Know what is in your environment

October 18, 2010

Autism is linked to Jaundice

A study performed by Danish researchers suggests that newborn babies who develop jaundice are at greater risk for developing autism. Jaundice is a common liver problem that turns skin and eye color yellow. The study found that full-term babies who developed jaundice were 67% more likely to develop autism and that babies born from October to March, the darkest months of the year, were most at risk.

I’m not going to comment on the “darkest months” in this blog, but I want to talk about my knowledge of autism and how I think it may be related to jaundice and specifically the function of the liver.

The liver is essentially the body’s filter. According to webmd.com

The liver’s main job is to filter the blood coming from the digestive tract, before passing it to the rest of the body. The liver also detoxifies chemicals and metabolizes drugs.

My knowledge or experience with autism is based on my business, Essco Safety Check, and our ability to enter an environment and help (in this case) parents with autistic children, know what is in their environment. Autistic parents appear to be very concerned about what potential toxicants may be present. Their children have health and behavioral issues; in each and every home with autistic children (that I have been to), the parents also inform me that their children have heavy metals in their blood. Not just one metal, but several, in one home I was shown the child’s blood metals lab report and 12 or 13 different metal were present, including; lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, antimony, tin, chromium, copper, and others.

With a device called an X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzer, we provide non-destructive testing of virtually anything in an environment (toys, ceramics, jewelry, housing, soil, etc) for heavy metals; lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, antimony, basically from 15-94 on the periodic chart.

Let me try putting the dots together.

I have been to dozens and dozens of homes with autistic children providing testing services and I hear the same story. First let me state that I’m not a doctor, but I feel like a researcher more and more.

1. All the parents of autistic children who have hired us to come to their home tell us that their children are autistic or have a similar condition.
2. All the parents of these autistic children tell us that their children have a variety of heavy metals in their blood.
3. When we provide testing of all the items in the child’s environment that they have a direct, routine relationship with (i.e. toys, ceramics, painted surfaces, vinyl objects, etc) we find the same heavy metals that the parents tell us are in their children’s blood.

My thoughts in developing my theory for three years are based on the fact that in 100% of the homes that I’ve been to with autistic children, we find these same three points, reoccurring in each and every home.

I believe that these children, autistic people in general, have a unique genetic pre-disposition to not be able to properly process metals and chemicals that we are all subjected to on a routine basis. And the constant exposure to these toxicants builds up in the body over time. If lead is present in a child’s blood, the lead can be causing potential health, intellectual and behavioral problems. If the lead is causing these problems, how can you properly treat autism? Wouldn’t you need to remove the harmful heavy metals from the child to properly treat autism?

Isn’t it possible that the lead in the child is actually masking the condition and thus any treatment without the removal of lead from the child’s blood will not work to its full potential?

Jaundice is a liver problem and the liver is the body’s filter, maybe the filter of an autistic person is simply not working properly.

I do not want to suggest that I think that heavy metals are the cause of autism, but as I have said, in each and every home that I’ve been to, to provide XRF testing for heavy metals, we hear the same story.

If constant exposure of heavy metals and chemicals are impacting everyone, the gradual buildup of these heavy metals and chemicals can occur within anyone, but more easily with people who’s “filter” is not working properly. This buildup of heavy metals can, in my opinion, potentially mask conditions of autism, making treatment harder, longer and less effective unless you remove the toxicants from the environment.

If you can remove potential toxicants from the environment of an autistic person, wouldn’t treatment be more effective?

Know what is in your environment and mitigate harm!

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Essco Safety Check

August 8, 2010

The Toxic Avenger takes aim at toxic toys and other toxic consumer products for families affected by autism.

Jubilee Farm - Autism Day of Washington 2010

The 10th Annual Autism Day of Washington was held on Saturday, August 7th, 2010 at the Jubilee Farm in Carnation Washington. Autism Day is an event designed for families touched by autism a chance to relax in a beautiful setting surrounded by people and businesses who understand. A variety of individuals and companies, service providers and organizations wishing to reach out to the autistic community participated in the event.

Essco Safety Check participated for the third year in a row by providing FREE X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) testing to look for heavy metals (lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury and others) in consumer products. As one mom explained to her autistic child, “they are looking for toxic toys.” We provided a display of products found in the typical home that have been tested and identified with lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury as well as information and publications from the EPA, HUD and Washington State Department of Health.

The rain could not stop hundreds of people from attending the event, going for hayrides, playing on the slip and slide or visiting all the vendor’s booths. Families brought toys, ceramics, jewelry and other consumer products by Essco Safety Check’s booth for XRF testing. Of all items that were tested, ceramics (coffee cups, plates and bowls) were found with the most amounts of lead and cadmium.

Hayrides and Spongebob during Autism Day of Washington 2010

By using technologies such as XRF Analyzers, we can help people and businesses gain knowledge about their environment. If you know what is in your environment, you can mitigate potential harm. Essco Safety Check has been providing in-home environmental testing services for almost three years. Autistic families appear to be more concerned about what is in their environment and have been contacting Essco Safety Check to know what is in their environment since January 2008.

As a service provider to families affected by autism, Essco Safety Check has found there to be a constant in each and every in-home inspection for an autistic family. You should know that these are just observations from our perspective of testing. Essco Safety Check inspectors are not doctors, but are certified lead inspectors and risk assessor.

Essco Safety Check's Booth at Autism Day of Washington 2010

In each and every case of providing testing services to autistic families, the parents of the autistic children tell us that their children have heavy metals in their blood. When they inform us what heavy metals are found in their child’s blood, when we provide XRF testing of the consumer products and objects and items these autistic children come in contact with, we find the same heavy metals in the products as is found in their blood.

I’m not suggesting that heavy metals are the cause of autism; however, I believe that a person with autism has a predisposition to not be able to process the heavy metals and chemicals we all come in contact with. Considering that we are all subjected to a variety of heavy metals in our daily life, until you remove the heavy metals that are affecting the autistic person, how can you effectively treat autism?

Essco Safety Check has developed a methodology of collecting and analyzing the personal environment using XRF Analyzers, photography and an environmental software platform. By understanding what is in your environment you can make educated decisions as to what you, your children, you customers or employees are exposed to.

Know what is in your environment and mitigate harm.

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