.
If I had more space I would gladly continue. As proof of the information I am
conveying to you, ask the authors of this paper to site even one research paper that concludes it is not plausible humans experience symptoms of toxicity from exposure to mycotoxins within the indoor environment. For your perusal, I have attached a recent article on the subject from the Wall Street Journal. I would like to submit for your review and for possible publication through IUTOX a draft of the complexity of the indoor environment resulting from water intrusion. It is not in its final state. If you are interested I would like the opportunity to bring the literature citation up to date.
Jack D. Thrasher, Ph.D.
Toxicologist/Immunotoxicologist/Embryotoxicologist
www.drthrasher.org
Jack D. Thrasher, Ph.D.
Toxicologist/Immunotoxicologist
[email protected]"
As Dr. Thrasher pointed out, because of the complexity of the matter, it is a non-sequitur to drop lemons into a wastebasket and conclude anything of relevance regarding the existence or absence of human illness from exposure to microbial toxins found within water damaged buildings. It is not the consensus of learned bodies that exposure to these microbial toxins has been scientifically established not to cause human illness. For IUTOX to promote that such a concept could be established by dropping lemons into a wastebasket is to promote a false concept misinforming the toxicologists of the world and thereby potentially harming the lives of millions.
In support of Dr. Thrashers letter of complaint, the undersigned names also request an investigation by the fraud and the ethics violations committee of IUTOX and the Scientific Programs Committee for the Congress of Toxicology of how such an unscientific paper that falsely projects one can deduce absence of human illness by dropping lemons was allowed to be presented as science among your esteemed organizations. Violations within your organizations appear to have caused a promulgation of scientific misinformation among the member societies of IUTOX.
We thank the leaders of IUTOX and the International Congress of Toxicology for your leadership in assuring that the scientific integrity of our worlds toxicology societies remains uncompromised, and we thank you in advance for your attention to this important matter.
Executive Director, International Union of Toxicology
1821 Michael Faraday Drive, Suite 300
Reston, Virginia 20190
[email protected]
International Congress of Toxicology
Chair, Scientific Program Committee
Daniel Cyr
INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier
Universitй du Quйbec
[email protected]
Dear Ms. Lamb and Dr. Cyr,
We are writing to call your attention to an ongoing promulgation of misinformation that the International Union of Toxicology (IUTOX) and the International Congress of Toxicology have assisted in promoting.
On July 20, 2007, Dr. Jack Thrasher, Toxicologist, filed a letter of complaint, via the IUTOX fraud and ethics violation reporting site. The complaint was regarding a presentation given at the IUTOX XI International Congress of Toxicology in Montreal, Canada. It was Risk from Inhaled Mycotoxins from Mold-Infested Produce. Abstract of the presentation states:
"RISK FROM INHALED MYCOTOXINS FROM MOLD-INFESTED PRODUCE
C.Y. Chan, C.R. Robbins, P. Fallah, B.D. Hardin, and B.J. Kelman
Veritox, Redmond, USA
Indoor Environmental Hygiene Laboratory, Redmond, USA
Despite the findings of learned bodies,there continue to be concerns throughout North America and Northern Europe about mycotoxins from mold spores in indoor environments. We developed preliminary data on the level of spores generated from dropping moldy lemons into a wastebasket, associated maximum potential dose of mycotoxins, and risk of adverse effects from inhaling mycotoxins during this activity. Five lemons were inoculated with Penicillium and grown in closed containers until >50\% of the surface was covered with mold. In each trial, one lemon was dropped from a height of 180 cm into a wastebasket....Even at these relatively high spore levels, our data indicates that the spore levels measured and potentially-associated doses of mycotoxin are not sufficient to cause adverse effects."
The presenters were the environmental risk management corporation, VeriTox, Inc. and its affiliated laboratory, Indoor Environmental Hygiene Laboratory. In this presentation, lemons were dropped into a waste basket. The projected conclusion from this experiment is that VeriTox, Inc. has been able to scientifically establish humans do not become ill from exposure to microbial toxins in water damaged buildings. It was also promoted in the presentation that this conclusion is the scientific consensus of learned bodies. Veritox Inc. is a corporation known to be prolific in the business of expert witnessing for defendants named in mold litigation. Their position within the courts is consistently that human illness is not plausible from microbial toxin exposure indoors.
Health Canada, Minister of Health, Residential indoor air quality guidelines for moulds, enacted March 12, 2007 and pursuant to the subsection 55(3) of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, is an example of the true accepted scientific consensus. Health Canada finds:
Mould growth can influence air quality because both spores and mycelial fragments are dispersed into the air and can be inhaled. Their penetration into the bronchial tree depends on their size. The smaller particles penetrate deeper into the lungs.
Three features of mould biochemistry are of special interest in terms of human health: Mould cell walls contain (1->3)-Я-D-glucan, a compound with inflammatory properties; Mould spores and mycelial fragments contain allergens; and The spores of some species contain low molecular weight chemicals that are cytotoxic or have other toxic properties (e.g. satratoxins and atranones produced by Stachybotrys chartarum).
In laboratory animal studies, instillation of fungal antigens (Penicillium sp. and Aspergillus sp.) and fungal cell components [(1->3)-Я-D-glucan] resulted in an inflammatory response in the lungs of rodents, while instillation of Stachbotrys chartarum spores resulted in severe histological and biochemical changes.
.the large number of mould species and strains growing in buildings and the large inter-individual variability in human response to mould exposure preclude the derivation of exposure limits.
In agreement with the laws of Canada, in Dr. Thrasher's complaint to the fraud and ethics committee of IUTOX, he wrote:
"From: Jack Thrasher, Ph.D.
To: [email protected]
Cc: Nina Immers
Sent: Friday, July 20, 2007 10:13 PM
Subject: Water Damaged Buildings
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing out of scientific concern with the hope of drawing your attention to a very serious matter with far reaching ramifications; one that is proliferating erroneous scientific information to a diverse spectrum of science. At your recent meeting the following subject matter was introduced by the authors as follows:
IUTOX ICTMontreal, Canada (July 15-19, 2007)
Bruce Kelman, PhD, DABT, FATS, and Clara Chan, MS, will present the poster
Risk from Inhaled Mycotoxins from Mold-Infested Produce (Abstract #PT6.105)
at the International Union of Toxicology (IUTOX) XIth International Congress of Toxicology on July 17, 2007 in Montreal, Canada."
The lab that they cite as the second author, "Indoor Environmental Hygiene
Laboratories", is also Veritox.
Key spin sentence, meant to confuse:
'Despite the findings of learned bodies, there continue to be concerns throughout North America and Northern Europe about mycotoxins from mold spores in indoor environments.' What are the learned bodies to which these authors refer? The only publications, which are position papers, available on this subject are written by these authors alone and/or individuals associated with them. Their fallacious argument has been published in ACOEM, AAAAI and ACMT.
The authors of this abstract continue to ignore the overall complexity of the
indoor water-damaged environment, which contains a host of mold and bacteria
(gram negative and positive) genera, mycotoxins, endotoxins, 1-3-beta-Dglucans, antigens, MVOCs among others. In addition, spores are not the only
particulates. Gorny and Brasel have clearly demonstrated that fine particulates less than the size of spores are also present. This fine particulate matter contains mycotoxins and other toxic materials. They are inhaled deep into the alveoli where simple diffusion takes place. I believe it is incumbent upon your August Body to make sure that the correct information is conveyed to the world toxicologists. After all, even the IOM report, Damp Indoor Spaces, refutes whatthese authors are attempting to convey. In addition, they never mention the bacteria of the genera of Streptomyces and Nocardiopsis that also produce toxins that, according to the work of Hirvonen's group in Finland and Pestkas group at MSU, act synergistically with mycotoxins (macrocyclic trichothecenes at least) to cause inflammatory conditions both in vivo and in vitro. Let us look at
the true science of the issue, not a poorly designed bench study that uses citrus fruit contaminated with Penicillium. The design does not adequately address the complexity of the environment created by water intrusion resulting in subsequent microbial (bacteria and molds) contamination. Finally the papers by Lewis on Aspergillus species isolated from tertiary cancer patients and from cases of aspergillosis demonstrate that gliotoxin is produced in vivo and in vitro.
If I had more space I would gladly continue. As proof of the information I am
conveying to you, ask the authors of this paper to site even one research paper that concludes it is not plausible humans experience symptoms of toxicity from exposure to mycotoxins within the indoor environment. For your perusal, I have attached a recent article on the subject from the Wall Street Journal. I would like to submit for your review and for possible publication through IUTOX a draft of the complexity of the indoor environment resulting from water intrusion. It is not in its final state. If you are interested I would like the opportunity to bring the literature citation up to date.
Jack D. Thrasher, Ph.D.
Toxicologist/Immunotoxicologist/Embryotoxicologist
www.drthrasher.org
Jack D. Thrasher, Ph.D.
Toxicologist/Immunotoxicologist
[email protected]"
As Dr. Thrasher pointed out, because of the complexity of the matter, it is a non-sequitur to drop lemons into a wastebasket and conclude anything of relevance regarding the existence or absence of human illness from exposure to microbial toxins found within water damaged buildings. It is not the consensus of learned bodies that exposure to these microbial toxins has been scientifically established not to cause human illness. For IUTOX to promote that such a concept could be established by dropping lemons into a wastebasket is to promote a false concept misinforming the toxicologists of the world and thereby potentially harming the lives of millions.
In support of Dr. Thrashers letter of complaint, the undersigned names also request an investigation by the fraud and the ethics violations committee of IUTOX and the Scientific Programs Committee for the Congress of Toxicology of how such an unscientific paper that falsely projects one can deduce absence of human illness by dropping lemons was allowed to be presented as science among your esteemed organizations. Violations within your organizations appear to have caused a promulgation of scientific misinformation among the member societies of IUTOX.
We thank the leaders of IUTOX and the International Congress of Toxicology for your leadership in assuring that the scientific integrity of our worlds toxicology societies remains uncompromised, and we thank you in advance for your attention to this important matter.
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